Public Service | Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

Seeing the Leo T. McCarthy Award’s Impact

Our 2024 McCarthy Award for Public Service celebration honoring Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi in November was an evening filled with the center’s friends, donors, stakeholders, and students! Fifteen McCarthy Center students who served as ambassadors, helped our guests to see the success that they support. Hear from some of our students as they reflect on…

Meet our 2025 USF in DC Fellows!

We are pleased to introduce the spring cohort of eight students who will join us this semester for our USF in Washington, D.C. Fellows program. They come from multiple backgrounds, have diverse interests, and arrive with a common thread and dedication to public service. Currently, they’re applying their skills and determination to internships in the…

Changing My Worldview Through the SFFD

Jaeda Johnson ’26 is a Psychology major with a minor in Criminal Justice Studies at USF. As a McCarthy Fellow in San Francisco interning at the SFFD’s Behavioral Health Unit, she has observed first-hand in San Francisco that while helping our communities, we must not forget to take care of ourselves. Read on to learn…

Finding My Role in Public Service

Benjamin Getchell ’25 is a Politics major with an Environmental Science and a Public Service and Community Engagement minor. Reflecting on his time during his McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento internship this past summer, Benjamin was able to work with his fellow colleagues and find his role in public service. Everyone has a role to play…

My Journey in San Francisco’s India Basin

In this week’s blog, Jade Carter ’24 Environmental Studies, embarks on a mission to bridge gaps between local government and grassroots advocacy in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood. Through hands-on involvement , they confronted deep-seated community mistrust and explored avenues for equitable development. Ultimately, their narrative showcases the power of collaboration, highlighting the author’s newfound…

Crafting Success: McCarthy Fellowship experience

Step into Giuseppe Cannavó’s 25′, Civil Engineering transformative journey as he unveils the life-altering experience of his McCarthy Fellowship program in the heart of San Francisco. From navigating the intricate corridors of public policy to crafting influential strategies with the Strategic Planning and Performance Team at the San Francisco Department of Public Works, Giuseppe’s story resonates with…

Immigration—More than a Section in a Textbook

Read as Kemelyn Alvarado ’24, Politics, shares her journey of diving into the intricacies of immigration law and civic engagement as a McCarthy Fellow in San Francisco. Follow as she shares how life had its own lessons to teach beyond the textbooks. As a McCarthy Fellow in San Francisco I interned at the Office of…

Meet the Fall 2023 McCarthy Fellows in San Francisco!

We welcome our eighteen McCarthy Fellows in San Francisco who will be spending the Fall semester interning part-time at various departments, offices, and agencies with the City and County of San Francisco. Our Fellows will be taking a rigorous 6-unit academic seminar where they will be learning about the historical, political, economic, and social context…