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

Illuminating the Path to Youth Development

With her experience in education, program management, and international education development for the San Francisco Beacon Initiative, Jessica Zlotnicki joined our Community Partner Co-Educator (CPCE) Fellowship this past spring where she connected with community peers, shared her expertise, and built a deeper understanding of how to work with USF and our students. In this post,…

Building Financial Foundations for Youth

Leatitia Ngandu ’25 worked as a Summer Financial Literacy intern this summer, a program where teaching financial literacy skills to youth is essential to growth and development. When discussing the importance of financial literacy, we often focus on its significance for college students and beyond, assuming they need these skills before entering the “real world.”…

Incite Change, Stand Up

Imani Im, a rising senior majoring in Critical Diversity Studies with minors in Communication Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies shares her experience becoming an Equity Intern. After studying abroad in Morocco, she found passion in working with students after teaching English to youth for a semester. This led her to apply for the Equity…

Meet Our 2024 McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento

Congratulations to our newest cohort of McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento. This summer, nine students from diverse majors and backgrounds will immerse themselves in the policymaking process at California’s state capital. Fellows will gain firsthand experience in how state-level public policy is crafted and develop the skills needed to become change leaders in their communities. Join…

Shoutout to our 2024 CEAs

Our 2023-2024 Community Empowerment Activists (CEA) are finishing up a great year. These eighteen individuals have embarked on a transformative journey in the heart of the San Francisco Bay Area. Through a yearlong immersive experience, they delved into the intricate web of systemic oppression and resistance, honing their skills in grassroots organizing, advocacy, and coalition…

Community Engagement through Activism

The Community Empowerment Activists (CEA) program develops critically engaged students through internships with grassroots, advocacy, and base-building organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students learn leadership skills for social justice through hands-on practice at their host organizations, ongoing class meetings, building with community leaders, and professional development workshops. Social justice starts at the local…

Sheryl Davis pictured speaking after receiving her hononarary doctorate

Through Courage, Community & Creativity

We are honored to showcase the inspiring words of Sheryl Davis, USF alum, McCarthy Center Board Member and Executive Director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. She was recently conferred an Honorary Doctorate by USF and spoke on the need to share our gifts, through courage, community and creativity I wrestled with what to…

Internship Insights

The McCarthy Center’s annual “Power Breakfast“ is almost here! This is a celebration of the achievements of USF students who have interned in the world of public service. Our McCarthy Fellows serve in all levels of government and advocacy from Washington, D.C. to Sacramento to San Francisco! On November 8, a few of these McCarthy…