Congratulations to two USF MSEM students – Analia Alvarado and Michaella Sena – who have been awarded internships in the Professional Development Internship Program, a partnership of the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SF Rec & Parks) with the University of San Francisco and San Francisco State University. The internship is paid and includes a strong professional development component, with the aim of training interns for full-time jobs after graduation. Undergraduate Environmental Studies & Science student Eva Azavedo also received an internship.
We spoke with Analia and Michaella at the February 6th Meet & Greet event for interns and supervisors, in Golden Gate Park. Analia is interning with Ashley Summers, Liaison to the SF Rec & Parks Commission. Deep in the Commission archives are fascinating stories dating back to the 1890s, and Analia aims to gather and share those stories with current park goers. She will also be working on diversity and inclusion under the city’s Racial Equality Act, supporting community voices and access to urban green space amenities.
Michaella is interning with Jennifer Gee at the EcoCenter in Heron’s Head Park, in the Bayview-Hunters Point district. The EcoCenter offers education and tours, and it features a Nature Exploration Area that won a UNICEF 2021 Cities Inspires Award. The EcoCenter has its own 4.6kW solar array and battery, a living roof, rainwater harvesting, and water treatment system, showcasing a transition away from the polluting industries in the district. Her duties include educational tours and hands-on science explorations, and monitoring the solar and water systems at the EcoCenter.
General Manager, Phil Ginsburg, who co-founded the internship program 15 years ago, gave a warm welcome, noting, “You’re not just an intern, you’re an asset.” He emphasized that the work of SF Rec & Parks is a generational effort, a group effort at ecological restoration, with parks serving as important gathering places for social cohesion and democracy.
=
