Category: alumni

(Cindy did not want her photo posted, so she drew a cartoon representation of herself.. awesome!)

My name is Cindy and I was in SWEP for four years. During my first summer, I was an assistant secretary at JCYC, where I stamped checks and helped with paperwork. Then, the following three years, I interned at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (JCCNC) for their Digital Leadership Program. I taught senior citizens basic computer skills, created lesson plans, and did paperwork. For example, every time we tutored a senior citizen, we would ask them to fill out a survey. After that, I would input the survey data into SurveyMonkey.

I liked working at JCCNC because teaching senior citizens made me feel more connected to them. I really enjoyed teaching them because they were all nice and tried their best at everything we explained to them.

I worked with my supervisor, Ryan Kimura, for three years and was able to build a good relationship with him. If I did not understand something, I would ask him and he would help me step by step. I feel like asking questions when you don’t get something is a form of communication with your supervisor that you need to practice and become comfortable with.

My favorite part of being in SWEP was going to the workshops. The workshops showed me what was to be expected from a professional employee and helped prepare me for my internship. SWEP gave me new skills and helped me build on skills that I already had. For example — before the program, I didn’t really have much patience with my mom and dad but after I started teaching at JCCNC, my patience level went up. That is because the key to teaching senior citizens is patience and communication.

Now, I am 18 years old and attending City College of San Francisco. I plan on transferring to a four year university and pursuing med school in the future. I am very focused on studying, but when I have free time, I go running. I like to text my friends and bother them. That’s about it on me. No more. The rest is a secret.

I’m Amy Ung and I participated in SWEP during my senior year of high school (both summer and spring session). My favorite worksite would be Galeria De La Raza, which is a gallery doing a great cause. They worked to spread awareness and appreciation for Chicano/Latino art and helped artists sell their artwork in the Mission District of San Francisco. When I was working there, I had very friendly supervisors and I was able to get along with them and my coworkers.

When I started working there, my supervisors were very appreciative for my help around the office and in the gallery. They were really easy to talk to when I needed help, and they were energetic which made working fun. The other intern and I were able to talk about our selves and our future goals.

My favorite part of being in SWEP was being able to have job experience and build skills to better my future. SWEP helped me build a resume and learn how to look for a job in the real world. Looking back, I feel like it made an impact in my life because it prepared me for what I face today: interviews, resume constructing, dressing professionally, and knowing how to behave appropriately at work. The job readiness workshops helped me become a better and more prepared person. Also, SWEP helped me think about my future and practice planning goals for the long run. These experiences are really hard to get when you are young! 

Today, I am 20 years old and I’m studying Computer Engineering at City College of San Francisco, working towards transferring to a four year university. I’m trying to balance studying with finding another job! I’m a very open minded person, and enjoy helping others and my community. I enjoy art (drawing, painting, dancing, crafting) and sports (ice skating, volleyball, tennis, badminton, soccer, archery, and martial arts). I like exploring and trying new things. Overall, I am the type of person who enjoys learning bits of everything.

I’m Christina Hoang and I was in SWEP for two years, during the 11th and 12th grade. In my junior year, I worked at a clothing store, where I folded clothes and provided customer service. The following year, I worked at a nonprofit named Juma Ventures and did office work such as data entry and filing.

Juma Ventures had a huge influence on my life. Everyone at my worksite was so welcoming, friendly and nice. One of my coworkers actually persuaded me to attend the college that I am at right now (I was deciding between San Francisco State University and San Jose State University, and she was able to give me lots of information on SJSU), and that’s a decision I am glad I made.

I was able to talk to my supervisors at Juma Ventures very easily and whenever there’s a job opportunity, my old supervisor (Beth) keeps me in mind and calls me to inform me that there is an opening position. My favorite part of being in SWEP was being around people who supported me and people who were very insightful and knowledgeable. I enjoyed every second working at Juma Ventures and I would not trade that experience for anything.

SWEP helped me gain work experience and it helped me build my resume. It definitely gave me an advantage over other peers that applied for the same job (because I was able to get office experience through SWEP) and it is the main reason why I have my current on campus job at school.

Now, I am 19 years old and a sophomore at San Jose State University studying Business Administration: Accounting. I enjoy being outdoors so I like taking photos, hiking, and sightseeing. I enjoy music very much so I’m usually spending countless hours listening to music or trying to pick up a new song on the ukulele.

My name is Lisa Ngo and I have been involved with SWEP since the summer of 2011. I started off having office internships two summers in a row, until I got the opportunity to work with children at the Judith Baker Child Development Center in South of Market. I enjoyed working with children very much and was very excited when I was granted the opportunity to work with them again in the spring of my senior year, this time at the Little Children’s Development Center.

My favorite worksite was Judith Baker Child Development Center because of the children and staff that I got to work under. I really liked how structured my day by day schedule was. They had the children do activities at the exact same times every day, which I thought was very important because it creates a good foundation for time management. The instructors I worked under welcomed me with open arms and made me feel that I played an important role in the workplace.

My favorite part about being in SWEP was meeting a lot of new people. This includes co-workers, SWEP coordinators, and fellow SWEP students. This program definitely had an impact on my professional life. It provided me with early work experience that helped me attain jobs in the long run. It had a big impact on my resume. Without SWEP, I wouldn’t have had any work experience or references to vouch for me. SWEP was definitely helpful and I am so happy that I got to be involved in such a great program. In the moment, I didn’t appreciate it as much. But as a college student now, I am definitely grateful for the opportunity.

Now, I am currently a 19-year old sophomore at the University of California, Santa Cruz. I am pursuing a double major in Psychology and Business Management/Economics. In college, I am involved in a national co-ed fraternity by the name of Alpha Phi Omega. Our cardinal principles are leadership, friendship, and service. Through Alpha Phi Omega, I have learned how to be a better leader, friend, and service provider. I am also a TV and movie junkie! I spend most of my free time catching up on my favorite shows and re-watching my favorite movies. I am very good at procrastinating, which I understand is a very bad skill to have. Pinterest and Buzzfeed have played a key role in my procrastination.