They have the ear of San Diego State University President Stephen L. Weber.  They are meeting with potential donors and working alongside SDSU college deans.  

Who is getting this kind of unprecedented access to the inner workings of the university?

You’d be surprised to learn that for most of them, it is the first job they’ve ever had. They are interns from Hoover High School participating in the Hire-a-Youth program through San Diego Workforce Partnership.

Jessica Chavez, 17, a recent graduate of Hoover High School, is one of nearly 80 interns working on campus this summer.  She has been assigned to the dean’s office in the College of Arts and Letters.  Working with the college's development team, Chavez has been learning about the university’s fundraising efforts, which included meeting with a prospective donor.

For Chavez, this experience has not only opened her eyes to the many different types of job possibilities, but she said it also helps prepare her for classes at SDSU in the fall.

“Already I am more familiar with the campus,” said Chavez, who is not only the first in her family to go to college, but the first to graduate high school, as well. 

Demystifying the university

Nora Welshans, the program’s coordinator at Hoover High, which is part of SDSU's City Heights Educational Collaborative, said the participating students, some as young as 14, haven’t been raised in a college-going culture, so this experience will demystify the university experience.

“Just knowing where to eat, where the library and computer labs are on campus is a huge benefit to them,”  Welshans said. “Now when they think about college, there are going to be fewer unknown factors.”

The interns are paid through funding from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act and are also provided with bus passes and lunches each day thanks to San Diego Unified School District.

“If it wasn’t for this program, most of these students would not have an opportunity to work this summer,” Welshans said.

As a result of the current economic problems, out-of-work adults are taking summer jobs traditionally filled by students.

Work readiness

Prior to arriving on campus, the students completed several days of work readiness training to prepare.

“The students who participate in this program come from very low economic backgrounds and don’t have adults who can mentor them on how to find a job, interview skills and working in a business environment,” Welshans said.

The interns will be on campus four days a week through the end of the summer.

About the City Heights Educational Collaborative

Hoover High School is part of SDSU’s City Heights Educational Collaborative, a unique partnership between SDSU, the San Diego Unified School District, the San Diego Education Association and Price Charities. 

The collaborative is designed to positively impact the academic achievement of students in three City Heights schools - Rosa Parks Elementary, Monroe Clark Middle and Hoover High - and to improve upon the way educational professionals working in the inner-city schools are trained and supported.