Project Pull is an internship program hosted by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commision (SFPUC) and other City Agencies within the public sector. The goal of the program is to offer highly motivated high school and college students the opportunity to work in various professional paths throughout the City. Simultaneously, this program strives to help individuals cultivate the essential skills needed to secure future positions throughout their career. 

This year, I was lucky enough to be selected amongst a pool of capable applicants. I was thrilled with my placement in the SFPUC Communications department, excited to acquire new work experience and skills. On my first day, I met my mentor, Donovan Gomez, who works as an Associate Digital Communications Specialist and helps manage all of the SFPUC social media platforms. He helped me ease into my position in the workplace by introducing me to colleagues on the floor, bringing me to work meetings, and offering consistent encouragement on the work I produced. He displayed an immediate interest in my goals and sought to help me attain them through meaningful projects and experience.

One of my first assignments was to come up with social media post ideas, and I can still recall the first time that I saw my posts up on the SFPUC Instagram page. Knowing that I created that post myself and was now able to showcase it to all of SFPUC’s followers was one of the most fulfilling experiences. Gomez also catered to my filmmaking aspirations by asking me to publish a short video on Green Infrastructure. I created an informational video in order to inform and educate residents and was able to gain additional editing and storyboarding experience.

While I was working hard in the Communications department, I was also connecting with the other Project Pull interns through an annual debate project. My group members and I had to come up with compelling arguments and rebuttals regarding globally relevant topics. In preparation for this debate, we conducted interviews with San Francisco residents and asked them to share their thoughts on our assigned topic. This debate was held in front of a vast group of SFPUC employees from various departments, who were asked to judge our claims. Engaging in my first debate, I learned about pressing issues in our modern world, the perspectives of San Francisco residents, and the importance of hearing all sides.

Similarly, in working with Gomez, I learned about what it took to represent such a vibrant community of hard workers at the SFPUC and strengthened my skills in a developing passion. Project Pull helped me acquire skills that can be used not only in the workplace, but also in the outside world. 

The connections that I have made with fellow interns and mentors are extremely valuable to me, and I plan to continue to build on what they have taught me, carrying these lessons with me throughout my life.