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Intership Testimonials

Marwa El-Messidi - UC Davis, Community & Regional Development
Erin Burns - UC Davis, Community and Regional Development and Economics
Nick Tiano - UC Davis, Community and Regional Development
Queena Lu - UC Davis, Community & Regional Development
Bernadette Austin - UC Davis, Community & Regional Development
Audrey Casillas - UC Davis, Community & Regional Development
Ben Law - UC Davis, Community & Regional Development
Alyssa Tavares - UC Berkeley, Economics
Amber Rankin - UC Davis, Managerial Economics
Irene Lee

“Toward the end of my first year in graduate school, I began casually looking for an internship opportunity to fulfill a Community and Regional Development program requirement.  I started my internship with California Capital in the summer of 2005 through the summer of 2006, initially working on market assessment and competitive analysis projects.  Three other interns and I immersed ourselves in reading materials, online research, and number crunching in laying the groundwork for an in-depth understanding of California Capital's target markets.  Meeting with staff on a weekly basis showed us how the data we gathered would influence California Capital's approach in reaching out to underserved communities.  Soon thereafter, I joined in a long term effort to establish an impact assessment evaluation tool – one that would measure California Capital's effectiveness in reaching its target markets.  After many long hours and engaging discussions, I grew increasingly enthusiastic about the direction and implementation of these projects, and before I knew it, an entire year had passed!  In that time, I was also able to successfully complete NDC's Economic Development Finance 101 training, help initiate an additional internship project on ethnic studies, and from these undertakings, design and implement my Master's thesis.

“I emerged one year later with a deep appreciation for the process of organizational strategic planning – planning that leads into grounded, practical ideas for better products and, ultimately, better results for disparate communities.  More generally, I saw how multi-faceted economic development is implemented at all levels, from the individual to the neighborhood to the community.  Most importantly, I saw firsthand the tireless, impassioned work of individuals who had dedicated their professional lives to improving economic opportunities for others.

“I feel deeply grateful for the mentorship of Clarence Williams , Debbie Muramoto , and Taaru Chawla , through whom I was able to explore and work on my community development toolkit as both researcher and practitioner.  These skills have already proven indispensable in my position as Enterprise Zone Program Administrator with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.”

- Marwa El-Messidi

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development

 

“Being an Intern at California Capital provided me with the opportunity to apply the skills I gathered at UC Davis to a working environment. I was able to gain experience and additional knowledge in Economic Development Finance, community outreach, demographics, census date, data collection, public speaking, as well as day-to-day work interactions such as staff and board meetings. California Capital provided an environment that allowed the interns to be innovative and creative with our assignments, while also contributing guidance and suggestions. The skills I learned as an intern are invaluable and have been carried into my career as a regional planner.” 

-Erin Burns

UC Davis, Community and Regional Development and Economics

 

“While interning at California Capital, I learned a great deal about the extent of market research and information management necessary to successfully implement a community development program.  In addition, the small business finance classes I was offered served to further my personal understanding of the financing process as well as some of the challenges associated with community building.   

“With a B.S. in Community & Regional Development from UC Davis, I believe that my experience at California Capital definitely furthered my practical understanding of the field while allowing me to see the value of strategic planning grounded in careful data collection and analysis.”

-Nick Tiano

UC Davis, Community and Regional Development

 

“My internship experience at California Capital had been very valuable; I gained skills in public speaking, researching, data analysis, and most important of all the understanding of community development. As a community and regional development major, I was able to use the theories I learned from UC Davis and applied it at California Capital. I worked on the Market Assessment and Ethnic Studies Project which consisted of many data analysis and research. I was able to present my findings to community members of Sacramento and develop a research tool with my teammates.

“The utilization of data was such a power tool to use in community development. Other than research, I was able to develop a Newsletter that outreached the communities in Sacramento . After the internship, I was able to use the experience in finding my first job after college. I currently work for a non-profit employment agency in San Francisco called South of Market Employment Center. I enjoyed what I do as an Employment Counselor.  I assessed, interviewed and counseled clients in search for employment.  

“The staffs at California Capital were such great mentors; they gave me the opportunity to work on various projects. I was able utilize my research skills I have gained through this internship for my current job.  My co-workers were amazed with the charts and graphs that I've made for reports. The data/charts were very useful especially for grants and reports. I wrote newsletters and designed an Annual Report for marketing purposes for the non-profit Employment Agency. The internship at California Capital was a valuable experience and I gained the skills that were useful for my career growth.”

- Queena Lu

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development

 

“The internship that I held at California Capital FDC made a significant impact on me, both personally and professionally. The position allowed me the flexibility to determine the methods, topics, and conclusions for the information I gathered. As a recent transplant to the area, this information helped me learn quickly about various neighborhoods in the Sacramento area. I learned about these areas in an academic sense, but I also grew to appreciate these areas in more depth, such as the immigrant history of West Sacramento and cultural diversity of Stockton Boulevard . When I presented my findings to the staff, I received valuable feedback on public speaking and effective communication. These presentations were also given to community members. It was professionally beneficial to develop relationships with people from government agencies, community-based organizations, and the finance industry.

“Upon finishing school, I was able to utilize many aspects of this internship. My familiarity with the Sacramento neighborhoods and redevelopment areas was particularly useful when I applied for a job at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. Also, California Capital generously sponsored me to attend various National Development Council trainings for certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional. I believe that these trainings gave me a solid foundation in preparation for my position as a Housing Finance Analyst. I would highly recommend this internship.”

-Bernadette Austin

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development

 

“I began working with California Capital during my last year at University of California Davis , where I majored in Community and Regional Development. My academic background, complemented by new, real-life experiences as a research intern, gave me an opportunity to develop my skills as a young professional eager to work in the economic development field. In particular, communicating new theories and performing community development research about ethnic businesses has prepared me for me my current position as a Business Counselor at Koreatown Youth and Community Center in Los Angeles , CA . I recommend anyone interested in learning more about Economic Development to take the challenge and work with the great team at California Capital.”

-Audrey Casillas

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development

 

“Working at California Capital FDC taught me a lot about the rigors and challenges of doing research.  The staff was always very supportive of our work, but always made sure the data we found was put into a context.  As a Master's student in Agricultural Resource Economics at UC Davis this lesson was reinforced repeatedly. Our results and data are only an extension of economic theory and what our own logic dictates.  The statistics we find are only numbers and working at California Capital FDC helped me understand the importance of putting a story behind the statistics.  The work was also very fulfilling because the ultimate goal of the organization was to try and better our surrounding community.  In the end, my time there was very worth wild and will ultimately contribute to my current and future success.”

-Ben Law

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development

 

“When I first started at California Capital, I began my internship with the hope that I would acquire valuable skills useful to a professional working environment. Not only was I not disappointed, but I also found that my experience surpassed my expectations. My area of research included data analysis on communities within the Sacramento area. I investigated data related to housing, the environment, health, and small business, and I presented this data through easily readable graphs and charts. I shared my findings with the staff and interns through presentations, and I received valuable advice on presentation of data and public speaking skills.

“Overall, my interest in economic development worked well with the sentiment shared by staff and interns at California Capital because they genuinely care about community development. I feel that this internship was an enlightening experience largely because of the wide and interesting range of topics it covered. As an economics major, I strongly feel that this internship will apply to whatever career I choose in the future. I am grateful for this opportunity that I received with California Capital.”

            - Alyssa Tavares

UC Berkeley, Economics

 

“My internship with California Capital this summer was highly rewarding because of the people I was able to work with at the office and because of the nature of my project. I worked with three other interns as well as with members of the staff who provided helpful feedback, encouragement, and motivation. The expectations of my position allowed me the liberty to develop, organize, and format my research without formal guidelines. Through meetings with the staff and fellow interns, I gained experience presenting my research to a variety of audiences and developing my public speaking skills. I worked closely with one other intern to create a fact book of the research we compiled during the summer, and as a result I learned to effectively collaborate with another person to divide responsibilities, agree upon the format and content of our research, and to meet deadlines. The structure of my internship and the creativity required allowed me to develop and refine many skills including making presentations, working in a group setting, conducting meaningful research, and remaining diligent without strict supervision. My experiences at California Capital have been invaluable and will benefit me in future classes and work settings.”

-Amber Rankin

UC Davis, Managerial Economics

 

I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant to become an intern at California Capital FDC. I was shy, unsure, and even afraid that I did not possess enough knowledge about economic development. However, California Capital reassured me time and time again that I knew more than I had previously thought. Over the course of nine months, I worked on various projects that challenged and demonstrated what I had learned in classes against real world settings. California Capital’s staff gave me the support and flexibility to develop a research style that fit my interests.

I will be forever thankful for the learning opportunities and advice that California Capital has offered me, these skills have proved to be invaluable in my current work settings and will be just as rewarding in the future.

-Irene Lee

UC Davis, Community & Regional Development