What Our Interns and Students Say

Here in the Entomology Lab, I am responsible for logging in all samples from all over the county. After the entomologist, Dr. Kellum, determines what the specimen is, I would then send out the determinations. I also have the opportunity to work at Seeds of Wonder every Friday of each month at Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas. Each year, there are around two to three Insect Fairs in which there are several interesting vendors and county workers who inform people about insects and agriculture. The insect fairs have been held at Quail Botanical Garden and the Polinsky Center for children. I am also responsible for inputting bee registrations from beekeepers throughout the year.

I think the internship has definitely made a significant impact on me. It has helped me to mature due to my great responsibilities. It has been odd because when people ask me of my major, I reply nursing and, automatically, people wonder what I am doing in the Agriculture Department. Working here has allowed me to become more patient and to develop my customer service skills. I look forward to coming to work everyday because each day holds something different. One day I may be working on an Insect Fair, and another day I may be going out to do an Apiary Inspection.

I'm a Graduate Student Worker with AWM, Office of the County Veterinarian Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, currently working on my Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology. I get to work with Dr. Dunne and help with public health veterinary projects. I was initially hired to help with bird flu education and outreach, but have gotten to do a lot more. During the past year, I’ve gotten to help Dr. Gurfield with various projects, including the county’s Bird Flu Responders’ Meeting, Poultry Workers' Seasonal Flu Vaccination campaign, and bio-security training for county field employees. My main project while I'm here is to complete a risk analysis for Western Hemispheric countries, identifying possible routes of entry of H5N1. This gives me first hand experience in gathering data, organizing and verifying data, and performing statistical tests to quantify risk and probabilities. It could almost be my thesis project!

I value my time here because I enjoy working for local government and learning about how public work is different than private industry work.

I’ve worked in the Community Health Division for the past two years, and I’ve enjoyed my time here. Being able to help the public and educate them about environmental health issues is rewarding. That and the fact that I am constantly learning new lessons makes my job at the county fun. I’ve learned so much from this job, knowledge that you can’t get in a classroom but only from experience.

Although I have only worked with the County of San Diego for a short time, the amount of knowledge I’ve gained is vast and plentiful! Working directly with DEH to help my community is a great feeling. I had no idea how much background work goes on in my community, and being able to be a part of that growth has provided a great experience for any future endeavors I may encounter.

As a student worker for the County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation, I gained many skills and knowledge. With the County of San Diego, I achieved working in a government office environment for the first time. I am able to put some of the cleverness I gained from college into action. I work closely with the Administration Services Division where I process a variety of personnel related forms and records for various different tasks setup such as maintenance of office files, records and indices. Additionally, I learned how to use new software programs to help me prepare special periodic reports that involve compiling data from a number of sources.

I acquired an advantage of experiencing work tasks that the County of San Diego has to offer. I am excited to be given this opportunity and look forward to working here permanently.

My internship at County of San Diego Department of Parks and Recreation has been a great learning experience. I had the opportunity to perform different tasks with Real Estate services such as recording documents, researching parcel information on the land use mapping application and finding properties that may be purchased by Parks and Recreation. There is never a dull moment in this department and I learned so much about the acquisition process and writing board letters.

I now know things I never thought I would know or need at my work place. Although I have worked in an office environment before, it does not compare to working with these co-workers who are teaching me new things and help me grow professionally and reach my goals. I believe that working with the County has provided me with a vital education that I will be able to use in future positions. The County of San Diego is such a large workforce with over 15,000 employees and tons of different departments. I am excited about what the future may look like.

My experience from working in the Department of Parks and Recreation for the County of San Diego has been beneficial in a multitude of ways. Currently, I work with the budget section of the department by helping them run and organize reports, and copy important documents. My efforts allow our budget division to formulate spreadsheets and prepare presentations in order for the County of San Diego to understand where DPR stands with its resources. I also make deliveries or help our department stay organized with its office supplies and presentation binders.

I learned much through my time at the Department of Parks and Recreation, as it is the first job I have ever had; therefore making my understanding of the work place highly enriching. I was finally able to understand time management in relation to a job, allotting time for paychecks, and human interaction in the work place. I am thrilled to work in an office, dress formally for meetings, and interact with bosses right next to my work space. The office job has allowed me opportunities to meet with several hard-working men and women, who have given me valuable advice in life and work. My time at the Department of Parks and Recreation has culminated into an exciting new experience and good work environment that I will be able to use in future jobs.

My internship at the County of San Diego has been a wonderful learning experience. Working for a government agency has given me insight into a new realm of the business world. This internship has given me an opportunity to use my academic knowledge of marketing activities in a real world setting. It is only my second week on the job and I already began several projects. I worked on several fliers to promote the County, as well as getting acquainted with the marketing activities of the Department of Parks and Recreation. I also began tracking the progress of our marketing campaigns through surveys, in hopes of determining the effectiveness of our program.

I am really eager about my internship at the County because it has given me real life experience. Working with the knowledgeable County staff has taught me so much. The wisdom I am attaining from this internship will help further my career after graduation.

My name is Zach Barhoumi, and I currently attend San Diego State University majoring in Civil Engineering with a focus on Environmental Engineering. I have had the privilege of being a student worker for the County of San Diego since April 2007. My supervisor is one of the most fascinating people I have ever met, Wayne T. Williams, who heads the Recycling Department. I would never have had the opportunity of working in such a professional environment if it wasn’t for the County’s Student Worker Program. As a student worker I am gaining valuable work experience that cannot be attained with a traditional entry-level job. Every day I get to interact and work on projects with highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field. I am regularly out in the field interacting with businesses and educating the public about recycling. One of the projects that I am currently working on is a commercial recycling project. The objective is to offer assistance to commercial businesses to help them gain compliance with the County’s recycling requirements. I also perform waste audits at businesses and conduct follow-up visits to troubleshoot their new recycling programs.

Not only do I get to help the environment, but I gain valuable work experience at the same time. The way I see it, being a student worker for the County is a win-win situation, work in the field you want and have fun doing it!

In 2005, as a college freshman at California Polytechnic State University, I started as a Civil Engineering student worker for the Department of Public Works (DPW) in Wastewater Management. Working for the County has provided me valuable insight into the engineering field that has better prepared me academically and for my professional career. When I began, my knowledge of engineering was limited to that of a freshman’s academic curriculum. While working under direct supervision of engineers and project managers, the experience I am gaining in AutoCAD drafting and construction inspection and design has given me knowledge beyond my level of education and has consequently placed me at an academic advantage.

Working at DPW as a student worker has also sensitized me to the importance of communication. I have also learned that a successful engineering career goes hand-in-hand with excellent communication skills. It is essential for an engineer to have the ability to impart technical information to the general public in a lay person’s terms. In the future, I see myself continuing to work as a student worker for the County, and eventually join DPW as a member of the full-time engineering staff.