Summer ’22 Interns Take Liberal Arts into the Community and Workplace

^{ABOVE: Sofia Cuevas Dorador ’23 spent her summer internship assisting an immigration law firm.}

This summer, Saint Mary’s School of Liberal Arts broke its own record, awarding its Liberal Arts Bridge Internship Scholarships to more students than ever. Interning with a vast array of organizations, 11 Liberal Arts majors explored their unique professional interests while gaining valuable real-world experiences beyond the campus—and getting fairly compensated for it.

The entire experience was “amazing,” says Sofia Cuevas Dorador ’23, who spent her summer assisting an immigration law firm in nearby Brentwood. “A lot of people have to make the decision, ‘Am I going to get a job where I get paid? Or am I going to be able to work at an internship that I'm passionate about?’....I didn’t have to make that decision.”

The LAB program—funded by the School of Liberal Arts (SOLA) Dean’s Advisory Board and other generous alumni and friends—provides students with generous financial assistance, enabling them to pursue dream internships they could not otherwise afford. As a result, students develop skills for their future careers and provided meaningful social service to local and global communities, particularly through non-profit and public sector organizations. These internships help bridge the gap between college life and what comes next. 

This summer’s LAB Interns represented majors across SOLA, spanning the social sciences, humanities, and arts, and included rising sophomores through seniors. Three LAB Interns were also MICAH Fellows, in collaboration with the Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action. 

Here are their stories:

• Athena Tedesco ’25 (Politics) interned remotely with We Vote, in Oakland, working as a political data manager, where she conducted research on candidate endorsements for the 2022 primary and general elections and entered the endorsement data into the We Vote system.

• Lauryn Nazareno ’23 (Kinesiology) interned at Ambition Training, Chula Visa. She worked in Speed & Strength and Conditioning Coaching, Training Program Development & Progression, and Social Media development.

• Nash Anderson ’23 (Global & Regional Studies) interned remotely with Engage Globally, working with other interns to develop a curriculum on sustainable development for schools in Northern Rural Ghana Villages ages 3-8.

• Trinity Durfee ‘24 (Art History) interned with the Lamorinda Arts Council in Orinda, supporting the organization’s summer events and online presence. 

• Ka'nayah Landers-Daniel ’25 (Performing Arts-Theatre) interned with Berkeley Playhouse, in Berkeley, stage managing for their summer youth “School of Rock” production. 

• Nicole Gilbert ’24 (Justice, Community, & Leadership - Special Education) interned with Arm of Care in Walnut Creek. Nicole worked on the 10th anniversary marketing, did hands-on programming, and website management. 

• Ryan Vilefort Barbosa ’25 (Politics) interned with Marin County, helping to lead its crisis text line initiative. Ryan is continuing in this role, part-time, during the school year.

• Sofia Cuevas Dorador ’23 (Politics and Economics, with a minor in Ethnic Studies) interned at the Brentwood Office of Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, doing immigration law case work and administrative support. She wants to go to law school to study immigration law, so believes this internship will help her continue to develop that passion and gain skills that will be helpful in law school and in her career beyond.

• Nora Besette-Denwood ’23 (Women’s & Gender Studies) interned as a MICAH Fellow with Ploughshares Nursery at Alameda Point Collaborative. This internship is in line with what she would like to do post-grad in working with the people of her community to achieve social justice.

• Tatyana Cordova ’23 (Sociology and Ethnic Studies) interned as a MICAH Fellow with Girls Inc. of Alameda County, developing trauma-informed and culturally responsive program curriculum/lesson plans that support youth of color.

• Emily Espinoza ’24 (Justice, Community, & Leadership - Multiple Subject Teacher Education) interned as a MICAH Fellow at Espacio Migrante Tijuana, in Mexico, organizing volunteer activities for Espacio Migrante, with the objective to learn and serve the community, learn about justice and acts of justice, and learn what it means to be a leader.

“For many of these students, a paid summer internship is a transformational experience—a real game-changer,” says School of Liberal Arts Dean Sheila Hassell Hughes. “It helps them connect their studies with real-world needs and applications and paves the way toward meaningful employment after graduation. We’re thrilled to be able to support these internships through the LAB program.”

LEARN MORE about the Liberal Arts Bridge Program—a career readiness program tailored for majors in the liberal arts.