by Lynn Walker

Sometimes when I ask scholars how they are doing, I hear back, “Things are going pretty well. I’m doing fine.” I find out later that they had to commute two hours to campus for the first month of school, because housing didn’t come through or that they are nearly failing a class or two. I have been thinking about how to get past the, “I’m fine” response. Here are several strategies that can open up a dialogue.

Ask thoughtful, open-ended questions instead of closed questions to get the conversation started:

• How is life in X city different from life in Berkeley? How are the people the same/different?
• What does your favorite professor do to interest you in the subject?
• What has been the biggest challenge about school this semester?
• Can you tell me something about your closest friend? What do you appreciate about them?
• What has been the hardest part of your semester so far?
• How have you challenged yourself?

Share a struggle you, a friend, or your child had during their college experience.

Many of our scholars and people, in general, don’t like opening up about their struggles. They want to present a positive, confident image to the world. When they face a challenge, they may want to overcome it and be in a good place before they tell anyone. Many students experience depression and other mental health issues when exposed to the pressures and stress of college. If their problems go unaddressed, they usually get worse. By sharing your own struggles and letting your guard down, students may be more willing to do the same.

Avoid Giving Too Much Advice

Have you ever complained to a friend and gotten annoyed when they immediately start rattling off solutions? Your scholar may complain to you about teachers, roommate troubles, and financial woes. It may be clear to you what your scholar should do, but giving advice can sometimes shut down the conversation. Wait for the student to ask for your advice. Otherwise, just listen and empathize. Ask the student what they think they should do.

Work on developing the relationship

If you don’t know you scholar well and haven’t spent much time with them, it is unlikely that they will share much with you over text. Take the time to go visit them (if they are local) or set a time to talk by skype or phone. Make sure to make plans with your scholar when they are home on break.

If you have made repeated efforts to connect with your scholar, but you feel you aren’t getting anywhere, let us know. Maybe we can help.

If you have strategies that are working for you or have a story/photo you would like to share about you and your mentee, please email lynn@berkfund.org, so we can share your successes.

Last summer, I remember being overwhelmed about finding a hospital or clinic where I could volunteer and gain some clinical experience for nursing. Big hospitals such as Kaiser, Children’s Hospital and Alta Bates only take in a few applicants, mostly ones with experience already. After applying to all three hospitals, I remember going to the Teen Center to talk to Lynn seeking some advice. She told me that she knew a few people that would be willing to help. That same night I got an email from Lynn saying she spoke with Carol Brosgart (a BCF mentor, who is also a physician) and was able to reach out to someone who worked in the Lifelong Medical Clinic in Berkeley. From there, I was able to get in contact with them and forwarded my resume. No more than a week later, I was an intern for Lifelong Medical Care in Berkeley.

I didn’t know what to expect when I first entered the office. I was scared that I wouldn’t know what to do and that it would take me a long time to get the hang of things. When I first walked into the office, everyone was very welcoming. I was given my own work space and was put to work at once. Walter was one of the staff who walked me through everything. He taught me how to make phone calls to patients and other clinics to get information about med refills. I also helped design flyers that advertised reduced medicine costs for members of Lifelong Medical Care. I think the best part of volunteering at the office was knowing that I was giving back to my community. Lifelong Medical focuses on helping low-income families, especially undocumented individuals. My goal for that summer was to gain clinical experience, but I gained much more than that. Working with people who love their job made me realize how much I enjoyed it as well. It was a reminder of why I want to pursue a career in nursing which is to give back to a communities in need.

Internships are not only an ideal way to gain experience, they are also a way to build relationships with people you will soon work with for the rest of your life. It is a way to gain new skills and learn from others that are willing to help you. I am really thankful that Lifelong Medical Care took me in, knowing it is hard to gain clinical experience when one does not have any yet. This also would have not been possible without the Berkeley Community Fund connections. It is important to take advantage of the opportunities life gives us. We must build strong relationships with people which will later lead to having more connections with others.

by Lynn Walker

It’s hard to admit our stress. We want to show our peers that we have it all under control. But if you take the time to figure out what aspects of your life are causing you to feel anxious, you can take action. Here are ten tips to help you turn your stress around:

TIP #1

Give yourself props! The life of a student is stressful. You are juggling heavy workloads and major life decisions. First generation students have even more pressure – major financial stressors, family obligations, and so on. Anyone would be stressed in your shoes! So don’t be hard on yourself. Make reducing stress a priority.

TIP #2:

Never compare yourself to others! You don’t know what is really happening in someone else’s life. That student who seems to be sailing through life is probably just as stressed. Remember, no one posts pics of themselves on Snapchat looking depressed and exhausted.

TIP #3:

Talk! – to other students, family, friends, BCF, a religious figure, etc. about your stress. It helps to hear another student say, “Wow, I always thought this was so easy for you. I feel so stressed too!” Find out how they cope with pressure.

TIP #4:

Examine your past! This is not the first time you have experienced and dealt with stress. High school and preparing for college was also stressful. How did you successfully manage your stress in the past? Did you play a sport? Go for walks and listen to music? Manage your time better? Call a friend? Find time for the things that helped you in the past.

When you are ready to make a change. It is helpful to get to know yourself.

TIP #5:

Recognize how and when you experience stress. How does your mind and body tell you that you are feeling stressed? Do you feel tired and cranky? Do negative thoughts pop into your head like, “This is never going to get better.” What situations cause you to feel this way? Pay attention to your body and mind. When these signs start showing up, it’s time to do something different.

TIP #6:

Identify all of the sources of your stress. Click this link to complete a stress inventory: (Student Stress Inventory) Here are some typical ones that I hear from students:

1. Procrastination – Wanting to go have fun but needing to study. Working on something for hours and getting nothing done.
2. Academics – Fears about upcoming papers, exams, fitting in all the work, failing classes, etc.
3. Not fitting in and wondering if college is right for you
4. Experiencing racism or feeling a need to work harder to prove yourself to challenge stereotypes
5. Negative thoughts and assumptions, e.g. “They don’t like me.” “I’m a terrible procrastinator!”
6. The future – will it all work out?
7. Rejection from your desired major, an internship you applied for, etc.

TIP #7:

Develop a plan to combat stress. Click here to complete a plan of action: (Student Stress Action Plan)

There are endless resources on how to combat stress. Click this link for a list of top stress relievers: (Student Stress Busters) Using our suggestions and things that you know work for you, create a few goals. Don’t overdo it. Start with one simple goal that you know you can achieve. Work it into your schedule.

TIP#8

Seek help. It is a strength to seek help. Contact BCF, your mentor, a friend, an advisor, or go to your mental health center on campus. You are paying for mental health services. Try them out! It feels great to sit and vent to someone who is impartial and will keep everything you say confidential.

TIP #9

Remember stress can be good! Stress can motivate you to get stuff done! It isn’t always a bad thing, if you can keep it in check.

TIP #10

“Focus on the next shot.” My husband is an avid tennis player. When he is playing a match, he sometimes starts to panic about how good the other player is, how tired he feels, and whether he is going to get badly beaten. He gets through it by focusing on the next shot. Block out those other worries and just focus on the next step you have to take. Taking one small step and then another step will immediately make you feel better.

Never looking back or too far in front of me. The present is a gift, and I just wanna BE. – from BE by Common

As our High Hopes program grows, we now have several cohorts of students who are currently attending or have graduated from local universities. College Success Coordinator, Lynn Walker has been visiting campuses and organizing meetups of campus cohorts to build community and to encourage students to support one another through college and beyond. As UC Santa Cruz scholars (seen below) agreed over bowling and a walk along the Santa Cruz boardwalk, they have a lot in common and know how hard it can be as a first gen student. If you would like to connect with scholars at your campus, email lynn@berkfund.org to organize a meetup.

UC Merced students Denia Parham (2015), Yakira Evans (2014), Norma Ambriz (2015), and Jose Saavedra (2012)

UC Santa Cruz students Wessede Barrett (2015), Daniel Hernandez (2014), Fernanda Manriquez (2011), Kevin Lee (2015),  Leslie Gonzalez (2012), and Sandy Alegria (2015)

UC Davis students Jonathan Figueroa (2008), Hammad Zahid (2015), Yeni Belachew (2013), Amanda Medina (2014), and Abdul A’Omer (2015)

UC Berkeley students Christian Merino (2012), Quan Tran (2012), Ignacio Franco (2015), Pamela Rodriguez-Ortiz (2015) [Lynn Walker, College Success Coordinator], and Juan Azuara (2012)

Eligibility for federal student aid and Cal grants does not carry over from one award year to the next, every student needs to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for every year they plan to be a student. After the first year in school, the student will be able to complete a Renewal FAFSA. The FAFSA Renewal button displays when a student submitted a 2015-2016 FAFSA and is eligible to file a FAFSA Renewal. A FAFSA Renewal application has some of the information pre-filled from the previous year . Students will also have to provide financial information and school codes.

Students should file the FAFSA every year, even if they received no financial aid other than loans during the previous year. The federal need analysis formula is complicated enough that even simple changes in the student’s circumstances may have a big impact on eligibility for need-based financial aid. While the deadline to submit the FAFSA is June 30, 2016 for federal aid and March 2, 2016 for Cal grant eligibility, students should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. Federal and state college funds are limited, and the FAFSA program really works on a first-come, first-serve basis.

According to Brad Baker, president of Sacramento, CA-based Student Aid Financial Services, “Speed and accuracy are essential when preparing a FAFSA…the aid process is competitive and it pays to submit early.”

The 2016 FAFSA season began on January 1st.

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From the U.S. Department of Education HomeRoom blog, here are 7 Common Myths about Financial Aid

Myth #1: My family makes too much money for me to qualify for aid.

There is no income cut-off for federal student aid. Your eligibility for financial aid is based on a number of factors and not just your income. Plus, many states and schools use your FAFSA data to determine your eligibility for their aid. If you’re not sure what you will get, the best way to know for sure is to complete the application!

Myth #2: I need to file taxes before completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or (FAFSA).

You can use estimated information on your FAFSA so you’ll be able to submit it before you file taxes. In fact, many states and schools have financial aid deadlines well before the tax deadline. So completing your FAFSA earlier is a good idea. You might want to base your estimates on last year’s tax return, and once you file your taxes, you can log back in and update the information. You may even be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import your tax information into your FAFSA. 

Myth #3: The FAFSA is too hard to fill out.

This is a very common misconception, but the FAFSA has come a long way! It’s easier than ever to complete online. The form uses “skip logic,” so you are only asked the questions that are relevant to you. And if you’ve filed your taxes, you can transfer your tax return data into your FAFSA automatically. As a result of improvements like these, the average time to complete the FAFSA is now less than 21 minutes. If you do get stuck, help is available by Web chat, e-mail and phone.

Myth #4: My grades aren’t good enough for me to get aid.

Eligibility for most federal student aid programs is not linked to your academic performance. However, you will need to maintain grades that your school considers satisfactory in order to continue receiving financial aid. 

Myth #5: My ethnicity or age makes me ineligible for aid.

There are basic eligibility requirements, but ethnicity and age are not considered.

Myth #6: I support myself, so I don’t have to include parent info on the FAFSA.
This is not necessarily true. Even if you support yourself and file taxes on your own, you may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes. You can determine your dependency status by answering these questions. If you are independent, you won’t need to include your parents’ information on your FAFSA. But if you are dependent, you must provide your parents’ information.

Myth #7: I already completed the FAFSA so I don’t need to complete it again.
You need to complete the FAFSA every year you plan to attend college or career school. Don’t worry; it will be even easier the second or third time around since a lot of your information will be pre-populated on the application.

For additional resources, read the following:
– The FAFSA Renewal Process

Studying abroad offers a unique opportunity to grow academically, professionally, and personally while going on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.  High Hopes scholars Ben Johnson, Anais Arias-Aragon, and Jalena Keane-Lee (among others) took on the challenge and  studied abroad last semester. Here they talk about what they loved about the experience.

Jalena Keane-Lee
2013 High Hopes Scholar
Wellesley College
Major: Political Science/Cinema and Media Studies

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I got to study film in Prague and create, direct and edit a short 16mm narrative film. Studying abroad confirmed my passion for film and gave me the skills to feel confident pursuing it further both now that I’m back and post-grad. I met wonderful people whom I never would have crossed paths with otherwise, and got to live outside the United States for the first time. I fell in love with film, with travel, while also realizing how special Wellesley is and how important and unique the lessons of a women’s college are to my worldview.

When reflecting on the [study] abroad experience, I can’t help but smile. I unexpectedly met so many mind-opening, people, families, and communities who welcomed me with open arms. Everyone and everywhere has a story, whether its a metropolitan city or a town with 21 people and one street. It was nice to go at my own pace and discover the stories out there, waiting to be shared and experienced again. Going abroad is a great chance everyone should take if given. You never know what adventures will happen next.

During the fall semester of 2015 I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in London at the Royal College of Music. There I had countless opportunities to perform my music in various venues accross the city and even have a solo viola work premiered at the National Portrait Gallery. In addition to my incredible experiences in London, due to its central location I was also able to travel to Istanbul, Turkey and Seville, Spain and that really expanded my view of the world and different cultures. Here is a picture my Turkish friend (whom had been my roommate at Boston University) took of me in Istanbul!

There’s no doubt in my mind that choosing to study abroad in Cape Town was one of the best decisions I’ve made in college. I was surrounded by the most beautiful mountains, oceans, and cityscapes that never got old. As an English and Women’s Studies double major, I really wanted to study more postcolonial and non-Western literature, as well as examine gender roles outside of the American perspective that I get at my home school, GW. I was not disappointed during my time at University of Cape Town, because it was the most enriching educational experience I have ever had. South Africa still has a long way to go (so does the US) but I feel incredibly privileged to have lived there for five months.

• “This recipe holds a lot of love and is very yummy to eat during the holidays. I help my mom make about 20 of them every Thanksgiving and Christmas. We stay up until 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, so we can give them to friends and neighbors during the holidays. This year, I was able to pass this love on to my roommate and her family. I was away at college this year, and I spent my Thanksgiving with them in Maine.”

-Veronica, December 2015

RECIPE

Morris at work at Tippett Studios

Morris Callegari is a 2009 BCF Scholar. He graduated from UC Riverside in 2014 with a BA in Art and is an illustrator/graphic designer. While in college, he was the marketing director for UCR’s event planning board and led a team responsible for promoting campus events. He had the opportunity to design posters for speakers and acts like Spike Lee and 2 Chainz. Spike Lee even complimented Morris’ artwork! Despite his incredible talent, Morris is humble, thoughtful, and probably the nicest, most helpful guy you will ever meet. He is always one of the first scholars we turn to when we need artistic advice, someone to lead games of pictionary at our holiday party, a t-shirt design for a race, or a blog article. He is currently working as a Production Coordinator at Tippett Studios in Berkeley. In this post, Morris shares his approach for pursuing his dream and finding success.

When did you decide you wanted to be an artist and how did you figure out the type of art that interested you? 

I never chose to be an artist. Let me explain. I’m a very tame person now, but according to my mom, I was the exact opposite when I was a child. She said that if she put paper and drawing utensils around me, I would finally shut up. As a kid, I enjoyed cartoons and drew them at every given opportunity. I think my career path was decided for me, because I just never stopped drawing. And I’m nowhere near done yet, because my ultimate goal is to have a show of my own that reflects what I care about, educates, and is entertaining for kids as well as adults.

Did you ever doubt yourself or your choices? 

In college, as well as in the world, a lot of people will indicate your value by your major/profession. People are often impressed by someone in the engineering/sciences/law professions, but if you say you’re an artist/writer/historian, a common response is, “oh okay, that’s cool.” Although this is part of the reason I doubted myself, just know that people are weird. Don’t take it personally. I knew what I wanted to do with my art, and I truly don’t care how people view it. Having that type of attitude definitely helps keep me from getting depressed.

What was the most helpful thing you did while in college to explore your passions?

The most helpful thing I did was to cast a wide net to figure out what I liked and didn’t like outside of my major. The two things that really stand out were taking an entomology (study of insects) class and joining my school’s event planning board. Entomology is random, I know, but a huge part of drawing anything is understanding how things are structured. You can be a terrible at rendering an artwork, but if you understand how to anatomically piece the human body(or insect) together by drawing it, there’s value in that. And after understanding how something is put together, I can easily draw it from memory.

In terms of my school’s event planning board, it helped me realize what my leadership style is. Because of my work with the group, I know that I’m decent at talking in front of crowds but where I really shine is conveying an idea, scheduling, and developing clear instructions for team members. College is not just about taking classes. It’s about finding out who you are.

If you could do it over, would you approach your college experience any differently?

I want to say that I should have gone to a school that taught art more geared towards animation. But when I think about it, if I didn’t go to UC Riverside, I would have never had such a valuable leadership role, and I don’t think I would have had as much confidence as I do today. Also, as I do more research, I see that the people going to art schools often have close to the same style and goals in mind. But since I don’t want my style to be like everyone else’s, and I don’t have the same goal as the majority, I believe I’ve made all of the correct decisions so far.

You spent some time in Japan after graduation. Why Japan? How did you support yourself? What was the impact on you as a person/artist?

The decision to go to Japan was kind of on a whim. I knew it would be difficult to get an art job immediately after graduation considering I didn’t have any connections. I figured that if I’m going to be unemployed, might as well do it in style. So I bought a ticket with some money saved up, did a pretty extensive GoFundMe campaign to help me stay longer, and, by some miracle, I was able to raise enough money to stay in Asia for 5 months. I worked in hostels as a glorified janitor in exchange for a bunk bed. But it was cost-free and gave me the ability to focus my funds towards food and experiences.

I am not overly outgoing, and I was in a place where almost no one spoke English. In order to get anywhere, I had to speak broken Japanese and make myself understood. At first, I was shy and nervous about speaking, but after a while, I would immediately talk to people in Japanese. Sometimes, I would meet a new person and make plans to meet up later. That ability to approach strangers, while not even knowing the language, made it much easier for me to do this back in the US.

Could you describe what your life was like during the time after your return from Japan and when you got hired full-time at Tippett

The time between coming back and getting my job at Tippett was the probably one of the hardest times I’ve ever been through. Long story short, everything went wrong. When you come back from traveling, you have the type of confidence that makes you feel invincible. No one I know has spent 5 months in another country without being in a study abroad program. I knew I could get any job I wanted with this type of confidence. I just needed the interview. Unfortunately, getting the interview was the hardest part. I knew my resume and cover letters were formatted for the job I was applying to. Why wasn’t I getting called? This went on for 6-8 months, while I was living with my mom unable to contribute rent. I started working part-time as a sub for Berkeley after school programs to help out a little bit. I quickly realized that working almost everyday for a month just to receive $300 isn’t enough to contribute anything. So I started doing more art and graphic design commissions and fortunately got a couple cool freelance jobs. That only helped so much. I had to find something more stable so I got serious about my daily routine. No matter what else I had to do that day, I had to send out 2 job applications, work part-time at the Berkeley after school program, and also work on a personal art piece to keep the main goal fresh in my mind. After 6-8 months of doing this, countless days of trying, failing, and re-evaluating my job application strategy, I finally landed a job at Tippett studio as a production assistant. And although it isn’t an art related job, I am much closer to my goal, because I’m around tons of artists who are doing what I want to do and can help steer me in the right direction. Along with this, I immediately took the opportunity to work with the founder of the company(Phil Tippett) on his personal stop-motion project called “Mad God” every Saturday. I am inexperienced with stop-motion but I’m good with colors so I’ve been assigned to making and painting props and various set items. All of this while still working freelance on nights and weekends. I used to not have any work and now I might have a bit too much. But I can also say that I’ve never been happier!

Why do you think networking is important?

“It’s not what you know but who you know” is 100% true. The quicker you accept this, the quicker you’ll get a job. The only reason I have a job is due to networking. Think of it this way. You apply for a job online along with thousands of other people. You’re more qualified than a lot of the applicants, so you might be put into a resume pool of a couple hundred (that’s a big maybe). If hundreds of people are just as qualified as you for the position you want, how can you expect to be chosen? It’s highly unlikely (not impossible of course). The trick is if you know someone who already works at the place you want to work, a recommendation would put you at the top of the applicant pile. People like to work with people they know so the best strategy is to get to know as many people as possible. I only started working a month or 2 ago, and I already know all of the artists at the studio and meet up with a couple of them to draw on Wednesdays. Don’t think about it too hard, just make professional friends, and if you both make any type of connection, the jobs will come!

Any more advice for other students or graduates chasing their dreams? 

You need to have your dream job (for me it is drawing) while living in reality. Working at Tippett helps me pay rent and allows me to support myself financially. I am not going to start off directing my own TV show, so I need to be able to live until I can make that happen. Your reality job is what you need to do to be financially independent.Your dream job is what you work towards nights and weekends; the activities that prepare you for what you really want to do. I am illustrating all the time, finding ways to become a better artist, watching movies, reading blogs, following my favorite artists online, studying, working on private projects, accepting freelance work, and trying to figure out how to make a short film for myself. It does not matter what your reality job is. Two months ago my reality job was working at an after school program that was not related at all to my dream job. Even if you are in a situation where you don’t like your current job, keep working hard in your free time.The whole goal is to get closer to your dream job and eventually for the reality job and the dream job to be one and the same. Never settle. At each step along the way, always ask yourself, now what?

If you’d like to learn more about Morris or his artwork, you can check out his artwork here:

http://morriscallegari.com/#1

Monday, May 9, 2015
UC Berkeley Career Center
2440 Bancroft Way, Berkeley (MAP)
9:00 AM to approximately 2:00 PM (includes breakfast, lunch and wrap-up)

Please proceed to the 3rd Floor of the Career Center when you arrive for breakfast and orientation. There are several parking garages in the vicinity of the Career Center which is located between Telegraph and Dana. See parking options below. Interviews will take place on the 2nd Floor of the Career Center. If you are arrive after the orientation, you should join us on the 2nd Floor.

You will participate in an interview team with 3-4 other community members. Each interview team will include one of the Berkeley Community Fund board members, who will help guide the process. We are interviewing 42 finalists and will choose 25+ scholarship recipients.

The agenda for the day is as follows:

9:00 – 9:15 AM Interviewers arrive, check-in, breakfast

9:15 – 9:45 AM Orientation

9:45 – 10:00 AM Settle into interview rooms

10:00 – 11:30 AM Interview students 1-3

11:30-11:45 AM Break

11:45 AM – 1:15 PM Interview students 4-6

1:15 PM Lunch, rank candidates

Parking Options

1. Martin Luther King Jr Student Union Garage (Bancroft Way near Telegraph Avenue, under Zellerbach Hall)

2. City of Berkeley Public Parking, 2450 Durant Ave (Located between Telegraph Ave and Dana Street, entrances on Durant Ave and Channing Way)

3. FPC Parking Garage, Channing Way (behind church, between Telegraph and Dana)

4. Douglas Parking Lot, 2594 Durant Ave

For students invited to participate in the interview process for the 2016 High Hopes Scholarship Program (Berkeley Community Fund and Berkeley Rotary scholarships), details are as follows.

1. You will receive an email from the Berkeley Community Fund with your interview time. Emails will be sent to the email address you provided in your application. If you have not received an email from us by the end of the day on Monday, May 2, please check your spam folder. If you cannot find an email from us, send a message to lynn@berkfund.org to find out if you have an interview.

2. Interviews WILL NOT be held at the YMCA Teen Center.

3. Interviews WILL be held at the UC Berkeley Career Center at 2440 Bancroft Ave, Berkeley — across from the UC Berkeley campus.

4. It takes 15-20 minutes to walk from Berkeley High School to the Career Center (see map below), you will need to arrive at the UCB Career Center at least 20 minutes before your scheduled interview time to fill out paperwork and get your photograph taken. Please allow enough time in your schedule to arrive on time. e.g. if your interview is at 10:00 AM, you should plan on leaving the Berkeley High School campus no later than 9:20 AM to allow yourself enough time to get to the Career Center and check-in.

Jungle Communications, Inc. Internship: Berkeley, CA

Communications/Social Media

Monthly stipend $500.00

We are offering an internship in marketing and social media. We are looking for motivated, independent thinkers and great team players. Excellent English (reading, writing and speaking) is a must. Knowledge of a second language a plus.

Description:

Apply for this internship if you are aware of the importance of social media for communications in today’s society, and interested in the marketing and the communications field in general. We offer an opportunity to learn and try your develop personal initiative, methods and strategies, by researching and implementing market trends and tools, and analyzing marketing campaign.

We are a small and personal agency with special interest in marketing, branding, and languages.

Assignments & responsibilities:

You would be expected to participate in all aspects of marketing, including brainstorming, design and implementation of campaign strategies through social media, web and blog. Your tasks may include subject research, learning about consumer and business trends, inbound marketing campaign tools, design, development, implementation, analysis and follow up.

Desired Qualifications:

• Must have an excellent knowledge of the English language, written and spoken.
• Attention to detail a must. Professional demeanor. Ability to work with others, desire to learn new things.
• Knowledge of PC and Mac, Microsoft Suite. Willingness to learn other software/tools. Able to juggle multiple tasks. Interest in marketing and languages.

Starting Date: Open 2016

Time Commitment: 3-6 months

This is a full-time internship, and a monthly stipend is provided.

Minimum duration of internship, 3 months.

Location:

The internship will be at our Berkeley office in California.

If interested, please send your resume and a cover letter to:

info@webjungle.com

About the Berkeley Community Fund

The Berkeley Community Fund is a charitable nonprofit organization founded in 1991 by a group of friends whose love for Berkeley and hope for an economically and socially diverse city inspired them to set up a fund to reflect those goals. The High Hopes Scholarship Program was created in 2008 and, since then, has awarded more than $2.69 million to 168 students.

Visit the BCF web site at www.berkfund.org or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/berkfund to learn more about BCF and its programs, to apply to become a mentor, or to make a donation to support future High Hopes Scholars.

Emily Lam
Ask.com High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Davis

Emily graduated from the Academic Choice program at Berkeley High School, where she was on the JV swim team. She is very active in the community outside of school. She leads a Chinese folk dance group, teaches dance and volunteers every summer at the Salvation Army Day Camp in Oakland’s Chinatown. Emily is in the first generation of her family to attend college. She is still deciding on a major and is interested in business and technology.

Jeffrey Yu
Battle Family High Hopes Scholar
University of California, Merced

Jeffrey graduated from Berkeley High School’s Academic Choice program. He has enjoyed being a member of the Kiva Club, an organization that raises money through bake sales and other fundraisers to provide microloans to people in developing countries. He is also a Y-Scholar and math tutor. Jeffrey plans to study finance and business management. He will be a first generation college student.

Bubacarr Kora
Battle Family High Hopes Scholarship
San Francisco State University

Bubacarr is graduating from the Academic Choice program at Berkeley High School. He’s had his sights set on college since emigrating from The Gambia, participating in the BHS Bridge Program, making daily visits to the College Career Center and attending UC’s Academic Talent Development Program. Outside of school, Bubacarr has enjoyed working at the Edible Schoolyard Project and as a neighborhood dog walker. He will be the first in his family to attend college and plans to be a clinical psychologist or therapist.

Jeremy Jones
Berkeley Community Fund High Hopes Scholarship
Cal State East Bay

Jeremy is graduating from the Communication Arts and Sciences Learning Community at Berkeley High School, where he participated in the Bridge Program. He loves the creative arts, especially creative writing, photography and making videos for his friends’ YouTube channels. Jeremy aspires to become a freelance photographer and to help African American youth stay on track to graduate from high school and attend college. He will be a first generation college student.

Daniel Jones
Berkeley Community Fund High Hopes Scholarship
San Francisco State University

Daniel is graduating from Berkeley High School’s Academic Choice program, where he developed a keen interest in science. He participated in the BHS Bridge program as a student and as a chemistry and algebra tutor during summer breaks.  He was part of the Biotech Partners program, interning at Bayer, during his junior and senior years. Inspired by this experience, he plans to study cell biology and biochemistry. He will be a first generation college student.

Wun-Ci (Alice) Hou
Peters Family High Hopes Scholarship
University of California, Davis

Wun-Ci (Alice) is graduating from Berkeley High School’s Arts and Humanities Academy. She joined the R.I.S.E. program shortly after emigrating from Taiwan in 2013 and volunteered with the English Language Newcomer Program. Wun-Ci later interned with the English Language Learners department, creating activities to help students improve their language skills. Outside of school, she works as a math and science tutor at Berkeley Youth Alternatives and enjoys playing Bridge. Her career goal is to be a teacher.

Ana Hernandez-Tijero
Marion Marshall High Hopes Scholarship
University of California, Los Angeles

Ana, who will be a first generation college student, is graduating from the IB program at Berkeley High School. She is a Y-Scholar and a peer leader for the Young Entrepreneurs Program at Haas (YEAH). She also worked as a volunteer teacher’s assistant for Program Your Future, a STEM-based program for low-income, middle school girls of color. Ana has a strong interest in U.S. history, environmental studies, government and social justice. She is contemplating a major in environmental studies or political science.