High School Internship Pays Off for College Student
Samantha Sipin, about to begin her junior year at UC Davis, parlayed her experience in MTC’s high school internship program into a couple of plum part-time jobs as she works her way through college.
“I’m kind of a success story of MTC’s program,” Samantha said in a recent conversation. “I’ve really embraced all of the aspects of what I learned (as an intern).”
Samantha applied for an MTC high school internship position in early 2011, when she was a junior at Vanden High School in Fairfield. She landed an interview with the Solano Transportation Authority (STA) and was hired for the summer. She said her first task was updating the STA website by uploading 15 years’ worth of packets and agendas from Board and committee meetings and testing all the links to ensure they were functioning.
Her supervisor was impressed by her performance. “Samantha was an MTC summer intern and then continued to work as a part-time employee with STA right on through her senior year of high school,” said Jayne Bauer, Marketing and Legislative Program Manager. “It was rewarding to see her grow and develop her skills and confidence. She is now working as an employee at STA while she attends college. She enjoys her work here and we appreciate her outstanding work!”
During her STA internship, Samantha worked 12 hours a week through her senior year. She graduated in 2012. “It was good for me,” she said. “I really grew up during that time going to school and working.”
While a student at Solano Community College, Samantha scored a job in the college library and worked 15 hours a week for 13 months. She took summer classes and completed two AA degrees, one in English and one in University Studies, Arts & Humanities. She graduated with a 3.2 GPA in May. During her two years in community college, Samantha said she visited STA a few times to chat with staff and checked the website frequently for possible employment opportunities with them. She was thrilled to interview and be offered a part-time position with STA this spring as a customer service representative with the Ride Share and Safe Routes to School program.
“It’ll be like traveling back in time when the MTC interns come this summer,” Samantha said. “I really, really enjoy my job here, what I do and the people I work with. I’ve helped people a lot, scouring schedules for options and helping them find vanpools. I’ve learned how our legislation is affecting people who want to lessen their carbon footprint by taking the bus or carpooling. It makes me feel so much better that I’m able to decrease their stress in giving them other options. I see real value in all the efforts of STA.”
It’s not all work and no play for Samantha. This summer, she’ll be reading more and is performing as one of the Lost Boys in a production of “Peter Pan” with the Missouri Street Theater in Fairfield from June 20 through July 6. She’s also into classic rock, folk and country music and performs regularly, singing and playing the guitar, at the First Street Café in Benicia.
A Suisun resident, Samantha intends to use public transit to get to Davis when school starts this fall. “It’s great taking the bus,” she said. “For the most part, you’re going to get there safely and you can use the time to study with less wear and tear on your car.”
Samantha plans to continue her major in English with a minor in Marketing, but said her work with STA has made her consider having a career in the transportation field. “I’ve been immersed into this world,” she said. “I’ll never stop learning and will always value my experiences at STA.”
— Georgia Lambert
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