Internship Outcomes

Elvia Valdovinos Cruz’s experience as Fiesta Foods & Act Six Ready to Rise intern.

When I saw that Fiesta Foods and Act Six Ready to Rise were offering an internship, my initial interest was in just obtaining more experience. I was not quite sure what to expect or if this internship was going to align with my field of study, Social Work. I simply saw an opportunity and hoped to be successful at it.

I must admit that the first couple of weeks as Fiesta Foods media and communications intern did not go as smoothly as I had anticipated, mainly because I had to adapt to the work environment and expectations of the program. I also understood that this internship opportunity was launched with me as the first intern, which essentially meant that it was a learning process not just for me but also for my advisors in the program.

As the weeks passed by, I was able to quickly adapt to the expectations of my position. I learned how to do web programming and build PR stories behind all the community events that Fiesta Foods was part of.

I had the opportunity to work on multiple community projects including, the Leer es Crecer literacy program and the Food Voucher Program. Participating in these events also gave me the opportunity to support my community and at the same time expand my knowledge about community support programs.

Furthermore, my advisor, Micaela Razo (Fiesta Foods director of Public relations) helped me learn more about the non-profit world and what is needed to be an effective community advocate. Razo’s expertise in supporting the community taught me how to use my soon-to-be social work degree to reach my goals.

I am sure that with Razo’s and Ready to Rise guidance, the next interns will have a successful experience with the program!

All my best,

Elvia Valdovinos Cruz