Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) strives to be the best place to work in the city. Part of that involves offering internships so individuals can have career pathways to work with and learn from SPU’s 1,400 employees who serve the public every day. SPU careers include testing water, laying pipe, building infrastructure, and working on climate change issues.
This summer, SPU is home to seasonal and year-long interns who are making important contributions to our Utility and Seattle. Each week, our At Your Service blog will feature one of these interns and what that person is doing and learning.
To date, here is our group of featured interns:
William Yuen: Gaining Valuable Professional Experience Working with the Public Sector
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Sophomore, Informatics
Summer or year-long intern? Summer
Hometown: Bellevue, Washington
Team or department and location of your internship: I work with the Financial and Risk Services Branch at the Seattle Municipal Tower.
What have you learned so far in your internship?
This is my first professional job, and I have learned a lot about working with the public sector and how things operate here.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to continue learning about how things work here and to gain some valuable work experience.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I would describe it as a very hands-on type of job that is also chill, but important because the stuff I do helps save money.
Fun fact about yourself?
I know three languages and two dialects (English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin).
Rachel Zable: Gaining a Deeper Understanding of Recycling and Composting
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Second year in graduate program, Civil Engineering
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Team or department and location of your internship: Solid Waste, Commercial program
What have you learned so far in your internship?
Recycling and composting are an important part of contributing to a sustainable society, and SPU has so many resources to help businesses and residents do so properly.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I get to deliver refuse bins to businesses around Seattle and help them with recycling and composting. I also get to be a part of the wonderful Reuse Seattle team!
Alexis (Lexy/Lexi/Lexie) Reb: Enjoys the Diversity of Being on the HR Team
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Senior, Psychology (Minor in Education, Learning, and Society)
Summer or year-long intern? Up to 18 months
Hometown: Seattle
Team or department and location of your internship: People, Culture, & Community Branch, Human Resources Department
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I didn’t realize how many steps there are to the hiring process!
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to gain more experience with outreach and continue to learn how SPU implements equity into their recruitment processes.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
Every day is different. I connect with so many people, help with organizing interviews, filter applications, occasionally draft job postings, attend biweekly meetings for future projects, and help with onboarding tasks. I honestly feel so lucky to be part of the SPU HR Team!
Fun fact about yourself?
I studied abroad in Hokkaido, Japan for a year in high school. 日本語が練習したかったら, ぜひこっちにおいでね! (If you want to practice your Japanese, please come this way!)
Jennifer Pohly: Gaining Insight About Making Essential Services Accessible
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Senior, Environmental Science and Resource Management (Minor in Freshwater Science and Management)
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Singapore
Team or department and location of your internship: Water Resources at the Seattle Municipal Tower, as well as the Cedar River Watershed and Landsburg Dam
What have you learned so far in your internship?
The planning aspect of projects is far more time- and labor-intensive than I could have ever imagined, and dams are controversial yet so important.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
A better understanding of how essential services are made accessible to people, and how to make these services even more efficient in hopes of reducing the strain on the environment and keeping costs to the public low. I’m also learning all the engineer jargon.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
A good mix of working on spreadsheets, paperwork, getting out into the field, and seeing with my own eyes how we get our water.
Fun fact about yourself?
I love maps and general geography.
Maric Kusinitz: On Learning About Solid Waste Pickup, Transport, and Landfill
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Master’s program, Urban Planning
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: New York City
Team or department and location of your internship: Solid Waste
What have you learned so far in your internship?
So much! I’ve learned about Seattle’s solid waste processes (from pickup to transport and landfill), the intricacies of sorting (through managing the Where Does It Go Tool), and policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which could have huge impacts on the future of waste management. I’ve also been able to flex my graphic design muscle and work on flyers and other kinds of communications and outreach projects.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
My position mainly revolves around a few major responsibilities (managing the Where Does It Go Tool and creating a communication plans) and includes smaller revolving tasks that change over time, like designing informational flyers, social media posts, and working with data.
Teagan Darmody: On Recycling, Composting, and Reducing Food Waste
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Second year in master’s program, Environmental/Marine Policy
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Olympia, Washington
Team or department and location of your internship: Multifamily Recycling and Composting Program, Solid Waste
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I have learned a lot about public outreach strategies.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I help multifamily property owners and residents improve their recycling and composting operations. I also help raise awareness about reducing food waste, and I answer questions about sorting waste items.
Mehak Agarwal: On Better Understanding of Green Innovations for the Future
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Second year in master’s program, Urban Planning
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: New Delhi, India
Team or department and location of your internship: Drainage and Wastewater (DWW) System Planning Team, Seattle Municipal Tower
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’ve been introduced to long-range planning for utilities, short-term focused projects for green infrastructure, and facilities planning.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
A deeper understanding of the planning and maintenance of utilities and green innovations for future development.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
It is an inclusive learning environment, where I get to work with very accomplished team members on great projects.
Fun fact about yourself?
I am a creative spirit with versatile interests – an architect who enjoys painting, cooking, and outdoor activities.
Ruy Munoz: On Learning Better Testing, Analytical, and Communications Skills
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Senior, Civil Engineering
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Pasadena, California but moved to Seattle at age 9
Team or department and location of your internship: Project Delivery & Engineering Branch (PDEB) Construction Management, under the Materials Lab.
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’m still learning but hard skills include learning Concrete/Aggregate testing and analysis. Soft skills include effective communication and asking for help. I’ve realized the importance of verbal and written communication. It’s also good to double check everything before sending reports and emails.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
Experience working in my field and learning more about SPU’s different branches and how their roles are connected.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
A great learning experience to not only enhance my skills but to understand the importance of serving Seattle.
Fun fact about yourself?
Vanilla is the only ice cream flavor I eat.
Miryan Manjarrez-Hurtado: Focusing on Environmentally Friendly Infrastructure
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Senior, Urban Design and Geographic Information Systems
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Auburn, Washington
Team or department and location of your internship: RainWise
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’ve learned so much about the City of Seattle and SPU’s history.In the short time I’ve been here, I have been able to navigate the City’s Geographic Information Systems portal. It is really fascinating to see how data has been tracked so meticulously over the years. I’ve also begun learning graphic design platforms like Canva.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to expand the skills I have learned in the classroom by utilizing them in the field. I expect to begin learning skills that will stick with me through the end of my career. It’s also been beneficial to see different possible career paths.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I would describe my internship to my best friend as a really great opportunity to get more hands-on experience in a field related to my degree. I get to assist the RainWise team in projects that encourage the use of Green Stormwater Infrastructure (cistern and rain gardens).I’m currently working on projects that use Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and ArcGIS.
Fun fact about yourself?
I love hiking and listening to live music.
Chara Lynch: Focusing on Policy and Risk, Resilience, and Access
School: University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Year & Major: Second year in master’s program, Public Administration
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Seattle
Team or department and location of your internship: Corporate Policy and Planning, Seattle Municipal Tower
What have you learned so far in your internship?
Importance of relationship building and cross-departmental connections for complex problem solving.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I’m excited to be at SPU to apply what I’m learning in my MPA program and gain experience working for local government. I hope that my work at SPU will help me identify courses to prioritize in my final year of my program and that my experience will help me better understand what types of roles to pursue after graduation.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I’m interning through graduation with SPU and have two managers – one who thinks about risk and resilience and the other who focuses on affordability and access. So, it’s been cool to jump between zones, as I’m passionate about both!
Fun fact about yourself?
I volunteer on the board of the Seattle South African Scholarship Fund (ssasf.org) that develops fundraising skills in Seattle-area high schoolers so that we can provide college scholarships to students in South Africa. I was part of the founding student committee during high school and joined the board after finishing my undergraduate studies!
Ketsia Kayembe: An Engineering Student Working on the Dam Safety Team
School: Seattle University
Year & Major: Junior, Civil Engineering
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: I was born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). I spent most of my childhood in Lubumbashi, a city located in the southeast region of the DRC. Then, my family and I relocated to the country’s capital, Kinshasa, when I was 11.
Team or department and location of your internship: Dam Safety and Assets Management Team under Project Delivery & Engineering Branch (PDEB), Seattle Municipal Tower
What have you learned so far in your internship?
Since I started my internship, I have learned and sharpened various skills like professional communication, adaptability, technical knowledge, data processing, and analysis. This internship also is giving me a new perspective of how the knowledge and skills I developed through my studies are applied in real-life projects.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to gain valuable work experience, confidence, refined and new skills, professional connections, as well as a path toward my future career.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I would describe my internship to my best friend as a valuable learning experience where I get to see what it’s really like to work in the industry and bridge the gap between what I’ve learned in college and applying some of it in real life. This is also an opportunity to discover what I like more about the career I’m pursuing. This internship is giving me a perspective that I could not pick up just by reading or hearing about my career path.
Fun fact about yourself?
I’m a self-taught baker. I enjoy making birthday cakes and all sort of pastries for my friends and family.
Jim Gao: On Project Management and a Professional Setting
School: University of Washington (Bothell)
Year & Major: Junior, Business Administration
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long
Hometown: Beijing, China
Team or department and location of your internship: Project Controls Team under Project Delivery & Engineering Branch (PDEB), Seattle Municipal Tower
What have you learned so far in your internship?
During my internship so far, I have learned how to use Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and receipt purchase orders. I’ve also learned how to write a professional email and the norms of working in a professional environment.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to learn crucial skills that will help me with my first permanent job. There isn’t a particular thing that I want to learn. I just want to learn and experience as much as possible.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
This internship is like a class that can help you learn and experience a wide range of work and what it’s like to work in a professional setting, as well as how the city government functions. The catch is you don’t pay to attend, but you get paid to attend it.
Fun fact about yourself?
I enjoy watching football.
Anne Fried: On Helping With Racial Justice and Equity
School: University of Washington, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Year & Major: Second year in master’s program, Public Administration
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long
Hometown: Kirkwood, Missouri
Team or department and location of your internship: Environmental Justice and Service Equity (ESJE) Team in the General Manager’s office
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’ve been able to engage in different conversations about racial justice in the workplace, including training and discussions about microaggressions and how to address them, reading and discussing the Racial Healing Handbook, and working on a timeline of EJSE’s milestones.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to connect meaningfully and intentionally with coworkers, gain experience and confidence in having conversations about race and social justice in the workplace, and better understand how to advocate for and support equity at SPU.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I get to have conversations about racial equity, support other people’s learning as well as my own, and celebrate the work EJSE has already accomplished!
Fun fact about yourself?
I love going to bar trivia!
Marco Fernandez: On Working With Engineering Plans
School: Seattle Pacific University
Year & Major: Senior, Electrical Engineering
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long
Hometown: Seattle
Team or department and location of your internship: Engineering Plan Review, Seattle Municipal Tower
What have you learned so far in your internship?
Time management, hands-on work of an engineer and networking.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
More relationships within the city and connecting with more engineers.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
Looking at City of Seattle plans and reviewing them with specifications that match city requirements.
Fun fact about yourself?
I am part of the 1,000-pound club, a weightlifting term involving all compound lifts.
Yunkyung Choi: Gaining Insight About Project Management
School: Northeastern University
Year & Major: First year in master’s program, Project Management
Summer or year-long intern? Year-long intern
Hometown: Seoul, Korea
Team or department and location of your internship: Drainage and Wastewater (DWW) – Project Delivery & Engineering Branch (PDEB), in Project Management
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’m amazed by how SPU communicates with the community, especially how much SPU/PDEB think about the needs of the community, as part of the effort in providing the best infrastructure. I was touched by how much effort and consideration project managers put in when providing or improving infrastructures to underserved communities. I’ve also learned about the project processes and procedures in government facilities and values of SPU.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope to be able to be fluent in government project management processes, communications approaches, and to map out my future career path more clearly. I want to learn everything!
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
It has only been a month. So, I don’t know how I would feel by the end of my time, but I want to say it is a very precious learning experience. I also see it as a way to learn while contributing back to the community. Having the chance to contribute to improving everyone’s lives makes me feel good about myself. If doing something for the community or making a difference is your goal but don’t know where to start, interning at SPU might be a great opportunity.
Fun fact about yourself?
I love watching crime mystery documentaries.
Phan Ngoc Tuyen Chau (Emily): On Learning About HR and Applying Lessons
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Graduate, Business Administration
Summer or year-long intern? Summer intern
Hometown: Seattle
Team or department and location of your internship: Human Resources Team
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I shadow each team member every week to learn more about their different roles.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I hope I can learn about what staff members are doing at SPU every day. I want to build relationships, come up with questions, reflect, and apply what I’ve learned.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
People are professional and nice.
Fun fact about yourself?
My voice sounds like a cartoon character.
Note: Chau completed her SPU internship on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Abbey Burnett: On Collaborating, Project Delivery, and Engineering
School: University of Washington
Year & Major: Junior, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Summer or year-long intern? Two-years, started in Spring 2022
Hometown: Bellingham, Washington
Team or department and location of your internship: Project Delivery & Engineering Branch (PDEB), in Project Management & Controls
What have you learned so far in your internship?
I’ve learned a lot about city processes and how to collaborate effectively with other people. I’ve also gained a lot of personal skills relating to problem-solving and confidence in the work I produce.
What do you hope to gain from your internship?
I want to gain a better understanding of how jobs work in the “real world,” and how I can be effective at whatever I end up doing in the future.
How would you describe your internship to your best friend?
I help with utilities projects by drafting documents for city processes and connecting different people on the project, so I do lots of individual work but a lot of team activities as well.
Fun fact about yourself?
I can solve a Rubik’s cube, but I learned from a book from the 80’s. So, I’m very slow compared to today’s standards.