SF State’s newest student mentors, role models and activists vowed to use their influence to positively impact under represented communities and promote higher education during the 14th annual Project Connect open house on Sept. 19.

The event served to introduce Project Connect’s newest group of student interns, recruited this fall while also handing out free textbooks, a free meal, lanyards and ASI shirts.

“We are happy to have gained 15 new interns from this event,” said current Project Connect intern Iliana Jacobo from the podium at Rigoberta Menchu Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

Intern students have agreed to abide by the project’s mission statement to “Educate, advocate and empower those around me through community service and fighting for social justice and equity.”

The mission includes striving to help students be successful in school while at the same time fostering college awareness. Interns in the recruiting department are not limited to the SF State campus. They also help with outreach at high schools, elementary schools and community colleges, they hold “Yes You Can” student panels, and provide college interviews and campus tours.

Interns gain valuable skills through required workshops and training sessions on cultural sensitivity and public speaking. They build on leadership skills by planning, evaluating, team building, and strategizing.