Araceli Gonzalez still has one more year left of high school, but you wouldn’t know that by her schedule this past summer. Every weekday for nine weeks, Araceli commuted to the Chevron Richmond Technology Center to work a full-time shift alongside professional chemists and research technicians.
“Now I know what it’s like to work a full-time job,” she said.
Araceli loved the experience. She was one of four Richmond students who participated in the summer Project SEED program at Chevron Richmond. A paid summer fellowship program of the ACS (American Chemical Society), the over 50-year-old national program pairs local students who are interested in chemistry and other sciences with professional mentors in working laboratories throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
Students report to work every weekday for the typical 9-5 shift. For the nine weeks, they receive a $4,000 tax-free stipend.
The program is offered to students from economically disadvantaged families. Chevron Richmond has been a longtime sponsor, and over the years some interns have ended up working for the company.
For the Chevron employees who volunteer as mentors, Project SEED offers extra support in the lab from bright students who could one day become their future colleagues. For the students, the program is an opportunity to pick up new skills in the lab and learn more about what happens at Chevron Richmond.
“Before I came to Chevron, I didn’t know that laboratories were a thing here,” said Adriana Ponce Mata, a Leadership Public High school senior who just finished her second summer internship at the Chevron Richmond Technology Center.
This past summer, Adriana spent lab time testing the properties of various petroleum products, including their viscosity, or measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow.
“This year I really learned how all the stuff we do at Chevron connects back to the real world – for example, the cars we drive,” Adriana said.
Adriana admits the work they do in the lab can be challenging at first, or as she put it, “above our skill level.”
“But as time goes by and we receive help from our mentors, the laboratory work becomes easier,” she said.
Victoria Dominguez joined Project SEED this past summer on Adriana’s recommendation. The rising senior at Summit Tamalpais is worried about job prospects in the future and views the internship as a great way to get an early start on her career.
“I learned so much this summer,” Victoria said. “If you ever think about a career in the sciences, this internship really exposes you to this world.”
The Chevron employees who mentor the interns are volunteers, but they say they’re lucky to get some extra help around the lab.
“The students are very helpful,” said mentor Cory McDaniel. “They’re always very smart and motivated kids.”
McDaniel enjoys watching students grow, learn and become excited about careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Providing opportunities for students from neighboring schools is important to Chevron Richmond, added Toni Miao, a Chevron chemist and Project SEED volunteer.
“Some students, once they graduate from college, become Chevron employees,” Miao said.
Miao said another positive aspect to the program is that it invites local residents to get a closer view and a better understanding of how Chevron Richmond operates. The refinery provides 60 percent of the jet fuel to Bay Area airports and about 20 percent of the region’s automobile fuels, among other products critical to the local economy. She said it is also important to her that students in the local community benefit from this opportunity.
“We want local kids looking for a career at Chevron,” she said. “We want them to see how the facility works, and also to take an interest in STEM so they can be prepared for jobs of the future.”
