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A passion for geography and the environment, along with a campus golf cart permit and a College Corps internship, accelerated Brandon Contreras ‘23 along his way to government service.

“I was fortunate enough to be the first one to go to college and finish my degree in my family,” Contreras said. “Now, I have two younger siblings that are looking up to me and pursuing that for themselves right now.”

Contreras, working for the city of ������Ƶ to promote recycling and waste reduction, is among the 217 Cal State ������Ƶ students and alumni who have joined College Corps @ The Beach, which connects undergraduates to compensated internships. The California State University recently received through the 2028-29 academic year.

������Ƶmatches students to opportunities, provides mentorship and instruction and delivers $10,000 for educational and living expenses for students completing 450-hours' service. More than half of the 68 students in this year’s College Corps at The Beach cohort are first-generation.

“Coming from a family where I’m first-gen, having younger siblings, I kind of had to provide for my family a little bit,” said Contreras, who earned his bachelor’s in geography while minoring in environmental science. “I really had to find something that was paid. This College Corps program did provide the resources.”

By providing guidance and removing financial obstacles, College Corps at The Beach lets participating students focus on building skills, generating confidence and getting ready for life after graduation.

“College Corps is not just a program — it is a driver of social mobility,” said Beth Manke, professor of human development and College Corps program director. “By easing financial burdens and providing meaningful, career-connected experience, we are fundamentally shifting students’ economic trajectories while strengthening the communities they serve.”

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Meeting California’s needs

College Corps is open to undergraduates in any major, linking students with nonprofits and public agencies where they can apply their talents to environmental stewardship, food provision and K-12 education.

“It’s truly a win-win — students graduate with less debt and valuable career experience, communities benefit from their service and energy and our state gains a new generation of leaders who know how to work across differences to solve challenges,” said California Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday.

Fryday directs the Governor’s Office of Service and Community Engagement. Its California Volunteers office announced renewed College Corps funding.

Maria Garcia Mendez, a fourth-year human development student, is in their second College Corps internship. They first helped the Gray Panthers distribute food to older adults and now serves at an affordable Linc Housing community. Both internships connected with academic topics, such as older adults’ financial issues and how meeting basic needs clears the way for people to further improve their lives.

“College Corps allowed me to apply concepts I was learning to real life,” Garcia Mendez said.

Financial awards covered Garcia Mendez’s summer abroad experience in Guatemala and, via service, they discovered a professional interest in helping older adults. They aspire to employment as a case worker after graduation and may subsequently pursue a master’s degree in social work.  

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From campus to community service

College Corps interns also serve on campus. Contreras did just that, helping the ������ƵSustainability Office to coordinate the deployment of recycling bins. He hauled the bins around campus himself. Driving a golf cart while doing so was one of the more fun aspects of his internship.

Contreras also helped with the office’s outreach to faculty and staff, played a key role in creating the campus’ Green Events Program and made personal connections that led to his discovery of job opportunities in the public sector.  

He is now a Waste Diversion & Recycling Specialist for the ������Ƶ Energy & Environmental Services Department. His assignments include teaching the city’s Compost and Recycling Ambassador program.

“Every time I go out into the community, I make a new opportunity for me to feel grateful for the opportunity to work in the community that I live in, that I grew up in,” Contreras said.