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I imagined San Francisco to be this amazing place of sunsets and warm summer evenings with calm breezes. Instead, I got a perpetually misty, freezing, and windy city. Before I left, a colleague at Riverlife, who lived in Oakland before, recommended I bring jackets on the trip. Confused, I asked, and he mentioned the chilly temperatures in the Bay Area. It was chilly but nothing could have prepared me for the mist that laid over the mountains and Golden Gate Bridge for the entire week. Now I am wondering how so many people managed to get a clear, sunset photograph of the bridge.

JZ - Misty Gate Bridge SF 22

The purpose of the trip was not that I wanted to go on vacation or spend a week in San Francisco, but that I was invited by Simpson Strong-Tie, an international corporation that specializes in the research, development, and construction of structural building products, as part of their fellowship program. I had the opportunity to tour Alcatraz, the Tyrell Gilb Research Lab and facility in Stockton, and meet the senior executive leaders of Simpson. I was with 56 other students as part of this opportunity that spanned over four days. I was able to learn about the company’s history, its leadership strategy, and how it approaches competition. Amusingly, their motto is “There is no equal”, accompanied by their trademarked does not equal sign. This symbol is everywhere, from a duck ramp in a fountain outside their home office to the lantern outside of their factory to many of their products. Best of all? All expenses were paid for this trip, and I was able to grow my network of current leaders and future leaders. 

 

JZ - DNE SF 22 (1)

Outside of the fellowship trip, my friend, who was interning at Google, invited me to dine in and visit a few of Google’s facilities and partners downtown. It amazes me how many perks working for Google can be given to an undergraduate intern. Having finely crafted meals in between sightseeing and architecture hunting was a unique experience. I visited the de Young Museum, SF MoMa, biked the Golden Gate, and saw the bay area model in Sausalito.

I had toured as much as I could and made sure I left enough room to work on my video project and final essay for my Urban Sustainability class. After the trip, I felt energized for the final two weeks of my time in Pittsburgh and at Riverlife. Soon, I will be writing a reflection of the summer and this trip to San Francisco will definitely be a highlight in this summer.