The Central California Consortium (CCC) celebrated the completion of its intern program at the 16th Annual Intern Awards Ceremony. CCC partner, Center for Advanced Research and Technology (CART), hosted the event on August 9, 2012 in Clovis, CA. The CCC was honored to host USDA and Forest Service leadership, as well as over 125 guests comprised of Forest Service staff, community partners, and family members.
Ronald Ketter, Forest Deputy Regional Forester for Operations, congratulated the students and described them as “our future agency leaders.” Lisa Pino, USDA Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights and the event’s keynote speaker, shared her inspirational story of being the first in her family to graduate from college. She congratulated the students, shared tips for success and said, "The CCC is a great example of USDA's commitment to Cultural Transformation while also providing solid Forest Service experience to dedicated youth."
Among the 50 diverse college and graduate student presenters were 24 high school youth who served as Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew members. “Overall it’s been an excellent experience, best of my life. I had a lot of fun and I met new people that hopefully I’ll keep in contact with for the rest of my life. I am excited for the future,” said Adrian Anguiano, YCC crew member.
“Through support from the Secretary’s Office, our agency and many partnerships, the CCC is providing green jobs and helping diversify the agency,” said James Oftedal, CCC Director. A total of 194 CCC interns successfully completed paid internships in various fields throughout CA, WA, and OR. For more information on the CCC, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ccc/.
