Leavey Ambassadors Program Blogs

After spending the first half of 2022 studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea, it was finally time to come back to the Bay Area. I was filled with mixed emotions returning to the states after spending so many months abroad, but luckily I had an internship waiting for me when I got home. This past summer I was lucky enough to score an internship with Genentech, a biotech company headquartered in South San Francisco. I applied to many internships within the company after hearing about the great company culture and how much the company cares about each of its employees. I ended up getting a Project Controls Intern role with the Design and Construction group at the South San Francisco campus.

Genentech’s main campus is architecturally amazing, and at 207 acres it is two times the size of SCU’s 106-acre campus. Walking around the campus for the first time, I had little appreciation for all of the work that goes into making the hundreds of labs and employee facilities across campus. However, this role introduced me to the complex project management that goes on behind the scenes of maintaining a campus as impressive as Genentech’s. The Design and Construction team is in charge of dealing with the financial logistics behind all of Genentech’s construction projects and facilitating agreements with potential construction partners. From quick fixes needed in labs to huge new buildings to be built within the next 10 years, the Design and Construction team was behind it all. As an economics and marketing major, this role was pretty different from the work I was used to doing. Although it wasn’t a function that I expected myself to be involved in, it gave me much more appreciation for the buildings and facilities we use day to day.

The most enjoyable part of the internship was definitely the company events. Genetech really cares for its employees, and it is shown through the frequent and well-funded events they hold for employees. During my 2 month internship, I got the chance to go to an outdoor concert,  a jazz motorcycle event with BBQ and free-flow drinks, play top golf with my time (and get paid to do so!), and go to one of my manager’s house for a team building cooking day. Genentech’s company culture is amazing and they do a great job of making every employee feel welcomed, appreciated, and an important part of the team.