From Floating to Found: Healdsburg Businesses Mentor Teen Interns

When owner Will Seppi first met Healdsburg teen Brenda Silva last fall, he saw someone who was not sure of her direction in life and who lacked enthusiasm and focus.

What a difference six months makes.

"Brenda did a complete 180 from the time I first met her," Seppi said. The change in the last six months took place via an internship with Seppi under a mentoring program sponsored by

"I love what I do," said Silva, 17, who this week graduated from after a stint at Marcy Becerra School and an independent study.

Silva found she has an aptitude for food preparation and a joy in baking and cooking. She now works part-time for Seppi at his bakery operations on the south end of town, is doing training on her own with executive chef Dustin Vallette at and is hoping to enroll in the culinary arts program at Santa Rosa Junior College in the fall.

"I want to be a chef," she said. "This has been a great experience -- it's real hands-on and makes me sure that that's what I want to do."

Silva's success -- and the success of other Rotary interns -- is buoying hopes for a new pilot internship program that just started in January at Healdsburg High School.

About 30 students have been paired with Healdsburg business owners to learn what type of work they would love to do -- and to help the business owners with some vital tasks too.

"The community support has been amazing," said HHS Principal Chris Vanden Heuvel in a Feb. 15 report to the Healdsburg Unified School District board.

Students in the pilot program, coordinated by Todd Everett, typically meet weekly with their business mentors. They also have to keep a journal and submit a final written report and formal presentation in order to obtain class credit, said HHS student Zoe Santucci, in an article in the Feb. 10 Hound's Bark student newsletter.

"This year's pilot program will be carefully watched with the intent of being offered to the entire junior class in future years," Santucci writes.

HUSD board President Genevieve Llerena was enthusiastic after hearing Vanden Heuvel's presentation.

"Healdsburg is not that big, so for the whole community to take on that many students, it's a very substantial thing," she said.

Vanden Heuvel said the program helps students establish goals as to what they want to be in life. Also it teaches perserverance, collaboration and good work habits like getting places on time and being responsible.

"A lot of times we focus only on academics and we don't talk about the world of work," he said. "This kind of education is also relevant to high school students."

The pilot internship program runs through April.