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Internships and Fellowship Opportunities

There are a variety of opportunities for students to gain experience working on the California high-speed rail project. Students that have worked on the project have gone on to land full-time positions with the State, our design-builder or project construction managers. We value students and know they are essential in building the nation’s first high-speed rail system, whether from the office or a construction site.

To learn more about the many job opportunities with California high-speed rail and how to apply, visit the Jobs page on our website.

Student Assistant Positions

Student Assistants play an important role in a number of departments including engineering, human resources, and strategic communications. Learn more about Student Employment and other State of California Jobs by visiting Cal Careers. 

Student Assistant Handout

Fellowship Programs

The Authority has worked with a number of organizations to host fellows for their service year at our department. Such programs include the nationally-recognized Sacramento State Capital Fellows Program and the Governor’s CivicSpark AmeriCorps program. If you are doing a fellowship program and have an interest in doing your service year with the Authority, contact us at iwillride@hsr.ca.gov.

School Partnerships for Internships

Schools throughout California house programs and work closely with the Authority and other State agencies to help connect students with internship opportunities, including programs like University of California, Berkley’s Cal-in-Sacramento Fellowship.

Please note that students participating in these programs must be provided a stipend, grant or wage from the institution hosting the program. The Authority will not host unpaid interns given the inequities that such opportunities pose for students. If you are a program administrator looking to explore a partnership with our department, contact us at iwillride@hsr.ca.gov.

We’re proud that our department has worked with the following programs to bring on student employees or host capstone project teams with the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

 

Fellows Share on Social Media

Earlier this year, we highlighted past and present Capital Fellows that worked with the California High-Speed Rail team. Take a look at their inspirational stories.

Yaqeline Castro

Maxwell Thogmartin

Adam Taslitz

Britney Ortiz

Logo that reads Center for California Studies Capital Fellows Program
Logo with an image of a city skyline surrounded greenery and reads CivicSpark.
Logo that reads Institute of Governmental Studies University of California, Berkeley. Logo has a photo of tower with a yellow circle around the
USC School Logo, Burgundy USC letters with logo that has three torches below a sunrise
Program lolo, Letters MTI in blue over a fading and doted circle, two slanted lines in the middle with yellow words reading Mineta Transportation Institute

Intern and Fellows Voices

As a fellow on this project, I was surrounded by people that really cared about my professional growth. My mentors met with me regularly and provided me all the resources and training to be successful. I truly believe in this project and sometimes I can’t believe that I get to be a part of bringing high-speed rail to California.
Yaqeline Castro

Former Communications Fellow, Capital Fellows Program

My service year within the CA High-Speed Rail Authority allowed me to do meaningful work in a subject area I care about. After working on a project with the size and complexity of High-Speed Rail, the mentorship and experience I’ve gained will continue to shape my career path long into the future.
Kelsey Shockley

Sustainability and Station Planning Fellow, CivicSpark AmeriCorps

My placement at the California High-Speed Rail Authority gives me immediate insight into what makes the state of California an exceptional place. I am surrounded by colleagues who are mission driven and passionate about delivering a transformative project to all Californians. The environment at the Authority is supportive and everyone pitches in to get the job done. I feel grateful to be a part of this team and to contribute to the nation’s first high-speed rail.

Adam Taslitz

Former Communications Fellow, Capital Fellows Program

During my time at the Authority, I worked closely with executive-level officials devoted to delivering the nation’s largest and greenest infrastructure project. From honing my skills in communications, grant writing, and policy at the state level, to witnessing the collaborative efforts between state and federal entities on critical matters, my experience has been truly incredible. Most importantly, I’m extremely grateful for the mentorship I’ve received from individuals committed to uplifting California’s future leaders.

Britney Ortiz

Former Communications Fellow, Capital Fellows Program

I wanted to work on this project as I believe California High-Speed Rail is an integral part of the fight against climate change and the promotion of greater social and economic mobility. Equally important to my personal enthusiasm for the project were all the amazing, talented, and kind people I met during my fellowship. My mentors truly cared about me and worked to make my experience meaningful. I learned so many practical professional development skills and knowledge about government through my fellowship and feel so fortunate for the opportunity.
Kaleo Mark

Former Communications Fellow, Cal-in-Sacramento Program

My placement at the Authority was a truly rewarding experience. You can’t find historic projects like this one in any other state. And the opportunity to work with and learn from the mentors on this team was a huge boost to my development as a young professional. I’m proud to have been part of the team delivering the nation’s first high-speed rail system.
Maxwell Thogmartin

Former Communications Fellow, Capital Fellows Program

My fellowship with the California High-Speed Rail Authority allowed me to make connections and build experience that launched my career in sustainability and climate change.
Annika Ragsdale

Former Sustainability Fellow, CivicSpark AmeriCorps

Man sitting at desk in front of a computer screens and smiling.

Contact Us

California High-Speed Rail Authority
770 L Street, Suite 620
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 324-1541
info@hsr.ca.gov

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.