Luis’s Story: Combining Technical Creativity & Social Impact

A self-taught musician, environmental conservationist, techie and now food security advocate, Luis has a range of passions and skill sets.

His internships with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Same Cafe helped the student at the Denver School of Innovation and Sustainable Design decide how he wants to make an impact in his community. 

Originally, Luis was drawn to the Career and College Success internship opportunity to explore technology: “I wanted to see what real jobs looked like in technology, and thought it was a cool idea to experience that and get out there.”

“I wanted to see what real jobs looked like in technology, and thought it was a cool idea to experience that and get out there.”

His first internship with the U.S. Geological Survey or USGS in Lakewood was an eye-opening experience, both in terms of what it means to work in IT for the government and in terms of helping Luis understand who he wants to be.

“I started [interning with the USGS] in the summer of 2017,” he said. “It was mind-blowing. I was working in the government and I needed a keycard and everything to get in … It was kinda weird knowing that I was now a government employee as a 10th grader.”

“It was mind-blowing. I was working in the government and I needed a keycard and everything to get in.”

He learned a lot about computers, saw in-depth how technology is implemented in real-world jobs, and learned all the software and security needs behind the scenes.

“I think working directly with USGS was really cool and it was an important experience for me,” he said. “I learned so much in a short period of time.”

However, he also learned that it wasn’t for him long-term.

“I saw what IT work was like,” Luis said. “When you do do it, you Google-search something and figure out how to fix something. But it felt like a corporate office job of everyone moving around in their cubicles. I realized it’s not what I really want to do.”

“I saw what IT work was like (and) I realized it’s not what I really want to do.”

When speaking about his second internship with Same Cafe as their marketing intern, his eyes lit up.

“It’s really cool because we’re a small team and I have so much responsibility in the organization,” he said. “To kind of give you an idea, I built their whole website from scratch last year. It’s one of my main accomplishments.

“I have a lot of creative freedom and I can learn so much… I really enjoy it, especially because I have a personal connection to the mission. We feed everyone who comes through their door whether or not they can pay or not. This affects a lot of people, and I think it’s really important. It feels like I am doing something meaningful and truly contributing.”

“We feed everyone who comes through their door whether or not they can pay or not. This affects a lot of people, and I think it’s really important. It feels like I am doing something meaningful and truly contributing.”

In the future, Luis hopes to continue to blend his technical chops with the ability to scale environmental and social impact.