Spotlight on Willie L. Brown, Jr. Fellowship Alumni

Academic Advisor, San Francisco State University; San Francisco State University Master of Public Health '22 & Willie L. Brown, Jr. Fellowship Undergraduate Program Fellow

Professional Development: 

Antonella Cortez, a 2016 alumna of the Willie Brown Fellowship, credits the program with opening doors to opportunities she never knew existed. As a sociology major in her senior year, Antonella was determined to graduate early, pushing herself to the limit with three jobs, a full course load, and the Fellowship. Reflecting on that time, she admits, “I was maxed out to the fullest, but I really appreciated all the knowledge that I learned while I was doing this internship.” 

Her placement in the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) exposed her to public health education programs aimed at youth. She helped plan and facilitate workshops on sexual health, mental health, and nutrition, gaining hands-on experience that would shape her career. “I was able to shadow the Director of Community Health & Equity Promotion within the Department of Public Health, which is really cool because she held a position that I still, to this day, want to learn more about—like, how do I get there?” 

Importance of Networking: 

Antonella emphasizes that the Fellowship’s most valuable aspect was exposure to professionals who introduced her to government agencies and city career paths she had never considered. “I had no idea these jobs even existed,” she says, reflecting on her time shadowing health educators and department directors. Conversations with mentors led her to pursue a Master’s in Public Health, after repeatedly hearing, “If you have your MPH, you can get any job within the city’s Department of Health.” Beyond DPH, the fellowship broadened Antonella’s perspective on other departments where her peers were placed, giving her the opportunity to learn about those sectors as well. 

While she initially lost touch with her cohort after graduation, Antonella reconnected her with a fellow peer alum and now co-worker, Marissa. “It was a full circle moment when we both ran into each other one day and started reminiscing about our undergrad days.” 

Impact on Career and Future Plans: 

Following the Fellowship, Antonella continued working as a waitress while job-hunting, eventually securing a full-time position as an academic advisor in a college program that supported first-generation students. While higher education was not her initial plan, the job provided tuition assistance, allowing her to complete her Master’s. 

After earning her MPH, she transitioned into a Program Coordinator role, where she applies the public health and community engagement skills she developed through the grad program and Fellowship. “If I didn’t have that internship and that foot in the door, I would have never known about the public health sector within the city. Prior to the internship, I thought I wanted to go into research, but my passion was more hands on and working alongside the communities I care about. I’m very thankful for Professor Raquel Pinderhuges for motivating and supporting me through my journey.” 

Advice for Prospective Students: 

Antonella urges future fellows to be proactive: “Ask as many questions as you can once you get placed. Talk to an advisor about your goals and what you want to get out of this experience.” She emphasizes the importance of advocating for oneself: “If I hadn’t spoken up, I might have been stuck doing one thing for the whole internship instead of shadowing different roles.”  

Looking back, she wishes the graduate program was advertised more broadly beyond public administration students, as it could benefit those in sociology, public health, and other fields. Nonetheless, she describes it as a transformative experience: “Even though I’m first-generation, I was there—I was doing this internship, I was in a city agency. This could be my future one day if I continue to work within this field.” 

Her final words of advice? “Do not overwork yourself.”