The Willie L. Brown, Jr. Fellowship Program places San Francisco State University students in prestigious internships within various City and County of San Francisco agencies. The fellowship, launched in 2008, provides SF State students who have faced barriers pursuing a college education with an opportunity to gain professional experience in the public sector while developing a lifelong commitment to public service. At the same time, the program provides San Francisco’s public agencies with a diverse, qualified and well-educated workforce.
The Willie Brown Fellowship is open to juniors and seniors at SFSU, regardless of their major. This has inspired a wide range of applicants to explore careers in the public sector, encompassing both less common majors like English (1%) or Biology (.8%) and more prevalent ones, including those listed below.
Demographic data on fellows' ethnicity, collected from Spring 2016 to the present, indicates a significant number of students of color accessing the fellowship as a pathway into the public sector. Hispanic students represent the largest group, comprising approximately 51% of accepted applicants, followed by Black students at 21% and Asian students at 12%.
The Willie Brown Fellowship is an integral component of student success for students of color at San Francisco State University who choose to explore an interest in the public sector, providing the city of San Francisco an opportunity to diversify their workforce.
The most common supportive programs accessed by applicants are the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) and Metro College Success Program. Since we began our partnerships with these initiatives, 58 students, accounting for 31% of applicants, have come from EOP, while 39 students, or 21% of applicants, are from Metro. Regarding equity for low-income students, 71% of Willie Brown Fellows from 2016 to the present have been eligible for Pell Grants, reflecting the significant financial need among our fellowship alumni.
An analysis of the URM (Underrepresented Minority) percentages for WB fellows enrolled in the AU600 seminar from 2016 to 2024 shows consistently high representation each semester. Furthermore, data from SF State Institutional Research indicates a consistently low failure rate, with only one DWF (drop, withdraw, or fail) recorded in Fall 2018, Fall 2022, and Spring 2023.
