Nine Peninsula students celebrated Saturday, July 25, at Capelo's restaurant in North Fair Oaks after completing a six-week leadership program that paired them with some of San Mateo County's top elected officials.

The Summer Leadership Internship Program is a new partnership between the API Foundation of San Mateo County and Casa Círculo Cultural. It's the first graduating class for both organizations' joint effort, which ran over six consecutive Saturdays and covered public speaking, professional networking, fundraising, civic engagement, voting, and professional etiquette. The program received a Measure K grant from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, meaning county taxpayers, including San Mateo residents, helped fund the initiative.

The graduates: Adrian Ontiveros, Eleanor Arias, Gyanna Blanco, Isabella Zpien, Jade Crespo, Juan Paredes, Kimberly Albarran, Lisandro Vail, and Naomi Segovia.

Guest speakers and mentors throughout the program included San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo, District 4 Supervisor Lisa Gauthier, County Controller Juan Raigoza, and San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools-elect Héctor Camacho, according to Peninsula 360 Press. Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos, SamTrans Director of Bus Operations Ana Rivas, South San Francisco Councilmember and former Mayor Eddie Flores, and former Foster City Councilmember Steve Okamoto also participated.

API Foundation co-founder Michelle Droz led a workshop on building a professional LinkedIn profile and meaningful networks.

As part of the program, students attended the Council of Cities Dinner in East Palo Alto, where they met mayors, councilmembers, and civic leaders from across the county. For many, it was their first time at a regional civic event, according to the API Foundation and Casa Círculo Cultural.

The graduation ceremony drew students' families, API Foundation co-founders Jeff Gee and Michelle Droz, Casa Círculo Cultural founder and executive director Verónica Escámez, board president Connie Guerrero, Mayor Martínez Saballos, and a representative from Congressman Kevin Mullin's office.

Both organizations said they plan to continue and expand the partnership so more county youth can participate, according to Peninsula 360 Press. The API Foundation's 2026 program received a record number of applications, per its website, and offers paid stipends and letters of recommendation upon completion.

What's next: The API Foundation's own 2026 summer program holds its final presentations and awards ceremony on Saturday, August 8, at the Redwood Shores Library, 399 Marine Parkway, Redwood City.