Student Spotlight: University of California, Berkeley 8-Week Internship Program in Toronto 2025

The University of California, Berkeley collaborated with Global Career Center (GCC) on an 8-week internship program in Toronto, Canada. This blog post features a profile of Civil Engineering student at Berkeley, Caleb Chen.

"I initially applied for an internship because I hoped to gain some real-world, practical experience to tie into my theoretical education at UC, Berkeley. As an aspiring civil engineer, I knew that Toronto, a major global city and one of the most diverse places in the world, would be a prime location to pursue work that was both meaningful and informative of what my future career could look like.

UC Berkeley student Caleb Chen and fellow students at a mural in Downtown Toronto.

During my internship, I worked alongside a professional engineer and designer to kickstart the redesign process for a community center in Toronto that focuses on providing low cost programming, services, resources, and support for 2SLGBTQIA+, children, youth, and families. I have learned not only new design frameworks that probe at the core purpose of making change but also how to question why something is being built. By developing a comprehensive understanding of the users and stakeholders of the center through interviews and informal observation, I was able to see tangible changes in the way people interact with the center as a result of the redesigns I’ve helped to implement.

From left to right: Caleb and fellow Berkeley students celebrating Pride in Downtown Toronto; Maple syrup tasting; Group trip to Niagara Falls; Blue Jays baseball game at the Rogers Centre; Go-karting; The Tunnel in Niagara.

I am confident that my internship experience has given me new tools that I can utilize in any career I pursue going forward. Being able to think from a broader perspective about engineering and design will set me apart from other peers, because I now have the critical thinking skills to analyze a problem at its root and engineer something that truly meets the needs of the community."

---

Interested in a customized internship program in Toronto, across the U.S., or abroad? Reach out to the team at info@globalcareercenter.org.