By Jonathan Dubreuil
My parents have a saying: tu es destiné à être là où tu es, which is French for “you’re destined to be where you are.” My dad grew up in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as the oldest of three siblings. In a country where so many are impoverished, building a better life for his family seemed impossible. But his unrelenting resolve brought him to America as a teenager and inspires me to never take anything for granted. As I try and make him proud, my experience with Seed Internships couldn’t be more fitting.
When I was a student at Todd Beamer High in Federal Way, I wanted to know more about how the world interacted, and about the systems that facilitate effective communication. In my senior year, I took a class about consumerism in America and was amazed how marketing shapes us long before we even step into stores. I was fascinated by the way companies like Costco, Starbucks, or Microsoft are able to make international waves simply by broadening their reach and expanding their marketing.
When I graduated high school in 2020, the future felt uncertain. The sudden shift brought by the pandemic and COVID-19 lockdowns gave me a lot of time to think about what I wanted to do in university. I felt like a fish out of water with no clear direction for how to pursue my passions professionally. I knew I didn’t want to go into anything political with all the reading involved, and I also didn’t want to be in labs all day like some of my friends pursuing science-related degrees. So, I went with my gut and chose communications.
Jonathan at Nisqually Hydroproject (Dam) filming a TPU promotional video for employee training. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dubreuil)
Starting your freshman year of university during a global pandemic was tough. For the first year and a half at the University of Washington (UW), classes were hybrid or held online with so many pre-recorded lectures. Roommates weren’t allowed and mealtimes were segmented to allow for COVID safety. In a way it felt like we got robbed of so many new experiences. At the same time, I’m grateful to have been at a school that took safety seriously.
Fast forward to my senior year at UW and in comes Seed Internships. It’s hard to quantify just how much of a blessing it was to meet other students my age who were just as determined to succeed during the recruitment process. It felt like things were brightening up, almost like I could breathe again. I ended up being matched through Seed Internships with Tacoma Public Utilities (TPU) as a skilled occupational intern for summer 2024.
When I first started with Tacoma Public Utilities last June, I was extremely nervous on how I would perform. I was drowning in a sea of impostor syndrome, surrounded by generations of some of the most intelligent engineers I’d ever met. But as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, one thing became clear: J’étais destiné à être là où j’étais— “I was destined to be where I was.”
I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself and serve my Tacoma community and I’m doing it.
Seed Internships’ weekly professional development sessions provided me with lifelong intangibles that I could use to set myself up for career success. I learned more about myself and what I could bring to the table in negotiations, self-advocacy, increased productivity, and emotional professionalism. Seed Internships cared about me as a person and wanted all the summer interns to thrive in our respective fields.
I found myself becoming more confident at Tacoma Public Utilities, taking on more projects, and allowing myself the grace to be cross-functional and work on different teams. I became increasingly communicative as my outlook shifted from “this is a really awesome 12-week internship” to “how can I build off this experience?” As my workload grew, so did my network. Eventually I found myself dreaming bigger and working harder. I didn’t want to be a great TPU Intern; I wanted to be the greatest TPU intern I could be.
This summer at TPU was filled with so many beautifully nuanced experiences. Every day was filled with fun, and no two days looked alike. One day we would go visit a hydroproject (dams) and learn about providing clean, renewable, and reliable hydropower to our community. Other days we would hear from different individuals at the utility about what it means to be part of a team.
Jonathan participating in TPU Academy, a day camp to educate children on different aspects of the utility. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dubreuil)
I love the culture so much at Tacoma Public Utilities that when I received an offer to intern elsewhere midsummer, I declined and instead advocated for an extension at TPU—which I received! It felt like all my hard work paid off, and I’m so glad I did it!
Looking back at my journey it’s honestly been unreal. I wanted to work with an amazing company on their corporate communications and public relations and I’m doing it. I wanted to use my communications degree and learn how to become a business professional and I’m doing it. I wanted to be a part of something greater than myself and serve my Tacoma community and I’m doing it.
As I’m writing this I’m smiling, knowing that I’ve done my best, with the best of the best. I know my dad is proud to know I’m taking steps to grow in my career. I’m still that kid who is fascinated by how we all coexist in a world so big, and I’m learning that if you consistently work hard—anyone can make waves.
Tu es destiné à être là où tu es. You are destined to be where you are.
Jonathan Dubreuil recently graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He aspires to be a communications director and bring fresh perspectives to the industry. He would like to thank Gaby Salas—former Seed Internships program manager—for taking a chance on him, and Latasha Wortham—his current director at TPU—for continuing his internship opportunity.
Featured image: A photo for an employee newsletter story that Jonathan wrote on the status of TPU’s HVAC system and temperature control wells. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dubreuil)
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