“I owe a lot of my career to Enterprise. It’s how I got my first job. People there really want to do the best for you and help you out.” — Carmen Sze, Enterprise for Youth Alumna

Enterprise alumna Carmen Sze looks back fondly on her time at Enterprise for Youth (then Enterprise for High School Students). From 2006 to 2011, Carmen was welcomed back by Enterprise for seasonal jobs as an Accountant, Administrative Assistant, and Bookkeeper. Through these jobs, she learned what she didn’t want to do (event planning) and what she did want to do (accounting). Then board member Slyvia Mak introduced Carmen to her company, BDO, a major accounting firm. Having learned about BDO first-hand from Sylvia, Carmen, a college senior, applied for and secured the BDO position that launched her accounting career. Carmen believes her “life would be totally different” if it wasn’t for this pivotal job that Enterprise helped her obtain.

This year, Carmen returned as a volunteer to give back to Enterprise, the organization that was instrumental in her career. Carmen found conducting mock interviews with Enterprise youth, who now stand where she was fourteen years ago, a rewarding and fun experience.

For over 50 years, Enterprise has launched the careers of students in caring and supportive environments. We are looking for more big hearts to give hope, spread joy, and provide meaningful paid work experiences for under-resourced youth in San Francisco.