Center for Community Learning and Leadership Student Allen Ngo Named First SJSU Ideas Inspire Fellow

This summer, Allen Ngo, '26 Political Science, was named the first Ideas Inspire Fellow through San José State's Center for Community Learning and Leadership (CCLL). An aspiring public servant with plans to become a defense attorney, Ngo received funding, mentorship and professional development to work alongside Santa Clara County nonprofits like the Resource Area for Teaching (RAFT), Sacred Heart and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

The eight-week fellowship was designed to empower university and community college students to tackle local challenges through funded placements in public service and nonprofit organizations. Inspired by his high school government teacher and encouraged by his mother to pursue higher education, Ngo is determined to be the first in his family to attend graduate school. During his junior year, he interned at Fresh Lifelines for Youth , a Bay Area nonprofit that serves justice-impacted youths. In spring 2025, he was hired as a student assistant at CCLL, where he first learned about the summer fellowship opportunity.

"Nonprofit work can involve anything from distributing food [to people who need it] to organizing school supplies or planting trees," Ngo says. "So this summer, CCLL student assistant Nicole [ Cailles, '26 Advertising ] and I visited different nonprofits, asked the staff questions and filmed our experiences. The goal is to introduce students to different volunteer and internship opportunities. So many places are in need of student volunteers, interns and even employees."

Ngo and Cailles will be sharing the experiences they documented on CCLL social media throughout the semester.

Ngo adds that because many students have trouble finding paid internship opportunities that align with public service, this fellowship emphasizes the impact that one person's voice can have - a lesson he's learned in his political science courses, as well as in his work with CCLL's Perspectives Peer Leaders , an initiative designed to promote constructive dialogue.

"If there's one thing I learned over the summer, it's that everyone's voice makes a bigger difference than they might think," he says. "A lot of time in our political systems, people are led to believe that their voices don't matter, or that it takes a lot to create change. People may not vote in local elections because they think one vote won't change anything. But one person can convince another person, and that person can convince another; and that can exponentially grow so the impact of that first person is so much more powerful."

Andrea Tully, who serves as the assistant director of CCLL, shares that "it was easy for [Allen] to connect with the myriad of people he met while serving at many nonprofits in San José. He has grown so much since he first joined our center and I know this is the beginning of him becoming an influential community changemaker." She also expresses her gratitude to the anonymous donor who supported the inaugural fellowship.

Elena Klaw, CCLL director and psychology professor, adds that Ngo is " driven by a genuine desire to serve the community and to make a positive change in the world.He is incredibly motivated and hard working, as well as extremely affable and genuine. Allen is simply a joy to work with and mentor."

Through his work with Bay Area nonprofits, Ngo experienced the ripple effect of public service firsthand. On September 20, he joined the CCLL and SJSU College Corps Fellows at Guadalupe River Park in San José, where San José Mayor Matt Mahan and BeautifySJ organized an event as part of Coastal Cleanup Day. More than 350 volunteers showed up to restore the trail along the Guadalupe River, which included painting a community art project designed by former College Corps Fellow Ivana Gottwald , '25 Digital Media Art. The event exemplified the exponential impact of public service.

"Whether you are a political science major, a social science major, a STEM major [or any other major], getting involved in the community is really important," Ngo says. "There are a lot of people and organizations out there who need help, and you can help in many ways. There is a lot of nonprofit work to be done that benefits our community as a whole."

If you work at a community organization in San Jose and would like Allen to serve at an event to highlight volunteer opportunities with your organization, please email [email protected].