Interested in getting involved on campus and helping our UC Davis community? Join the Aggie Reuse family as a volunteer intern on one of our four main teams: marketing, social media, sales, and upcycling. We also have additional opportunities on our smaller committees: analytics, graphic design, internal events, inventory, and video production. Each team has its own responsibilities and domains related to the position, depending on the individual’s interests.
Being part of our team gives you the unique opportunity to contribute to causes that are meaningful to you. We center our intern program around the individual; through our internships, students are able to gain valuable skills, join a community of like-minded individuals, and make a difference in the campus and community overall. Lastly, we strive to provide individuals with an experience that enables them to discover their own skillsets and will benefit them in their life after college.
We are always seeking motivated students to join our team and community. We open applications once a quarter, several weeks before the quarter begins. To stay updated on when openings are available, like us on Facebook and apply online at vacancy.ucdavis.edu.
“The summer before my first year at Davis, my sister showed me a documentary called The True Cost about, well, the true cost of the mainstream fashion industry. Mass production of cheap materials drastically exploits human workers and the environment, usually without consumers knowing. Ethically-produced clothing is more expensive and rightly so, but thrifting is a inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative, especially for students! It diverts pre-loved clothing and other supplies from the landfill. I was excited to find out we have a student-run thrift store on campus. I joined Aggie Reuse’s marketing team during the Winter Quarter of my freshman year. Since then, I have been constantly inspired by the ideas and work ethic of my teammates and friends. I have also been empowered to pursue my own projects – like creating videos – which has now expanded to an entire committee of its own! Working here teaches me the intricacies of collaborating with other people and organizations as well as the simple joys of having good conversations about self care and women in leadership, and eating Alibaba’s Breakfast Burritos with fellow interns. In addition, I love getting to see student customers find treasures on our eclectic shelves. We’re an unexpected bunch of aspiring entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, scientists, writers, filmmakers, activists, government leaders and health-care providers alike, banding together to fight for sustainability. We share laughs, food, and resources for living more eco-friendly lifestyles with each other. I am proud of where we are and I can’t wait to see how we grow!”
Annie WangAssistant Unit Director
“One of the most rewarding things about being a social media intern at the Aggie Reuse Store is the opportunity for me to constantly push and improve myself, both as a learner and as a leader. Seeing how our ideas, projects, and events have come to fruition over the last couple years of volunteering — and how they have spread our mission of environmental sustainability — has instilled in me a strong passion for social media and marketing and a desire to pursue it as a career. Now, as Social Media Lead, my role allows me to work with kind, hard-working, and passionate individuals across all our teams every day. I have learned so much from all of them. With the extensive amount of hands-on experience I have gotten and social/professional connections I have made as an intern, I feel significantly more prepared for any job I may have in the future!”
Pia PandolfiniSocial Media Lead
“Working with the amazing, friendly staff at the store has broadened my appreciation for the Aggie Reuse Store beyond just the resume potential. The store has a creative atmosphere that both customers and volunteers can be inspired by through the crafts displayed throughout the shop. While at its core Aggie Reuse is an on-campus student-run thrift shop, its emphasis on ingenuity and sustainability goes far beyond selling books and clothes at cheap prices; ultimately, what makes the store a unique place to be a part of is its friendly, tranquil environment that offers a plethora of resources for students. As a sales intern, it has been an enjoyable opportunity to meet the rest of the staff in a welcoming atmosphere, all while learning how to be a part of a team that helps run a quaint retail store.”
Dante ValenzuelaFormer Store Manager
“After my term ended in ASUCD, I figured it was time to specialize by moving from the Executive Office to a unit. I was looking for something fun and rewarding to do, and luckily, I was hired by the perfect place to fulfill my ambitions. Aggie Reuse is not only a store that I work for, but a family that has nurtured me both as team player and a leader. The things I love most about the store are its staff culture, fun projects, and multitudinous potential to grow. From simple craft nights to quarterly concerts, I have watched the unit grow from a small corner store that few people knew about, to a quintessential part of UC Davis with a large following made up of all types of people in our community. We’re a force to be reckoned with. In my past quarters as an intern, I was given the opportunity to host events, lead large marketing projects, and start my own committee. If there are any decisions I will look back on 10 years from now, joining Aggie Reuse will be one that I will forever treasure.”
Ryan LiangMarketing and Analytics Intern
“When I first started volunteering for Aggie Reuse I had no idea how much I would come to love the store and the people behind it. Getting into the swing of my duties was an effortless transition because of how much I believe in what the store stands for. However, as time passed I realized that Aggie Reuse is more than just a thrift shop. It’s also a place for like-minded people with diverse backgrounds and skill sets to come together and support a cause they believe in. As a social media intern, I’ve been able to watch the store expand its online presence and grow in size as more people join the team. I am lucky enough to be able to help produce content for the Store’s social media platforms that I believe is reflective of my own values and those of the store. The connections and experience I’ve gained here have helped mold me into someone willing to take risks and seek opportunities. It has been the most fulfilling experience of my college career.”
Amanda CruzFormer Social Media Co-Lead
“What does being an engineer have to do with a student-run thrift store? Anyone can use their creativity to reuse and re-purpose unwanted goods and materials into new, useful ones — for example, turning old jeans into reusable bags. I started out wanting to make re-purposing and upcycling more accessible to everyone at UC Davis. I wanted to create a place to inspire and teach others that waste does not have to end up in a landfill; rather, another person can find value in it, no matter how small or worn it is. What made my time at Aggie Reuse unforgettable was the tight-knit community formed between volunteers, and what started out as curiosity and desire for a less wasteful lifestyle brought us together both inside and outside of the store. This isn’t just a store, it is a a place of inspiration and community.”
Chunyin AuFormer Unit Director
“I have come to realize that whenever I walk into the Aggie Reuse Store, I feel like the store and its teams make my day. But there is also an immediate positive impact that extends out the door too! I love the diversity of the people working here — yet, we are all interested in one thing: making our campus more environmentally sustainable! The most enjoyable part of the job is just going in and seeing people working, smiling, and getting along, and realizing that the end result is the impact they make on others’ lives! Overall, the purpose of the store and the people in it are of a unique caliber, and I am grateful to have come across this store my freshman year of college.”
Stephanie ZarateFormer Marketing Intern
“As part of the marketing team I assisted in creating/spearheading the main strategies to promote and advertise the Aggie Reuse Store to the UC Davis community. I also assisted in tabling and sales during important events, such as Picnic Day and Valentine’s Day, and I was a model during our Fall ’18 photoshoot. I would say that the Aggie Reuse Store has been a very great experience for me overall because it has given me a very strong team to work with. I feel that after the last couple of quarters I have become more quick-thinking and have gained extensive knowledge about advertising and marketing after all of our projects and promotions.”
Kevin ZhengFormer Marketing Intern
“I was already super into crafting before I started at the store, so I thought it would be a great chance to put something I already love doing to use. The idea that I would be working with other people who had similar interests and could share their knowledge sounded exciting! As an upcycler, I took items that people would otherwise throw away and repurposed them into art or items that could be used in daily life.”
Cherry ArellanoFormer Upcycling Intern