Breakthrough Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

About Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Starting in middle school, Breakthrough Silicon Valley launches talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspires high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. While ambitious in our goals, BTSV works: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school, and 78% of BTSV Teaching Fellows are inspired to pursue a career related to education as a result of their BTSV experience.

BTSV's tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, counseling, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our students-teaching-students model, BTSV also provides a consummate professional development experience, providing talented high school and college students the opportunity to understand the K-12 system and the drivers of educational inequities, and to design and teach classes under the direction of seasoned educators.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for 25 Breakthrough sites across the country.

The Position

The Admissions Program Intern is a part of BTSV's admissions team. In the fall, you'll work with the team to support the launch of BTSV's middle school admissions application for Franklin McKinley School District and San Jose Unified School District students. Most importantly, you'll be the primary contact for prospective families, answering their questions and providing technical support as they're submitting application materials. You'll also support in developing presentations and marketing materials, including social media, and you'll provide logistical support, such as working closely with BTSV staff to schedule presentations for students and families both virtually and in person. Once we start receiving applications, you'll support with processing applications as well as scheduling and conducting interviews with prospective students and families.

In the spring, you'll support planning for BTSV's summer programs, including outreach to families and enrolling admitted students into summer classes. You will also support the planning and execution of logistics for our New Family Welcome event, which is BTSV's first gathering of our newly enrolled students and families.

Data collection and management are also a big part of the job. You'll use data to determine which recruitment strategies are most effective, support the creation of reports for school partners and other stakeholders, and utilize Salesforce to enter student data.

The Admissions Program Intern reports to the Family and Community Engagement Manager.

What background and skills do you have?:

• You're a rising college junior or senior.

• Fluency in spoken Spanish is a must; fluency in written Spanish is a plus.

• Comfort with public speaking and delivering presentations to students and families in English and in Spanish.

• Proficiency with MS Office and Google Suite, including Excel/Sheets. Ability to learn Salesforce CRM with direction.

• Ability to work in an organized and thoughtful way while juggling multiple tasks, and implement plans with a keen attention to detail.

• A customer service skill-set gained from prior experience, such as retail, food service, or other direct-service positions.

• Flexible problem-solver with a can-do attitude; willing to support where needed.

• Communicative and able to responsibly pose questions and ask for clarification whenever necessary.

• Ability to commit to working in-person according to a regular program schedule, with access to reliable transportation to locations across San Jose.

• "Breakthrough Spirit": You're a collaborative team player who is committed to excellence and open-minded, demonstrates a growth mindset, thinks creatively to solve problems, and works with a sense of humor and humility.

• Commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley's mission and goals, as well as a passion for educational equity.

Bonus points if:

• You're a former BTSV student, Teaching Fellow, or volunteer, or have supported us in another capacity.

• You're proficient with Salesforce and/or FormAssembly.

• You've created videos, flyers, or other marketing materials, especially using Canva. 

• You've created Instagram posts and TikTok videos in an academic or professional context.

• You have experience at a youth development or educational organization, particularly one focused on college access for first-generation students, students of color, or students from low-income communities.

We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That's OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!

Location, Commitment, and Compensation

This is an in-person position, located at Breakthrough's two offices in San Jose, listed below. Travel to partner school sites in San Jose is also required.

• Herbert Hoover Middle School: 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

• Bridges Academy: 1702 McLaughlin Ave, San Jose, CA 95122

This is a part-time (average of 10 hours per week), starting in mid-September 2026 and continuing through the end of the school year in May 2027. While we can accommodate your class schedule, in order to be considered, you must have availability for at least two afternoons per week for potential evening event support.

This is a temporary, hourly, non-exempt (overtime-eligible) position. You will be paid $18.45 per hour.

Application Process

Apply online through this site and attach your resume and cover letter as PDFs. Please indicate where you heard about the position in your cover letter. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

Breakthrough engages with individuals of all backgrounds, and we are committed to embracing diversity within our organization, including developing a team that represents the communities we serve.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, Breakthrough is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.