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The Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors recognized the completion of its 2025 Summer Internship Program, which brought 38 college and university students to work across the agency’s Water, Power and Support Services departments.
Board Chairwoman Gina Dockstader praised the students’ contributions, noting that many IID employees began their careers as interns. “We hope this experience has sparked both professional insight and inspiration,” Dockstader said.
This year’s program included a new feature: a yearbook created by the Public Affairs Department with help from intern Alexandra Zaragoza, a UCLA communications major. The book highlights each intern’s background, summer projects and advice for future participants.
“I’m very grateful that I was part of this opportunity,” Zaragoza said. “Every single intern has an impact at IID.”
IID has run its internship program for most of the past 35 years, typically hosting about 30 students each summer. Roughly 5% of its current workforce previously interned with the district.
Seven students in this year’s cohort came from the Border Region Talent Pipeline K-16 Collaborative, which connects academic programs with local industry needs.
Recruitment begins in March at colleges, universities and high schools. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and maintain a 3.0 GPA. The program is coordinated by IID’s Human Resources Department.
IID is the largest irrigation district in the United States and the sixth-largest power utility in California.