intern – class of 2026
César Galindo
Oregon Child Development Coalition
Hometown : Woodburn, Oregon
University : Willamette University
Major : Environmental Science
Work Placement:
Hello! I’m Cesar, a rising senior Environmental Science major at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. I grew up 15 miles north, in Woodburn. My father immigrated from the sugar cane fields of Veracruz, Mexico at 19 and worked in agricultural fields and a commercial floral processing warehouse during my early childhood. I recently assisted him in hosting a father-engagement event at OCDC, a grassroots initiative supporting farmworker families.
I chose environmental science because it sits at the intersection of human communities and the planet. I’m passionate about helping build a healthier, greener world for future generations. Some highlights of my studies have included GIS, photogrammetry and LiDAR analysis, and paleoclimate proxies during a semester abroad.
On campus, I served as publicist for Alianza, Willamette’s Latinx student club, creating community space and hosting lively cultural events. In my free time I work on music and film passion projects (though quite honestly my “studio” is usually just me, my laptop and half-finished edits). I plan to keep feeding that same curiosity, that drive for growth, which was first nurtured in me as a child through the Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) program I attended with the Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC).