September 8, 2026
By Moira Barrington and Dionnah Hernandez
One of the Port of Seattle’s initiatives to support the Duwamish Valley and the surrounding communities is the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program (DVCEP). The Duwamish Valley (DV) is the area around the Duwamish River including the neighborhoods of Georgetown and South Park. The goal of this program is to support economic prosperity in the DV, including supplying youth with internship and educational opportunities. In response to community feedback about the need for greater representation from the Duwamish Valley in the Port’s High School Internship program, the Port has committed to more targeted outreach, application support, and reserving a minimum of two of the 40 spots in the summer internship program for youth from the Duwamish Valley. This is one of the key objectives in the 2026-2029 DVCEP Strategic Plan.
This year, seven interns in the Port’s High School Internship program have ties to the Duwamish Valley. The interns are connected to the Duwamish Valley in many ways: some live or have lived in the DV, have participated in youth-serving organizations like the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps or Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, or are students at Chief Sealth International High School.
We interviewed three of the interns to learn more about their experience working for the Port of Seattle and how their roots to the Duwamish Valley impact them.
What barriers do you face when engaging with the Duwamish Valley?
“I face barriers around personal safety. In the area, I’ve noticed a lot of break-ins and violent crimes.” Sefa Daud said. Along with this, Dionnah Hernandez said, “SR-99 is often closed for construction. This causes the traffic to go through South Park which ends up causing my buses to be late.” Dionnah also mentioned that, since the Duwamish Valley surrounds the Duwamish River, she wants more interaction and recognition for the Duwamish Tribe.
How has participating in the Duwamish Valley impacted your life?
“Serving on the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps was a good opportunity to learn more about environmental justice and the community that lives in South Park,” Dionnah said. “Seeing up front how underserved South Park is inspires me to want to make a change.” Sefa Daud, who resides in the Duwamish Valley, said “The Duwamish Valley is a very diverse area and it’s nice to learn about different cultures. It is easier to adapt to American culture when your community is filled with people similar to you.”
What change would you like to see in the DV community?
“I’d like to see more volunteering opportunities,” Isaias Robles said. “Some opportunities that pay are harder to get into.” Along with volunteering opportunities, Dionnah brought up job access in the Duwamish Valley. She said, “I want to see more companies focus on employing people in the Duwamish Valley, especially when they operate here and on our river.” Interns also brought up another concern about public transportation. Sefa said, “It’s hard getting to work when there is so much traffic in the Duwamish Valley. I am often late for work. I’d like to see solutions for the traffic.”
What changes give you hope for the future of your community?
Dionnah, who is currently interning for the Port’s Community Engagement team, talked about her experience. “It’s really nice seeing the initiatives that the Port is doing with the Duwamish Valley Community Equity Program,” she said. “The work for restoring public parks and youth employment opportunities gives me hope.” Sefa had similar input saying, “The fact that there are opportunities for high school students like me, especially for how expensive college tuition is, makes me feel more confident.” Isaias added, “I like how they (Port of Seattle) are improving the youth of the next generation.”
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