Future of HIV/AIDS Leadership Starts Here

The title may be a mouthful, but colleagues know Billy Beyer, this year's Pat L. Christen HIV/ AIDS Future Leaders Intern, as reserved and wary of limelight. Rather than tout his own accomplishments in landing this competitive internship, he would much prefer to talk about the Foundation. "I saw the San Francisco AIDS Foundation as the model of community building, helping those who are underserved," Beyer said. A secondyear graduate student in the University of California Berkeley School of Public Health and the School of Social Welfare, Beyer came to the Foundation to manage a number of Client Services projects, including a city-wide resource guide for crystal meth users looking for medical and social support.

Since coming on board in May, Beyer has learned to value the Foundation's community connections. When he wanted to understand how media could teach young men about safer sex, Beyer knew he had to get out of the office. "To truly understand the needs of the community, I like going into the streets and asking questions of individuals to get community feedback," he said. The Pat Christen Internship was created two years ago to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the fight against HIV and AIDS—a mission with no better example than Billy Beyer.