Sherri Pelayo, a single mother of two sons, proves to all that you can successfully raise your children while working hard in a well-paying career. Previously an emergency medical dispatcher and volunteer firefighter, Pelayo became an Arborist Apprentice at Public Works in 2015 because she was passionate about the community and its relations with the environment. As a San Francisco native, one of her favorite parts about being an Arborist Apprentice is her ability to not only interact with her community but to also give back to her community.

Though the skills required to work in such a field came natural, Peyalo loves that her job always challenges her to push herself. The greatest impact the job has had on her was that she learned how to work through certain fears, such as her fear of heights. She believes this is due to the dedication and expertise of her supervisors and instructors. Pelayo has proven to be a successful arborist apprentice and has received top scores for the written arborist technician training tests.