Intern Introductions

Summer 2013 HEP CAMP Association

HEP CAMP Association Interns

2013 Summer HEP CAMP Association

Bianca Castillo Chualar, California California State University - Fresno Criminology HEP CAMP AssoicationOffice of Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA-34)

Name: Hometown: University: Major: Sponsor: Placement:

Bianca N. Castillo 4909 N. Backer Ave. #215 • Fresno, CA 93726 • (831) 578-5059 • bcastillo 15@mail.fresnostate.edu

OBJECTIVE

Use the education that I have received at California State University, Fresno to help the unrepresented communities of migrant farmworkers and raise their political awareness level.

SKILLS

• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills • Bilingual; writing, speaking, reading, Spanish and English language • Community Organizing • Able to work independently, as well as team member • Experience using technology, Microsoft Office, MacIntosh

EDUCATION

California State University, Fresno Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminology, Expected May 2016 Gonzales High School Diploma, June 2012

RECENT EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

Student Assistant, California State University Fresno, Fresno, CA, 2012- Present • Complete administrative tasks, answer phones, photocopy, and file documents for the Chemistry

Department • Advise students academically • Coordinate working agendas, seminars, and staff meetings

Childcare Provider, Multiple Families, Salinas, CA, 2010 - 2012 • Managed over 6 children of various ages for over 6 hours per day • Coordinated meals, medicine consumption, and extracurricular activities • Executed clean up duties

Elections Clerk, Monterey County Elections, Salinas, CA, 2011

• Operated poll site on Election Day- assisted voters and translated for Spanish speaking citizens

COMMUNIlY INVOLVEMENT

Migrant Student Alliance (Member), California State University, Fresno, 2012-Present • College Mentor Committee (Member) • Assisted Roosevelt High School students with college applications

Gear-Up Program Volunteer, Gonzales High School, Gonzales, CA, 2009 - 2012 • Gave presentations to middle/high school students informing them about the Gear-Up Program • Communicated with employers participating in career fair about event logistics

Migrant Program - Gonzales High School, Gonzales, CA, 2010 - 2012 • Organized student meetings, community fundraisers, and events

Office Clerk Assistant/Tutor -- St. Theodore Catholic Church, Gonzales, CA, 2010 - 2011 • Provided general office support by making copies, reviewing files, and answer phones • Tutored 5th grade catechism students

HONORS & AWARDS

President's List, Fall 2012, California State University, Fresno National Honor Society, 2010 - 2012

Bianca Castillo

HEP CAMP Association Intern Chualar, California

Criminology, California State University - Fresno Placement: Office of Rep. Xavier Becerra (CA-34)

HEP CAMP Association Intern Biography

Bianca Castillo is the daughter of two humble farmworkers from Chualar, California. Bianca is a first-generation student who also works as a farmworker during her free time. Bianca is a student at the California State University – Fresno. She is studying criminology, option law enforcement. Bianca is supportive, active and an advocate for the Latino communities. Bianca is involved with the CAMP program in her school as well as in the MSA program. The MSA program focuses on helping migrant students apply and succeed in college. Bianca is aware of the necessity that her family and community undergoes. Therefore, Bianca is excited to take full advantage of the HEP CAMP internship. She plans on using the knowledge that she gains in order to improve her community.

My name is Bianca Castillo I was born and raised in California. I am the daughter of two

humble farmworkers who reside in a small town in Chualar, California. I am the oldest child of

four children as well as the role model for my entire family. With pride and honor I will state that

I have toiled the fields of the agricultural Salinas Valley in California. Summer 2013 is the first

summer that I will not spend working in the fields side by side with my parents and younger

brother. It was very hard to make the decision of leaving my family but it is for them that I have

dedicated my entire life struggling and making great efforts to continue my education. I attend

California State University, Fresno and my major is Criminology with the option of Law

Enforcement. I hope that through this internship I will be able gain more knowledge about the

government that controls the lives of everyone residing in the United States. I have always

wanted to go into the political field but I have also wondered if such a field of study is

appropriate for me. With this opportunity I hope to interpret my real feeling towards the political

ground and maybe perform a double major in Political Science and Criminology. More than

anything I want to learn more about the United States Government system.

Initially before the commencement of my internship with the HEP/CAMP Association I was

terribly nervous and anxious. The internship brought to my family an immense wave of pride. I

was not only the first one on graduating from high school and attending college, but also the first

one to participate in something such as an internship with a congressman. I was very happy to

know that I had been selected for the internship but the sole idea of traveling to a totally different

area of the country where I was going to be alone terrified me.

Sunday June 9th: Day after our arrival to Washington D.C. we went together

with Patrick to check out the location of our internship offices. That same

day we also had our first trip using the Metro transportation to Target.

June 8th was the day I departed from the San Francisco International Airport to Colorado and

from Colorado to Washington D.C. Once I arrived to the airport in Washington D.C. I did not

know what to expect, gladly Patrick Doone was already waiting for me. Immediately I became

aware that I was in good hands. After meeting Patrick I got to meet the rest of the interns with

who a great family bond instantly was born. Every one of the interns pertained to a different state

in the nation. All of us with our own personal “American Dream” and cultural background, the

bond that connected us was the hunger and ambition of attaining a better life for our families.

The support I received immediately from Michael, Laura, Jessica, Gaby, Brendali, and Areli made me stronger and

comfortable with being in a new different intellectual world. I can assure that like never in my life I had felt such a

great family connection with anybody but my fellow interns. Since the first day we met every night has consisted of

holding a meeting in our corridor. Talking and laughing about our day adventures.

Before beginning our internship, us the

HEP/CAMP interns shared a whole

week with the interns of CHCI getting

prepared for our placements. The week

consisted of workshops in which we

learned how to introduce ourselves

appropriately to others, use the

appropriate utensils when eating, write

memorandums, and use media

resources such as Facebook or Twitter

appropriately. In that particular week I

had the opportunity to interact with the

interns of CHCI whose ethnicities

were much more diverse than the HEP/CAMP interns. Individuals coming from Florida, Texas,

New Mexico, Puerto Rico, and many more states of the nation were all sharing the same room

and experiences with me. I was amazed by the experiences and knowledge of all my fellow

interns!

June Tuesday 11

Today we did not meet with the CHCI interns due to the fact that

they were going to do the ropes course and us the HEP/CAMP

interns had already done it with our individual CAMP programs.

The day consisted of visiting our placement cites and a lunch

meeting with Irene Bueno. Today I was able to meet Juan Garcia,

my internship director, in person. I was so nervous at the moment I

entered Congressman Becerra's office that I totally forgot all the

questions I was supposed to ask. When we left the office my heart

and mind were full of doubts, fear, and happiness; all the feelings

at once. My biggest fear was transportation, I had never used the

metro before arriving to Washington D.C. I was afraid of getting

lost. After Patrick had taken all of us to oversee the locations we were going to be working at we

went to Irene Bueno's office. We met Irene, who to

my belief is very sweet, and smart women, and the

rest of her staff. As we were having lunch soon

after we had ate our sandwiches, and in the middle

of our introductory conversation, el Señor Arturo

Rodriguez who is the president of the United Farm

Workers Association (UFW) walked by. All of a

sudden we all became super excited! Here was a

man who had been working together with Cesar

Chavez and now is the leading head of the organization. All the

HEP/CAMP interns come from migrant farmworker families

therefore we knew that this man is someone very important in our

lives just like Cesar Chavez.

We immediately introduced ourselves to him and talked about the

situation that concerned us as interns about our parents’ jobs back

at our home states. We all exchanged our business cards with Mr.

Arturo Rodriguez. We also received our first UFW pins! I am

really looking forward to working with this important

organization in the future.

Presidency Candidate of Honduras,

Mauricio Villeda in front of the Capitol building.

June Wednesday 12

It is early in the morning and all the interns have to be look

formal because today is the photo shoot with CHCI. We

met the CHCI group of interns in front of the Capitol.

While waiting to take our pictures I had the pleasure to

greet and take a picture with one of the candidates to the

Presidency of Honduras, Mr. Mauricio Villeda! I became

super excited to meet such a figure. I finally realized that

being in Washington D.C. was an experience where I was

going to be able to meet very important people. After the

photo shoot we headed to lunch and then walked into other

buildings around the Capitol to continue with more

workshops for our internships. Today was a very

successful day.

After walking around and listening to different

advices about internships we went back to the

dorms in Mitchell Hall and went to eat. As a

group we all decided to go ahead and have dinner at a Peruvian restaurant name El Chalan.

Subsequent to all the blisters I gained throughout the day the evening was great gathering with

my friends eating delicious food.

June Friday 14

Today spent the whole day in the University of Pheonix together with the CHCI group. During

the workshops all the interns including myself were exposed to the Political world. We were able

to simulate a debate on a specific issue. My group unfortunately lost. We were not able to pass

the bill we were defending. Just as well we learned the procedures that happen when a political

party wants a bill to be considered. I believe that today's presentation and exposure to the

government system was very useful. I believe that all the data recorded in my mind from today is

definitely going to help in the future during my internship.

After a day of training we attended the Tri-Caucus

reception where interacted with other interns. During the

reception I had opportunity not only of meeting new young

people like myself but also the opportunity of meeting

very important congressman. The first congressman I met

was Luis Gutierrez. I was in shock when I saw him. I

could not believe that it was him who had just walked by

me. The rest of the interns did not recognize him until I

told them who he was. For me that was like one of the best

moments of the day because I truly admire and follow up with the

issues he supports. After that while I was eating I realized that an

Asian man was looking at me and asked me if he could have some

of my food. I was very bewildered but yet I said yes. Later on it

turned out that who had asked me for food was Representative

Mike Honda from California.

I can say that this day was full of successes. After meeting such

individuals I started to believe more and more that my internship is

going to be a total success.

Today I also had the pleasure of

meeting Congressman Ruben

Hinojosa from Texas.

Saturday 15th of June

I had the opportunity to visit some of the monuments of

Washington D.C. with the rest of the interns. We were able to visit

the Holocaust Museum, which really opened my mind to what life

was for the Jewish people during the terrible era in which millions

of people were massacred and chained to death.

After the first week of the internship, which consisted mostly of

training workshops, the real work began. I actually began to

breathe the real political environment by working in the office of

Congressman Xavier Becerra. Even though I mostly studied

acronyms and the positions of other staff members from the office,

it was still great to see and analyze the great work and effort that is

put into a Bill or Amendment. During the first week of work I was

able to observe how the real political government revolves and

understand better one of my passions in life, which is helping

those who are underrepresented.

Monday 17th of June “The first day of my job”

I was more than half an hour early. Throughout the entire day I felt a huge

rush of adrenaline in my body because it was my first day and obviously I

did not know what to expect. Juan, my internship supervisor gave me and

Maggie (CHCI intern) a binder that contained instructions for practically

everything. Following this event he took us to one of the Monday meetings,

where all the staff from Xavier Becerra's office was present.

We all introduced ourselves to each other. The meeting consisted of

discussing the agenda of the "Boss" Xavier Becerra and the staff. The

meeting lasted approximately twenty minutes and we went back to the

office. Following the meeting, Juan assigned Maggie and I the sole task of

studying our binders because one of the most important things is to actually

memorize the names and issues that every staff member handles. The day went on very slowly due to the

fact that I had nothing to do but read the intern guide binder. During the day I learned that the Farm Bill

was at the moment one of the important bills in the office because one of the staffers had created a couple

of Amendments for the Bill. The television was on the entire day; I could only listen to it, but it was still

very interesting to hear all of the arguments and different stances that congressman and women articulate.

When the day was about to end Juan taught me the entire procedure for the distribution of mail. It was

astonishing to see the kind of mail the office receives. As a matter of fact a letter from a constituent that

only contained a regular binder paper with different phrases and numbers written in a weird way actually

petrified me. Right when I was about to get out of work I received an e-mail about a briefing meeting that

the HEP/CAMP interns were going to attend in the office of Irene Bueno. I was very nervous because I

had only memorized my way to work on the metro, I did not know what route to take to Irene Buenos

office and it was also raining! The meeting was going to be with one of the leaders of the UFW and I

really wanted to be present especially because the next day we were going to be part of a group to visit

several members of congress. In our meeting, we were going to discuss a proposal from the UFW, which

consists of raising the minimum wage for all of the farmworkers as well as the wages of those who work

in factories. As a result I had to fill my mind with courage and headed to Irene Bueno's office. When I

arrived to her office the meeting began. Each and every intern began to talk about our agricultural

backgrounds and looked forward to our meetings the following day. After hearing once again my story

and the stories of my fellow interns my heart was full of courage and passion to defend the rights of those

who like my parents and I work daily under a burning sun and rainy sky.

Monday's night was just full of emotions that made me stronger and convinced me that during my stance

here in the nation's capital I was going to learn about my government, but that I was also going to use

every opportunity in my path to change and improve the lives of those honorable working soldiers who

have dedicated their entire lives to the fields of the United States. I can say that I cried the entire night

reflecting about my life and my family's. I reflected that "la vida del pobre," the life of the poor is full of

struggles, but hard work is one of the traits that characterize us, the noble working class, more than the

poverty that invades our lives. That night I prepared myself for the meetings and inform the members of

congress of the lives of those who earn less than a minimum wage. Every single minute of that night I had

my parents, uncles, aunts, and younger siblings in mind giving me strength and courage to work hard and

learn more every day throughout my stance in Washington D.C.

Tuesday 18th of June “A very important day”

It was the day that my first opportunity to interfere and do something for my

people was going to be offered to me. The meeting was to take place in the

same building I work in, Longworth, at noon time. I had already asked for

permission to my internship supervisor, therefore I was still going to go to

work and I would be absent from the office just for the duration of the

meeting. In the morning, I distributed the newspaper to every staff member

and also went through the mail because once gain I was too early. Later in the

morning, Juan sent Maggie and I to get our ID's. I was super excited at the

fact that I was going to be an official staff member of Congressman Xavier

Becerra's office. After an hour we went back to the office because it took us

to go to get our ID badge due to the longitude of the line. When I finally

received my ID badge I immediately took a picture of it and sent it to my mother who became very

emotional after seeing the American Eagle in my face.

When we arrived back to the office I had just enough time to pick up my belongings and head to the

meeting. Right when all the interns got there I totally perceived a tense environment. Everyone already

knew that the representative had not been very supportive to the farmworkers. The meeting lasted

approximately thirty minutes, but in those thirty minutes many reactions were exposed and the room in

which we were all seating became the home of tears and anger. We had the opportunity to talk to about

our personal lives and the tough situations we as students have had to surpass in a daily basis due to the

conditions in which our parents work in. We were interrupted at every single turn because the

representative did not have much time and needed to move on. It was really hard for me not to burst out in

tears due to the fact that this rejection of the reality that sons and daughters of farmworkers go through

every single day was really affecting me. Anger took over almost every interns mind and heart when he

announced that he was going to end the meeting without having any reasonable explanations. When I

walked out of the room in which we had our meeting I understood the importance of being involved in

politics and representing the real people not only the wealthy. I also was able to witness how one

representative that is supposed to represent his/her people in a national level care more about the colors

and name of their party than the real issues that are affecting their communities.

Even though the meeting was not the best, Giev Kashkooli, the third Vice

President of the United Farm Workers Association still took us around the

building to the place where voting was taking place. There, I had the

pleasure of meeting other political figures that do support the humble

cause in favor of the farmworkers of the United States.

When I returned back to the office of Representative Xavier Becerra, I

returned to work "con mas ganas,” with more enthusiasm. Immediately

Juan began to teach me how to organize the faxes that constituents send. I

continued to do that the rest of my work day, but I made sure that I was at

all times doing my best.

Wednesday 19th of June “A very settled day”

At work I distributed the mail and also was in charge of taking

notes regarding the Farm Bill. My obligation was to annotate the

name of the Amendments as well as those who supported and were

against of the amendments that shaped the Farm Bill. After spending

a couple of hours in the front of the office's television Juan decided

to teach and train me and the other intern how to use the phones. I

learned how to answer appropriately and I also understood that I am

not supposed to give any information to the constituents regardless

of how much they insist. Before going out to lunch Juan assigned us

the task of unpacking some monitors that were in the storage room.

While working in that assignment I realized how fragile and delicate

the other intern was, she was not able to even open the boxes. In the

other hand I was extremely happy that I was opening and taking out

the computer monitors because that work reflected more than my

body strength, it reflected the strength I had gained mentally and

physically while working in the fields. While she kept complaining I was smiling admiring the

technological artifacts. At that specific moment, I was so proud of my agricultural background and I loved

seeing how more than just a college student, I am a strong women. Throughout the day Maggie and I

were just taking turns answering the phones. Even though, I have worked as an office assistant in the past,

every single time the phone would ring I would begin to stutter. At the end of the day I was a little better

with the phones and my confidence in answering the phone had increased.

Thursday 20th of June “A much busier day”

After Juan had basically taught us all of the things that we were held responsible for, we had more things

to work on. I practiced all of the office duties. I had to categorize constituent e-mails and also had to

decide if they were eligible for a response letter. I answered more phone calls and most of them were

from constituents that just wanted to expose their opinions and views in regards to certain areas of the

government. The day went by really fast. Taking into consideration that it was my first week of work I

truly believe I did really good.

Friday 21st of June “The HEP/CAMP and CHCI interns met at the Phoenix University”

Before heading to the metro station I looked over the day's schedule and read that we were going to

watch a movie, but I never imagined the type of movie that we were going to see. The movie was a

documentary that reflected the hardships that undocumented immigrants go through when trying to cross

the border into the United States. Just as well, the movie also exposed the amount of deaths that occur

daily, but that are never discussed in our government. Throughout the movie there were moments that my

tears would just roll down my cheeks. I was actually feeling the pain of the families in the documentary

who had relatives that died. At the end of the movie we had a discussion concerning what we had just

watched. The discussion was great we got to know about each other's perspectives, but also learn about

some of our own personal stories. At the end of the discussion, I kept trying to understand why after

thousands of immigrants die in the border some American agencies provide them with mortuary services

instead of actually helping them survive and enter the Promised Land when being alive. During the time, I

have been here in Washington D.C. I can affirm that I have enhanced one of my biggest goals, which is to

learn about my government. With an open mind I have been able to grasp the good and bad aspects of the

American Government which I do not want to criticize, but instead learn from it in order to do something

to reconstruct the pillars that once made of this nation the Promised Land. My country has given me civil

rights and a Constitution that has protected my life; in exchange, I am willing to give my country a

second chance and my best.

After meeting with the CHCI interns, the HEP/CAMP interns, returned to our dorms. Later in the evening

Laura, Gaby, Brendali, and I decided to attend the HACU and CHCI interns Kickoff. We had a lot of fun

we were able to interact with other interns. We had the opportunity of dancing as well, it was super fun!

Saturday 22nd

of June

Saturday was just an awesome day! To begin with Gaby, Michael, Areli, Jessica, Brendali, and I cooked

dinner. We all decided to go grocery shopping because we wanted to have a special dinner. So that's

exactly what we did. It was awesome to see everyone interacting with each other like if we were family.

After we were done eating we all went to get ready for the night. This was going to be one of the few

times that all of us were going to spend time together on a Saturday night. We decided we were going to

have a karaoke night and the CHCI interns decided to join us. It was an awesome night, where we all got

to sing and dance!

Monday June 24th

: New intern entered the office of Congressman Becerra.

Work was great, due to the fact that unlike the beginning of my internship now I have more

duties to carry out during the day. Also, little by little I am familiarizing myself with the system

in the office. Today I had to train the new intern who is also from California and studies at

Stanford University. I felt so proud of myself because I was able to teach her things that I

thought I did not know. My responsibility was to orient her on the mailing system as well as the

procedures of constituent calls.

Throughout the day I answered constituent calls and organized the Fax mail. Before going to

lunch today I answered a constituent call, I had my first rude constituent call. It was a man who

seemed to be very upset about the S.744 Immigration Reform bill and wanted Representative

Xavier Becerra to vote against it. The man wanted to speak directly with the Congressman which

of course was impossible. After I tried to dialogue with him he began calling me names that

basically presented me as inefficient. Subsequent to that call more and more calls followed up

with different topics but none of the constituents were rude. Just as well I felt very special when

a Hispanic constituent called asking for assistance from someone who could talk in Spanish.

None of the other two interns felt capable of doing so; therefore, I took the call and was able to

help him. I always knew it was important to be bilingual in this nation and I have always served

my family’s needs as an interpreter, but today was just one of those days that I felt very fit about

my fluent Spanish.

I like my job at Congressman Becerra’s office, it is fascinating, but I am just disappointed that

being this my second week in the office I have not met the Congressman yet. I have heard some

of my fellow interns talk about their office experiences and their congress person, and I am very

anxious to meet Representative Xavier Becerra. Juan says that most likely we will meet him in

July. I am willing to wait all the time is needed but I just don’t like the fact that my desk is right

next to his actual office and I can hear him talk but I have not had the pleasure of introducing

myself to him, he has defiantly become one of my role models.

I truly admire Congressman Becerra, even though he is not my district representative. I hope that

one day just like him I will be able to finish my education and begin officially to advocate for my

community’s wellbeing.

Wednesday 26th

of June: There is always time to enjoy!

Today I woke up in a very cheerful mood. I have a tendency of waking up very early for

everything; my wake up time is usually 5:00 A.M. The sky appears to be somewhat gray and

some rain showers are to be expected today. I love rainy days.

When I got to the office the other intern had already distributed the mail. Juan reunited us and

talked about the schedule that we were to follow daily at work. Everyone was going to have the

opportunity to assist a staff member for half a day and the other half of the day we were

supposed to assist Juan with the office duties; such as answering phones and sorting constituent’s

mail. Due to the fact that one of the interns was absent from the office we were going to start

with the schedule Thursday. The entire day I was solely in charge of the phone calls. The day

went by very slow. Not many calls were coming in and there was not much to do in the office.

When I got out of work and was barely going to get into the Metro I realized I did not have my

phone. The worst thing was that I was unable to recall were I had left it. When I finally arrived to

my home destination I did not know what to do. Just when I was about to panic I saw Jessica, my

fellow HEP/CAMP intern, in the Metro Station. She turned into my angel that evening because

she offered to accompany me back to my work office to check for my phone. So, we went back

to Congressman Becerra’s office and certainly my phone was in my desk. After that me and

Jessica exhausted went back to Mitchell Hall into our dorms.

Right when we arrived, Michael and Laura were screaming everyone’s name in the hall.

Apparently everyone wanted to get together to eat dinner and they had figured out about a real

good Chinese restaurant; so off we went to the restaurant. It was pouring rain outside but that did

not stop us we wanted to have some bonding time. The Chinese food was excellent and the

companionship much more. Like always our Mexican culture and sentiments always seem to

flow out and cover the environment with loud festivity. I love to have such wonderful friends

that make a feast of a simple dinner.

Thursday June 27th

: Si Se Puede!

Thursday morning I was assigned to help Juan with his Legislative Aid duties. I had to make

some calls to the offices of other Congressman requesting more information regarding a couple

of environment bills. I was done with that very fast and took over the phones. Phones were

ringing constantly with calls from constituents who majorly wanted to voice their opinion

regarding the comprehensive immigration bill. The phones kept ringing and the entire office staff

was in a rush the entire day until the voting for the immigration reform was done.

The Congressman was in the office Thursday but once again I could only hear his voice. After

my lunch break Juan sent me to the I.D. office to return the I.D.'s of past interns and when I was

walking back to the office I finally had the chance to take a glance at the Congressman! He was

walking towards the opposite direction in a rush, but I was still very glad that I had seen him at

least for a second. On my return to the office, I was assigned to work with Dustin who in the

office performs the position of Agriculture and Education Legislative Aid. Dustin sent me to my

first briefing as an intern. The briefing was about Financial Aid, I found it very relevant and

informational for my own benefit. When I was in the middle of the briefing Juan called me from

the office to tell me to hurry back to the office because the interns were going to meet

Congressman Becerra! I was super excited I literally ran in heels all the way back to the office.

My excitement was immense. I got to meet Representative Xavier Becerra and talk to him about

the immigration reform bill that was being proposed. After a while of interacting with me and the

rest of the interns he had to leave because the voting on the S. 744 Comprehensive Immigration

Reform was about to take place. It was such a great experience.

After our meeting with the Congressman I went back to working and carried out a memorandum

for Dustin in regards to the topics that were discussed in the briefing. During the time I was

working on the memorandum I was very aware of what was going on and got very happy to hear

that the bill had passed. Immediately my hopes for a better tomorrow increased. I was extremely

happy to see that Democrats voted in favor of the immigration bill, but most of all I was happy to

see that Republicans had also supported the bill especially Marco Rubio! The best part of my day

was to become aware of what Senator Marco Rubio stated, "I support this reform. Not just

because I believe in immigrants, but because I believe in America even more."

I support the cause and being in Washington D.C., the Hill, at a historical period of time is a

luxury that I am truly enjoying. By the end of the day I was super happy and did not hesitate to

text and call those individuals whose hope resides in the hands of those who have the education

and power to maneuver the Government of the United States.

Friday June 28th: CHCI

All the HEP/CAMP interns woke up early today because we had agreed to meet all in the

morning to depart from the dorms to the University of Phoenix were we thought we were going

to meet the CHCI interns. When we arrived to the university it turned out that everyone was at

the National Association of Broadcasters. When we found out of our mistake we immediately

headed to the actual meeting point. There we had breakfast and also were able to be spectators

and listeners of a motivational speaker's presentation regarding the importance of networking.

We heard personal testimonies from individuals who as interns and networking met their new

bosses and friends. It is always good to hear from the experiences of those who have already

walked a path similar to ours. One of the speakers was the Chief Operating Officer of the

National Association of Broadcasters, Chris Ornales. It was amazing to hear that the awesome

position he has was acquired thanks to the great impact of networking. After the speakers had

culminated the presentation lunch was served and I had the pleasure of meeting interns from the

African American and Asian Pacific Caucuses. The best thing of today was that I met a couple of

the interns with who I was able to hold a conversation regarding the comprehensive immigration

reform. After the reunion with the National Association Broadcasters was over we all headed to

the Phoenix University. There we met with a Historian from New Mexico who talked to us more

about the Mexican and Hispanic culture in general.

Saturday June 29th: Shopping!

The whole group decided to visit some of the boutiques that we encountered in our path when we

were heading to the National Association of Broadcasters a day before. Basically we decided to

spend Saturday shopping for business clothes. It was a good day because besides the fact that we

were able to shop for some of the things we needed we also got to explore more the city. It was

very exciting to shop in clothing boutiques that in my point of view really did represent the

culture and style of the people who reside in the nation's capital. I got to enter into a shoe store,

being shoe shopping one of my weaknesses, I fell in love with a pair of high heels that seemed

funny at the beginning but captured my entire attention. At the end of the day after having a

shopping battle in my head I decided to purchase the pair of heels, I figured that I deserved them

after considering all the effort and hard work I have completed.

Monday July 1st

Work was normal as usual there was not much to do besides the usual office duties. Every week

my work at the office gets easier because I believe that the more I practice the better I get at

performing the tasks that are assigned to me daily. Although my week schedule has become a

routine I still enjoy every second of my work in the office as well as the free time I spend with

my fellow interns.

Tuesday July 2nd: Brown Bag Lunch/California Intern Social

Today, at work I had my first "Brown Bag Lunch" which consists of having lunch with a staff

member from the office. During lunch, all interns get to ask the staff member questions

regarding their career and their education in order to hold their current position. Today we

interviewed Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli who is the Executive Director of the House

Democratic Caucus. Fabiola shared with the interns her great passion for law and government

since she lived in Mexico, where she finished her undergraduate education. Near the end of

lunch, I asked Fabiola why Representative Becerra was so committed to immigration reform?

Her answer was very well accepted, "because of the people who only come here in search of a

better job and the mothers who leave their children behind when they are deported." I also asked

her what she say to the parents and children who have all their hopes deposited in comprehensive

reform S. 744. Fabiola's answer to my second question was excellent and certainly was going to

be a message that I would communicate to my own family members. She stated "I would tell all

those people that the Congressman as well as the team working with him are doing our very best

to make this happen. But the fate of the bill is in the hands of the House members." These two

questions were really important because I have family members who will benefit from the

comprehensive immigration reform if it is passed by the House. I also know that there are some

individuals in our communities who are already starting to lose faith in this reform, therefore

Fabiola's responses were very good and I hope ease the doubts of the Hispanic and Latino

communities. I am truly content that I had the chance to speak to Fabiola. At the end of the day,

it is peope like her and Congressman Becerra who inspire me, and cultivate in me, the hope of a

better tomorrow for the unrepresented communities of this nation. Thanks to that inspiration I am

able to work daily with greater dedication for such a humble cause as it is the immigration

reform.

Also today, Dana, Maggie, and I attended an intern reception held only for interns from

California. The purpose of this event was for interns to socialize and meet new people who might

share similar interests. The reception turned out to be fun. There I saw some friends from

CHCI, and I got to interact with other interns. It was interesting that people immediately would

become interested in talking to me whenever I mentioned the office I worked. It is obvious that

Congressman Becerra is very well known, even more so now because of immigration reform. I

shared my personal beliefs regarding the immigration bill with other interns who were able to

educate me in some areas of the bill that I was not familiar with. During the reception all the

interns got to munch on free chips and cookies which made the event much more enjoyable.

During the course of this event I realized how much I have gotten to like political conversations.

I believe that the reason for my inclination now for political conversations has to do with the

great amount of reading I do during work about different bills. I can say that I have become a

much more educated citizen on governmental issues.

CA Intern Reception

Wednesday July 3rd: Scavenger Hunt!

Within my day at work all the interns in the

office of Congressman Becerra participated in a

Scavenger Hunt. There were only two teams,

one was from the Democratic Caucus Office and then our team was from the Personal Office of

the Congressman. The scavenger hunt turned into a competition which made it very spirited. The

scavenger hunt consisted of taking pictures of the objects and places that were on a list. The

objects that we were looking for were all dispersed in the Capital, the Senate, and the House of

Representatives. At the end, some of the interns had blisters from running around Capitol Hill.

We had a time limit of two hours and at the end both teams were in a tie. After this experience, I

believe that instead of familiarizing myself with the Hill, I became much more confused. The

entire time my group and I were rushing to finish on time I was in a state of disorientation,

unable to recall the directions to the places we were supposed to go. Even though both teams

tied, I really enjoyed this experience and will continue on working on familiarizing myself with

the Hill.

Ronald Reagan Abraham Lincoln My group and I on our way

to the Senate side

Thursday July 4th: United States Independence Day!

The day we had all been waiting for arrived. We were all ready to enjoy and celebrate the

nations Independence Day. We decided to first have breakfast at a restaurant that is right at the

corner of the White House. Its specialty was flat bread sandwiches, but I decided to have a

"Chicken Adobado Bowl" which had a mixture of vegetables and spicy chicken. I really enjoyed

our breakfast. We then walked to visit the White House. The White House has been a

monumental residence in our history, housing most of our nation’s leaders who have protected

the freedom and rights of each and every citizen of the United States. From there the group

decided to go back to our dorms to wait until it was time to go and enjoy the fireworks show at

the Lincoln Memorial.

When we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial, everyone was waiting for the show to begin.

Everything was peaceful until the first firework lit up, not only the sky, but the joyful faces of

thousands of spectators. The fireworks were amazing. I had never witnessed such a beautiful

panorama. I began to think about the significance of this amazing day. For me every firework

symbolized the battles that had to be fought for this nation to become what it is today. I got to a

point where I just wanted to cry. Every stunning sound of fireworks in the sky would make my

heart tremble. I wanted to cry and give thanks to all those individuals who unfortunately are not

able to celebrate this beautiful day with their families. I am now talking about the real heroes, the

individuals we should all be aware of and celebrate the American soldiers. I thanked God, the

Founding Fathers, and the brave soldiers of this nation for giving me the right to be free and

happy.

“God Bless America, God Bless the United States!”

Friday July 5th: Extremely Sick!

I didn’t sleep the night of the Fourth. I had chills and a fever. Friday morning I had an awful

headache and was feeling really light headed, but I woke up early to go to the dry cleaners.

Today was going to be the first time that the CHCI and HEP/CAMP interns were going to do

community service, and I really wanted to attend. However, I was too sick to go. I spent the day

in bed.

Saturday July 6th: Karaoke Night!

I woke up early in the morning determined to feel better. Brendali and I returned some dresses

previously bought. Although I felt better was feeling better, I still felt weak and lightheaded.

When we got back to the dorm, I went back to sleep. Later in the evening, Michael and the rest

of the group invited me to join them for karaoke night. I decided to join them even though I still

felt sick because I was afraid of staying alone. I really had fun and finally had some real food. At

the end of the night I was feeling better and was really happy that I had gone out with my

friends.

Sunday July 7th: Zoo!

Today we visited the zoo, and the zoo was amazing. We took pictures with the animals that were

out. The day got very hot, and by the end of the afternoon, everyone was tired. I prepared for

work the next day by studying the legislative issues each staff member is assigned.

Sixth Week: July 8th

-July 12th

There is no doubt that things in the office keep getting better and better!

My work this week consisted mostly of answering phones, sorting faxes, and running errands.

This week I had the opportunity to attend two briefings whose topics were very different but

extremely interesting, and I also was able to speak with Congressman Becerra.

At the beginning of my internship, I rarely had the opportunity of even getting a glimpse

of the congressman, but now things are very different. The congressman has shown interest in

getting to know all the interns who work in his office. This week Mr. Becerra decided to have a

meeting with the interns to talk more about our experience in his office, as well as discuss any

questions that the intern had regarding issues and bills congress in debating. During our short

meeting, the Congressman shared some of the obstacles he faced while attending college. Every

single time I listen to his story, I am convinced that someday I will become a successful woman,

and coming from a humble Latino/Hispanic background should never be seen as an impediment

or barrier, but instead as an empowering advantage. My own education obstacles are similar to

the ones that he had to face. Mr. Becerra’s parents, like mine, were from Jalisco, Mexico and for

some time also worked as farmworkers. Congressman Becerra also worked in construction to

help his family. The meeting with the congressman went very well; even though it was short, it

was very motivating and informational.

Thursday morning Dustin (staff member responsible for education issues) assigned me to

my second education briefing on education. This was great news! I think Dustin liked the piece

of work I did on the previous briefing. The title of this particular briefing was Educating Native

American Students. The briefing was extremely informative especially because I did not know

much about the Native American Education System. The main purpose of the briefing was to

inform the attendants of why Native American tribes should have control over their children’s

education. The Navajo Nation advocate said that the only people that are able to understand and

make an impact the lives of the children are officials who have the same background as the

students. They believe that only a person with a similar background can understand the hardships

that Navajo students go through in their daily lives. Throughout the briefing, it was constantly

mentioned that the schools that educate Native American children receive less federal funding

than the normal public schools in the nation. The funding levels were extremely low. Also, the

speakers stated that most of the money for schooling comes from the revenues of the casinos and

private donors. After this presentation, I learned that the education system in the US still requires

a lot of work to fully satisfy the needs of its students.

That same day I attended a briefing on Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Grisella

Martinez, Senior Legislative Assistant was part of a panel that looked into the border security

component of immigration reform. I think the border security piece is a bit extreme, and I believe

that the number of border security officials that might be hired is unreasonable. The solution to

illegal immigration is passing a reasonable immigration reform bill that will diminish the need of

entering this country illegally. Overall I truly enjoyed listening to immigration experts talk about

an issue that has the attention of the entire nation.

Monday July 15: Obama’s Education Advisor

All the interns, as well as Amas and a Scott, met at Irene’s office before meeting with Roberto

Rodriguez, who is the President Obama’s Education Advisor, at the Eisenhower Executive

Office Building. During our short meeting at Irene’s office, Amas distributed our second

stipend. After talking for a while and receiving our second stipend we began to walk towards the

Eisenhower building. Our meeting with Roberto went really good. Most of the meeting was

based on us talking about our personal background and our experiences with the CAMP

program. It was very obvious that he supports the program and beliefs in the principles that the

program encompasses and distills in the students. The meeting was a success!

Tuesday July 16: Hill Visits & HEP/CAMP Meeting

Early in the morning Jessica, Areli, Brendali and me met with Patrick at the Longworth Building

for breakfast. I was very excited because I was finally going to see someone from Fresno. I was

supposed to meet my director at the same building in the office of Congressman Devin Nunez

who is the Representative of our district. When my director and I arrived to the Congressman’s

office he was not available, but we were able to talk with his Education Legislative Assistant. I

was able to give my personal testimony about the resources of support that the CAMP program

provides to every single student as well as the impact of CAMP in my educational career. It was

nice to know that persons who work in the Capitol support our program and most of all care for

the humble farmworking families of this nation. We also visited the office of Representative Jim

Costa, where we also talked to his Education staffer. Just when I finished talking about myself

and my history with the program the staffer offered me an internship for next year in their office.

She gave me her information to keep in touch and email her with my information and resume for

a future internship. I am very glad that I am making such important connections here in the

Capitol. Almost towards the end of our Capitol Hill Visits my director and I together with other

directors from Central California met at the office of the Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. All the

directors had a chance to talk to Pelosi’s staffer about the great need of support and funding that

the program encounters in order to continue helping migrant students.

When we were done with the visits we headed to the Hotel were the first Conference for the

HEP/CAMP Association was going to take place. We chose to have lunch there which by the

way was really good. While having lunch I had the opportunity to hold a conversation with my

director about my experiences in this city. I was able to share with her how I feel that this

internship has transformed my entire way of thinking.

At the beginning of the seminar Amas and Scott talked about the state of the program.

Afterwards Patrick talked about the internship. He introduced every single intern and gave us the

opportunity to talk for a few minutes about our experiences and background. I was very nervous

before I talked because I did not know most of the individuals that were attending the

conference. At the end of my speech I felt very proud of myself and the rest of my fellow interns.

After our speeches the conference was mostly about statistics that reflected improvements and

areas of work for the entire HEP/CAMP Association.

Wednesday July 17: CHCI Graduation

During the morning all the interns were assigned to different presenters to assist them with their

workshops. The day went really fast. Throughout the day I learned new things and expectations

of the program. I also was able to witness the great effort that is made by the directors of the

Migrant Education and HEP/CAMP program to provide better services that will reach the

students with much more efficacy.

Around 4 P.M. we had to abandon the HEP/CAMP conferences to start towards Capitol Hill

were the CHCI Graduation was going to take place. Everyone was excited for the graduation

especially my fellow HEP/CAMP interns. We were finally going to receive the pin and

certificate that would officially make us CHCI graduates. The CHCI interns really embraced all

of the HEP/CAMP interns during programming and the HEP/CAMP interns also embraced the

values of the program, but this day was really special for everyone. I was very happy to be a

CHCI graduate and to have shared such amazing experiences with the interns.

Thursday July 18: Last Day of HEP/CAMP Conference

Today was the last day of the HEP/CAMP Conference. In the morning we all assisted the

presenters of workshops. Towards the end of the programming there were two testimonies of the

work the HEP and CAMP programs are doing with their students. One of the testimonies was

that of Don Javier who was also from Salinas, California which is a neighboring city from my

hometown, Chualar. It was very inspiring to listen to the story of his life. I could identify my

parent’s experiences and obstacles to those that he has had to overcome. Fortunately, I was able

to introduce myself and give him my contact information. I would love to keep in touch with an

individual that has so much willing power. At the end of the seminar, all the interns had the

opportunity to thank the directors and rest of HEP/CAMP staff for the work they do for us. We

all walked out of the conference with great new contacts and acquaintances that are willing to

help us and guide us through our personal and educational paths.

I am very thankful for this amazing experience and opportunity of meeting the people who make

the HEP and CAMP programs work with such effectiveness. I have been in the CAMP program

for an entire year, but I had no idea of the amount of work and effort that is put into the program.

This week I got to meet the directors from different colleges/universities in the United

States. Even though, they are all different, the programs serve the same communities and input

the same amount of effort and dedication to improving the lives of the sons and daughters of

farm workers with an education. There is not much I can say, but thank you to all those

individuals.

Friday July 19: CHCI

Today we met with the CHCI interns at the building of the famous newspaper Roll Call. We got

to learn about press and communications career fields. The presentation I believe was of great

help for those interns who are looking forward to pursuing a career in press communications.

Subsequent to our visit to the newspaper institution all the interns returned to the University of

Phoenix where we were supposed to meet with a George Washington University professor of

Latin American Studies. With the professor we discussed three poems that were confusing but

encompassed a great message that depicted the reality that migrants encompass when they enter

the United States without legal documentation. I really enjoyed the poems that were discussed;

they had powerful messages to which I could actually identify myself with.

CHCI programming was very good, but throughout the entire day all the HEP/CAMP interns,

including myself, were very excited because right after the programming we were all going to

depart to New York. We departed from Washington D.C. around five in the afternoon and

arrived at New York that same night. Our weekend was about to start!

Upon our arrival we began to take pictures and walk to the streets of New York. After some time

full of walking through the streets of Madison Square Garden, we finally arrived to our hostel.

Everyone was hungry so we decided to go to McDonalds were we were witnesses of an

altercation between a customer and a worker. We all found it funny but at the same time in that

same place we also witnessed some type of drug dealing. It was very late and the city was still

running like if it was day time, but everyone was tired and a bit scared so we all decided to go

back to the hostel to rest and be ready for Saturday.

Saturday July 20 and Sunday July 21: New York!

The weekend was full of new experiences!

Everyone decided to wake up early in the morning. We all wanted to make the most of our two

day weekend in New York. To begin our day we went to get some breakfast to McDonalds and

later headed to Central Park. I was trying to find the small bridge that is depicted in the movie of

“Home Alone” but I had no luck. The group was not able to walk through the entire park due to

its huge size, but we surely were able to take some cool pictures. I have to admit that I had never

imagined that someday I would be visiting New York or Central Park, but today I fell in love

with the nature and amplitude of the recreational area. Due to the fact that New York is also very

well known for being a fashion city, we decided to visit some of the most expensive stores. Louis

Vuitton was my favorite boutique; the prices were ridiculously high that we could not afford

anything. After dreaming of someday being able to own a pair of $600 dollar sun glasses, we

headed to the Brooklyn Bridge.

When heading to the bridge we encountered a huge Trayvon Martin manifestation. The

organization of the event was remarkable as well as the support the African American

community is granting to Martin’s family. The day was beautiful, but the sun was very strong

and the bridge is immense. Therefore, my fellow interns and I decided to walk part of the bridge

take some pictures and move on. The view of the bridge and the city itself was beautiful, perfect

for pictures. On our way back to the streets of New York, Michael and I had the fortune of

meeting an individual who was from Brazil and who had played for a soccer team in Brazil.

Throughout part of the day we got to meet him and talk more about his career as a lawyer for the

Brazilian soccer team. Afterwards the entire group headed to the World Trade Center Memorial,

where memories of the event that changed the lives of the American people revived. The World

Trade Center Memorial is more than beautiful, it is marvelous. Full of significance and

symbolism, the World Trade Center Memorial captured my feelings and took them back to the

year 2001 when I was eight years of age. I am able to state that for me the most memorable place

that we visited was The World Trade Center Memorial.

Following our visit to the World Trade Center Memorial was

Wall Street and the Statue of Liberty. In Wall Street we all had

the adventure of holding a Yellow Python. Everyone was afraid

of the snake but we were able to overcome one of our biggest

fears in New York! After such an experience we all took pictures

with the famous Wall Street’s Bull, the Charging Bull. Our last

monumental stop was the Statue of Liberty! We arrived there late

in the afternoon therefore we couldn’t take a boat to see the

statue; therefore we began to look for a place to have dinner.

For dinner we visited Little Italy, which is an entire alley full of Italian food and culture. There

Michael and I decided to order a pizza, which was amazing! After eating the sky began to turn

gray, rain drops were falling, and thunder announced a storm. Despite the chance of a storm we

decided to continue our tourist stroll around New York.

Everyone ready to visit the Statue of Liberty!

We had to abandon the Hostel before noon. Everyone was ready to visit the Statue of Liberty!

When we bought our tickets for the boat that would take us to the Statue of Liberty we found out

that our luggage could not go aboard the boat. Therefore, we had to split into two different

groups of three. Even though the group was not together we still enjoyed the ride. The feeling of

being standing in front of the Statue of Liberty is one that cannot be explained with words.

July 22 to July 26: Busy Week!

Ever since my internship began I have perceived myself as very fortunate young woman.

This experience has been exposing me to different scenarios that will certainly help me in a

future career. More importantly, I have had the fortune of transforming my family’s American

Dream into a reality. Every single day I find myself interacting with someone new. I find myself

sharing a room with individuals that discretely shape the lives of the American population. Each

week something new is introduced to me, but this week I can say has been one of the best weeks

in my internship.

Tuesday, July 23: Awesome Day “Immigration Briefing!”

I am positive that by now anyone that reads my journals already knows that I am in favor

of an Immigration Reform. The time I have been here in the Hill I have tried to learn as much as

I can about the Bi-Partisan Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Every single week, I try to get

involved in briefings and hearing that have to do with any Immigration topic. This week was not

an exception, besides filing faxes and running errands for the office, today I had the fortune of

meeting and listening to the knowledgeable words of Congressman Luis Gutierrez and Joe

Garcia.

After lunch I was still answering phones and dealing with faxes because one of the other

interns who was supposed to be in charge of the front office reported herself sick early in the

morning. While going through the newspaper and the National Journal I noticed that an

Immigration Briefing was going to happen at 2 p.m. The briefing was going to be concentrated

on the status of the sons and daughters of undocumented immigrants who reside in this country

as undocumented as any other immigrant. I

immediately asked my supervisor Juan for permission

to attend the briefing. Juan knows of my passion and

great interest in the topic, therefore, he authorized me

to leave the office to attend the conference.

While heading to the room where the

Immigration Seminar was taking place I encountered

some of the CHCI interns. We all shared the

excitement of being present at such an important

conference. The reason was because there were going

to be very important congressman participating, as

panelists, and witnesses. Among the speakers there

was Congressman Luis Gutierrez who is the

Representative of Illinois; Congressman Steve King,

Congressman Raul Labrador, Congressman Bob

Goodlatte, and Congressman Joe Garcia. The panel

was a very interesting mixture of Republicans and

Democrats, of course, the Democrats were defending

and exposing an immigration issue that they

supported while the Republicans questioned and

imposed their beliefs about illegal immigration.

When the briefing began Congressman Joe Garcia from Florida made a great statement in

favor of the undocumented children who were brought to the United States without consenting to

the act, putting in the spotlight a racial and discriminating comment that Congressman Steve

King made in the past against the undocumented students/children that reside in the nation. To

respond to the defensive statements of the Democrats who supported and urged the panel for a

solution in regards to the undocumented status of sons and daughters of undocumented residents;

the Republican Representative from Idaho Raul Labrador stated that “citizenship was not a right

but a privilege that is held by the Americans who were born in the nation.”

It was great to witness the passion with what Democrats defend the immigration reform,

but it was very alarming for me to hear what the Republicans had to say. As an American citizen

what grabbed my attention the most throughout the speeches of the Republican speakers was the

constant use of the word “compassion.” I believe that the act of providing undocumented

individuals, who were brought to the United States as children, with citizenship should not be

perceived as an act of compassion, but instead as a right that should be provided due to their

innocence and contribution to the nation who they see as their only country of origin. But

regardless of the statements one of the major highlights of the evening’s conference was the

testimony of Representative Luis Gutierrez. Congressman Gutierrez used his great

communication skills to address the issue and defend the rights of not only the DREAMers but

their parents as well. At the end of the briefing me and some of the CHCI and HEP/CAMP,

interns who were present at the briefing, took a picture with Mr. Gutierrez after he finished

answering the questions of the media.

Today was an awesome day.

Late in the evening while I was watching one of my favorite novelas I received a call

from my mother. She was very excited because I appeared in the Spanish national news.

Immediately, I went into the internet and looked for the news channel that she had seen me in

and there I was seating down during the briefing taking notes. My mother’s call definitely

fulfilled my day with a feeling of accomplishment. I know that it might sound funny, but I felt

very proud of myself for coming out in the news.

Wednesday July 24: Xavier Becerra Photo Shoot

The enthusiasm that carries me to work every

morning is the outcome of the immense

responsibility I have with my community and family.

The principles and ideas that Congressman Becerra

encompasses are also motives that daily encourage

and increase my devotion to his work ethic. The day

that I was informed of my placement, I was very

happy to know that the Congressman has firsthand

experience and knowledge of the needs that the

Hispanic/Latino and other minority communities

comprise. Therefore, every time I have the chance of

interacting with my congressman I try to either talk

with him about his plans to help the communities or

receive concrete advices on how to handle the

obstacles that he himself had to overcome.

Around 11 A.M. all the interns were

informed that today we were going to take an official

picture with our Congressman. All the interns were very excited due to the fact that even though

we had already had different opportunities to interact

with the Congressman we had never had the chance of

taking pictures with him; we are not allowed to ask

for pictures. I was super excited I was finally going to

send my mother a picture of me and Mr. Becerra. We

all walked to the Capitol where we met the

photographer and began the photo shoot. I learned that

every time the office has new interns the

Congressman takes pictures with them all and at the

end of the internship he signs the pictures and gives

them away, but I also learned that unfortunately the

Congressman can take over a year to sign them.

When walking to the Capitol I had the

opportunity of asking the Congressman about any

updates regarding the Comprehensive Immigration

Reform. The response that I received was not

something new, he said “Republicans know they have to do something about this issue they just

don’t know yet what that is.” Being the Comprehensive Immigration Reform bi-partisan has set a

great responsibility on the Republicans. Basically, they are the political figures who have now in

their hands the faith of this bill. I am just hoping, just like my Congressman, that they will make

a wise decision and grant citizenship to the 11 million undocumented immigrants that reside in

the nation.

After the photo shoot we went back to the office. I was then assigned to work with

Dustin, but Dustin did not have work for me to do. Therefore, I began to do some research on

potential Law Enforcement careers. Within my research I found very interesting the CIA

profession opportunities. This internship has been amazing but it has also caused a state of

confusion in my mind regarding my career path. I find myself now more inclined to politics and

becoming a lawyer than working for the FBI as an agent. The good thing is that I am keeping

myself very open to any possibilities.

The day went by fast. I was assigned to help my fellow interns with work that had been

assigned to them and was also able to do more research on the policies that are on the House

Floor.

Thursday July 25: Monthly Democratic Caucus Meeting Lunch

Cynthia Palafox, the Congressman’s Scheduler, announced in the morning that I was

going to be in charge of helping Seaton, the Schedulers Assistant, with the organization of the

Monthly Democratic Caucus Meeting Lunch. I was very excited because all the members of the

board were going to be attending the meeting lunch.

The food for the lunch was supposed to arrive at 10:45 A.M. and I and Seaton had to

meet the cook and delivery man with carts to transfer the food to the Democratic Caucus room. I

was wearing heels and the carts were very heavy. At some points the carts were about to run me

over! It was very fun trying to manage the food carts without bumping into any other people in

the halls. Once we had finished taking the food to the meeting room, my work as an event

designer began! I literally was helping the cook decorate and place the food in ways that would

look fancy and desirable. The cook was from El Salvador and the food, which looked delicious,

was Mexican. This was the first time I had seen Mexican food since I left home. Immediately the

work began and in less than an hour everything was ready for the meeting.

After the meeting plenty of Mexican food was left over, so we had to take it back to the

personal office. Once there all of Xavier Becerra’s staff got to eat authentic Mexican food as

well as Salvadorian Tamales.

Friday July 26th: CHCI Networking Event

During CHCI programming the President of the organization and other individuals went

to say goodbye and give us advice, it was more like a farewell programming. We were done with

programming pretty early so all the interns had the opportunity of going back to the dorms before

going to the event. The event began at five in the afternoon. There were delicious appetizers as

well as exclusive refreshments. Most importantly there were guests who had careers in the field

of study of every CHCI intern. I got to meet brilliant individuals with whom I have already

established some coffee meetings.