Summer in a Nutshell
This summer I had the amazing opportunity of being an intern at UnidosUS on their higher education team. Education policy and working at a nonprofit wasn’t particularly on my radar of something I could pursue, but this summer I got a glimpse of the work they do and it sparked an interest. I'm still figuring out what I want to focus on in my law and policy career, but education is definitely something I'm going to add to my potential interests. We looked at issues regarding pell grants, public service loan forgiveness, education grants, and student loan repayments, which are all things that affect me or could potentially affect me in the future. Being a first generation college student, I understand that college is our opportunity for economic mobility. The threat of the removal of certain educational programs that help students like me is very concerning.
Because of this I was able to connect with what I was doing this summer and I felt like I was a part of something great, an effort to try to improve at least one part of the system that is failing so many people right now. The highlight of my placement is the knowledge I gained this summer because now I can inform people back home and continue fighting for education for the Hispanic community.
Being able to be a part of the NMSHSA internship program has been such a full circle moment for me in my life. The moment where I really felt this was when John Menditto, from East Coast Migrant Head Start Project, and Pathstone Corporation took us to visit a Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) center in Pennsylvania. We had the chance to play with the kids, see their classrooms, and even met some of the amazing staff members. This all reminded me of my time being a student at my MSHS program. I saw myself in all these kids, being in these same exact places and learning to love school. This experience showed me how far I have come, and the importance of the MSHS program. They truly are a great introduction to education. Not to mention the staff at Pathstone surprised us with a Mexican taco truck for lunch, it was definitely some of the best food I have had this summer (I miss my moms cooking).
As my time in DC comes to an end, I realized that I needed this summer here. In DC, a lot of people have similar opinions and ideologies as me. Coming from a more conservative state, it has been difficult hearing the support people have for this administration and them praising the changes that are going on in the country. It was refreshing to hear that more people are angry with the political climate right now and are fighting for change. Working at UnidosUS and being surrounded by people who want to do good has increased my desire to pursue a career in law or policy, and help the Latino community.