White House Spring Garden Tour

During my time in Washington D.C I had the opportunity to tour the White House Garden. It was an incredible experience!

A Day In Annapolis, MD

Annapolis is the Capital of Maryland. It is also the home of the United States Naval Academy. 

Meeting Justice Sonia Sotomayor!

This week I had the honor of meeting Justice Sonia Sotomayor. 

Networking Strategies

Many argue that the key to success is hard work, but hard work without connections will not get you very far. Hard work is the main component, but the second most important component is establishing a relationship with the people you meet. Last Friday I was invited to a happy hour networking social along with other congressional offices.  I quickly thought, “This is my chance to connect.” 

Rule # 1: Exchange contact information.  You might think you may never need to get ahold of the person, but you never know. Therefore it is very important to exchange contact info. My strategies to networking are to be approachable, be open to learning new things and be willing to take risks. In other words, don’t be shy. Go up to people and get to know them. They will most likely be interested in getting to know you as well.

Approaching people is essential because you never know who might be your next encounter. Networking in the workplace is a little easier because you already interact with different individuals through your daily work. At the same time, though, it’s important to build connections with your co-workers and with your superiors.  I have established a relationship with my co-workers and my superiors by going out to lunch and happy hour events with them. Being in a non-working environment makes it easier to bond and to get to know each other better outside of work.

My time in Washington D.C is short, and I am determined to meeting as many people as I can. My goal is to meet the young, the old, professionals, interns, and just random people in the metro. It’s important to have a diverse list of connections.

Life in DC

I love waking up in DC, where people dress up, drink coffee, and work long hours. Growing up, I always imagined my life to be like in the movies. Having a cool job, going to meetings, attending socials, meeting new people, dressing up, wearing heels, and running to catch the subway to get to work! Living in Washington DC is better than I imagined, “minus wearing heels and running to catch the metro.” There is no way; I would walk around in heels in this fast-paced city! Like congresswoman, Krysten Sinema said, “Once you live here, you learn to carry an extra pair of walking shoes everywhere you go!” My life in Washington D.C is definitely better than a Hollywood movie. Coffee is a must every morning, dressing up; well what can I say, “I love to dress up” and working long hours is not as bad as I thought. Meanwhile, my time in DC is going by too fast. A typical day for me is usually waking up at 6:30 am and working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every day in D.C is an adventure. Being here is like a dream to me because my journey has been long. Every border that I crossed and every desert that I walked makes me realized that it was all worth it because my American dream is becoming a reality little by little. I have been here less than two weeks and I have grown so much in so many aspects. I have learned so much about myself and who I am. My growth has been tremendous and I look forward to the next four weeks. I am extremely excited to be here and I plan on taking advantage of all my opportunities with out wasting a single minute of my time in the capitol of the United States.

Everyday is an adventure in the House of Representatives! Tigers in the house!

My Journey to America

Alex De Tocqueville once said “the powerful and the rich never leave their country only those who are in need of new opportunities and a better life.” I would like to start my blog by writing a story on my journey to America. I do not disclose much information, but since we have been talking a lot about the immigration reform, I feel that I should share a little glimpse of my story.

It was a hot afternoon in a small village in Mexico when I looked at my father and said “dad I’m hungry”? He glanced at me and said “dile a tu mama que te de un taco de frijol”. “No dad! I’m hungry for apples.” Due to our financial circumstances we couldn’t afford certain foods we only had the basic foods to survive.  That afternoon my dad looked up at the sky and said “God, when will I have a stable job and enough money to sustain my family?”  He then pulled out his last pesos and went to another village to buy me apples. The following week my dad left to the U.S. He decided that it was time to explore other lands in order to give us a better future. He was tired of living a life of despair and of deprivation. He knew that he had to risk everything even his own life in order to give us a better future. The day approached fairly quickly and my siblings and I knew that it was time to say good-bye. We knew that it could be the last time we would ever see our father. We had heard multiple stories of people who did not make it and who were left to die in the desert. One week later we heard news and we were relieved. My father called us and said that it was a rough journey, but he was very lucky that he was finally in the United States. As soon as he arrived to the U.S he found a job in agriculture.  As time passed, my father constantly crossed the border back and forth to visit us in Mexico.

One afternoon I was walking home from school and as soon as I got home my mom said, “mija get ready were leaving para el otro lado” “honey get ready were going to the other side” meaning were crossing the border to the United States. That afternoon a family friend picked us up and we were taken to Nogales, Mexico. By the time we arrived to Nogales it was already dark. We met our “coyote” known as “our guide” and we knew that it was all a risk but we were willing to risk it all. That night we started our journey to America.  I was only six years old and I still remember walking through the desert on a cold and rainy night hoping to one-day reach “el sueño Americano” or “the American dream.” That same night we were caught by immigration and we were immediately deported back to Mexico. My family and I crossed the desert multiple times until we finally made it here. At times we crossed the border through a small underground tunnel and other times we climbed the fence. On the third time, I actually crossed the border legally pretending to be the daughter of another person. Even though, I was very young at the time I was told I had to memorize a new name, the name of my fake parents, and I was even taken to the salon to get a haircut so that I could looked like the child in the picture. It wasn’t until December 2005 when my family and I received permanent residency in the United States. About 10 years had passed until we finally reunited with our loved ones back in Mexico. The struggle of an immigrant is imaginable. Unless, you experience it yourself, you would understand what it is to live in this country illegally. Learning a new language and adapting to the American way of life is not the only obstacle immigrants face. Many times we are looked down on because of our thick accent or because of our imperfect vocabulary. Through it all we still continue to make our voices  heard.

Every time that I crossed the desert and every time that I jumped a fence I knew that I was coming here with a purpose. As a young child I knew that this was the land of opportunity and that if I worked hard I would eventually reach the American dream. I have had to overcome many obstacles. I have had to work harder than most people to be where I am, but it is through these experiences that have instilled in me a strong genuine character and made me a person who conquers difficulties, overcomes adversity and always perseveres. My goals for this semester are to prove myself and others that any goal is attainable if you are willing to work hard for it. My second goal is to meet 50 people so that I can go back to Arizona with 50 new connections/contacts. My third goal is to be more open to new things and new ideas. I feel that at times I tend to close myself to new people and to new experiences. We are humans and we are all different, but we are united in our differences. Living in D.C has taught me that life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them. Viviendo en la capital de Estados Unidos eh aprendido abrir me mente, mis brasos y mi corazon, a nuevas cosas y personas porque estamos unidos en nuestras diferencias. “La vida es corta, vive tus suenos y comparte tu pasion!” “Life is short live your dreams and share your passion!”

How does your organization demonstrate public service and/ or urban governance?

The Office of Congressman Raul Grijalva serves the community in many ways. The DC office provides constituents services such as veteran assistance, help with federal agencies, help with the IRS. In addition, his staff provides help to dreamers with assistance for deferred action for those who qualify.  Additionally, we take tour request from constituents who plan on visiting the capital.