Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Address to Joint Meeting of Congress

One of the coolest even I was able to attend during my time on the Hill was attending the speech that was given to congress on behalf of H.E. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. 

Introduce the organization that you will be working for

This semester, I will be interning in the office of Congressman Raul Grijalva in Washington D.C. Congressman Raul M. Grijalva is currently in his sixth term serving constituents in congressional district three. My duties vary from day to day. Some of my daily duties include answering constituent calls, distributing mail, assisting legislative staff with special projects and responding to constituent correspondence. Some of the benefits of interning on the hill include close interaction with the congressman and staff. In addition, I will be getting the opportunity to attend congressional hearings and briefings. I am looking forward to my internship and to the many things that I will be learning in the next 12 weeks.  

A glimpse of this week:

On Saturday February 7^th, 20 ambitious Latino students (including myself) arrived to DC with hopes and aspirations to grow professionally, expand our network and thrive to become better leaders within our communities. Being surrounded with 19 other ambitious Latinos is better than I imagined. Through the little interaction that I’ve had with some of my cohort, I have learned the obstacles that each one of them has had to overcome to be where they are now. The road for many of us has not been easy, but I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. Thanks to CHCI, I am closer to reaching my dreams! 

Back on the Hill

My name is Adriana Barajas and I am currently a senior majoring in public service and public policy with a double major in broadcast journalism.  I was born into a humble family in a small village in Sinaloa, Mexico. Like many immigrants my family immigrated to the United States in search of a better future. As a six-year-old, I remember walking through the desert on a cold and rainy night hoping to one-day reach, “el sueño Americano” or “the American dream.” I believe that nothing is impossible for those who have faith, work hard, and don’t give up. With that in mind I have been fortunate to continue my education, while taking advantage of the many opportunities that college offers.

This semester I was accepted to be part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and through CHCI, I will be interning in the office of Congressman, Raul Grijalva, in Washington D.C. This is not my first time in D.C. I lived there back in the summer of 2013 and at that time I was part of the ASU Capital Scholars program. That summer I fell in love with DC and its culture and living there gave me a new perspective of life and of what I wanted to pursue as my career. During summer 2013 I was a press intern in the office of Congresswoman, Ann Kirkpatrick and a communications intern for the Howard Consulting group. I am very excited to be back in Washington D.C and I am looking forward to new adventures, meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends. However, this time I want to take full advantage of my time in D.C.

Three things I hope to get out of my internship

Networking – We all know that networking is very important and that’s my main goal this semester. Last time I was in D.C I networked a lot, but I didn’t keep in touch with the people I met. This time I want put my name out there and get people to remember me. I guess my goal is to build long lasting.

Lean in – I have been reading, “Lean in” by Sheryl Sandberg and I have learned a lot so far. My goal is to start practicing what I learned so far.

Grow and learn – Last but not least, I want to grow and learn. I want to expand my knowledge in the field of public policy and the legislative process.