Interns
D.C. Internship Gives CSULB's Panetta Scholar a Closer Look at How Government Works
Andre Achacon had already stepped into the political arena as an activist and Cal State Long Beach student government leader when, after his first flight to Washington, D.C., he headed straight to the Capitol.
“That was a moment that I will never forget, being with all of these other people from across the CSU who share very different backgrounds,” Achacon said. “A lot of us were first-generation and never thought that we would see the Capitol, but here we were.”
Achacon is the latest Beach student to go to Washington via the Congressional Internship Program, hosted by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy at Cal State Monterey Bay. A third-year political science student minoring in finance and communications, he would like to work in political communications and aspires to eventually have his own White House access card.
CSULB has participated in the internship program, which covers travel and housing costs, for 26 years. Beach students of any major can immerse themselves in government’s inner workings, and the Panetta Institute annually sponsors interns from each CSU campus.
Interns are assigned to write a policy paper and a reflective journal about their time in D.C. Political science professor Rich Haesly said getting an inside look at how congressional staffers and lobbyists work means the internship is essentially as substantive as a minor in political science.
“Being in D.C. is such an important aspect of how politics is done,” said Haesly, who advised Achacon. “It’s a way to see first-hand that it’s not just elected officials.”
Keeping Pace
Achacon’s internship started with a heady two weeks at the Panetta Institute. Its namesake, former Obama Administration Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, led several guest speakers who shared their knowledge of working in and near government.
And later, after sightseeing at the Capitol, Achacon started his assignment with Rep. Jimmy Gomez’s staff inside the Cannon House Office Building. He began with day-to-day tasks: collecting press clippings, answering phone calls and organizing constituent correspondence.
Achacon’s internship took on a new dimension when Gomez, who represents Los Angeles, convened a housing summit. Achacon’s interest in photography proved to be an asset; it was up to him to capture images of members of Congress and other attending VIPS.
“That was a real cool experience, because it was very high pressure, “Achacon said. “It taught me about how quick and fast-paced Washington, D.C. is, and there are so many different people who come together to talk about these issues.”
Achacon’s work at the summit boosted his credibility, and he took on additional communications duties: More photography, plus video production and social media.
Capital Conversations
Achacon’s busy days inside a House of Representatives office came to an abrupt halt on Oct. 1, the first day of the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history. He made the most of his time in D.C. by scheduling coffee chats with House and Senate staffers. Having conversations with professionals with family stories similar to his own was especially inspiring.
“It really felt like first-generation students and immigrants were honestly very underrepresented in Washington, D.C., which made every single person who was first-generation, and person from an immigrant background, even more inspiring to learn from,” he said.
The son of immigrant parents, Achacon’s interest in politics grows from his desire for government to be more responsive to similarly situated families. These meetings encouraged Achacon to maintain hope for a career in government.
“I learned that you need to think about what you can change within your control, and every small step that you make will make a difference, no matter how small or large it is,” he said. “After you continue to make small changes, you stay committed and you stay motivated, and you remind yourself of why you’re there.”
CSULB Student's Fall Congressional Internship Helps Him Set Sights on Future Career In Politics in Washington, D.C.
Spending the fall semester in Washington, D.C. as a congressional intern certainly made an impression on Cal State Long Beach student Ryan Sweeney. So much so that it may have altered the course of his future professional life.
Sweeney was one of 26 California students (one each from the 23 CSU campuses and three others from Dominican University, Saint Mary’s College and Santa Clara University) participating in the 17th annual Congressional Internship Program.
Sponsored by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, the internship program is recognized as one of the best in the country because of the training opportunities provided to participants as well as the full scholarship covering all program costs. Participants are nominated by their respective campus presidents and are selected based on their scholastic achievements and their interest in politics.
Sweeney, a junior political science and economics major (with a legal studies minor), was CSULB’s 2015 representative in the Congressional Internship Program, and there is no question that Sweeney agrees with the program’s well-earned reputation.
“I can tell you that after my time on the Hill, I would have no problem teaching a course on Congress at any academic level. There truly is no substitute for hands-on experience,” the 21-year-old student said. “From the guest speakers brought in by the Institute, to the veterans in my office, to the many briefings and hearings I attended, the depth of my knowledge about domestic and foreign policy issues has never increased so dramatically in such a short period of time.”
Sweeney spent his internship working in the office of Congressman Jerry McNerney, a Democrat representing California’s 9th Congressional District, which encompasses Stockton, Antioch, Lodi and surrounding areas. Rep. McNerney is described as a moderate Democrat whose primary policy areas are energy, commerce and veteran's affairs.
“I believe I was matched with him on the basis of overall ideology,” Sweeney explained, “but I found his issue areas fascinating and got to learn a lot about some issues I had never studied in depth before.”
During his first few weeks, Sweeney was the only intern in the office, which meant he was the primary receptionist and ran the front lobby. His duties included answering both internal and external phone calls, receiving mail, welcoming guests and constituents, and other administrative tasks as assigned.
When another intern was brought on to run the front office, Sweeney worked primarily with the legislative staff, conducting research and drafting policy proposals for the Congressman to review. He also attended many briefings on a wide variety of issues to report findings back to the staff.
“During my final few weeks, I worked closely with one of the legislative assistants to research and draft a bill that went on to be introduced in the House,” Sweeney pointed out. “It meant a lot to me that (the legislative assistant) trusted me to not only conduct most of the research for the bill, but also to have a say in the final provisions and see it through to introduction. Not many interns get the chance to actually work on legislation in such a direct way. So, this experience really set my time there apart from most of my peers.”
While in Washington, Sweeney also attended regular weekly seminars with key administration personnel on different aspects of government policy, ranging from economics to the environment and foreign affairs to defense resources. Speakers participating in these seminars included former and current cabinet secretaries, ambassadors, U.S. senators and U.S. representatives.“As a political science and economics double major and legal studies minor, of course it had crossed my mind to one day work in the nation’s capital. However, I can now say with certainty that I am in love with the city of Washington D.C. and that I hope to move back shortly after graduation to pursue a career in politics,” Sweeney. After meeting the people who make that city function behind the scenes and being involved in the process firsthand, doors have opened in my career path that I would have never thought possible.”
Experience with Mother’s Mental Illness Leads to CSULB Student’s Participation in 16th Annual Congressional Internship Program in Washington, D.C. this Fall
In 2007, Lester Murillo’s mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he witnessed his once adventurous and loving mom turn into a mentally unstable recluse who believed her family was out to kill her.
While helping his mother get treatment, he became frustrated with some of the inefficient public policies regarding mental health. He saw how many of the rules and regulations to qualify for government assistance made accessing any form of aid difficult. In fact, it took seven years for him and his family to navigate the barriers blocking government assistance for his mother’s mental healthcare.
The experience is the impetus behind Murillo’s desire to become a lawyer who will advocate for the rights of the mentally ill. It was also the reason for his applying for a spot in the 16th annual Congressional Internship Program sponsored by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.
Murillo, a senior criminal justice major at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), will spend this fall semester in Washington, D.C. as the campus’ 2014 representative in the institute’s Congressional Internship Program.
I wanted to apply for the internship because the efforts of the Panetta Institute to educate students on public policy, government infrastructure and leadership align with my future goals. From the experience I hope to learn more about the rationale and process of policy making by the government. I also hope to grow both as an individual and as a leader.
A Long Beach resident and 2010 graduate of Long Beach Poly High School, Murillo will be one of 26 California students (one each from the 23 CSU campuses and three others from Dominican University, Saint Mary’s College and Santa Clara University) participating in the program.
The interns’ experience begins Aug. 10 with an intense two weeks of preparation at the Panetta Institute, located on the CSU Monterey Bay campus. Following the two-week training session, interns fly out immediately to Washington, where they are assigned to and work full-time for 11 weeks in the office of a California member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
“There is no one particular assignment that I hope for while interning in Washington,” said Murillo, who pointed out that this would be his first-ever trip to Washington, D.C. and to the east coast. “I feel like anything that I am assigned to during the internship will have some significance. (Then), I hope to use whatever I take from the experience and apply it to my future endeavors.”
