Washington Center

Student Stories: Spring 2017

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Emmaly Read, UC Santa Barbara

Emmaly Read, UC Santa Barbara

 

"At my internship, I’ve experienced the benefits and difficulties of Foreign Service and government work. When I applied to UCDC, I knew I wanted to pursue a career with the Department of State after graduation but I was not sure about when or how. Tackling State Department work and networking with officials at the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) made me realize that I definitely want to become a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) one day. Washington, D.C. is where I am meant to be and I do not plan on moving back to California after graduation. I couldn’t have done this without the help of financial aid, UCDC, and UC Santa Barbara."

Emmaly Read is a Political Science major from UC Santa Barbara and currently interns at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training (ADST). As an intern, she writes stories about Foreign Service Officers, conducts research for department projects, takes classes at the Foreign Service Institute, and attends events at the U.S. Department of State. 

Mark Sebarrotin, UC Riverside

Mark Sebarrotin, UC Riverside

 

“I found myself in awe in front of the White House South Lawn as I contemplated the climb towards justice and the long journey that we, as a nation, must continue to bare. That said, I am grateful and proud to serve under the first openly gay person of color in Congress: Rep. Mark Takano. Serving as a congressional intern has been an amazing opportunity to witness legislation in action and work in an environment dedicated to improving people’s lives. The people I have met and the memories I make will forever remind me that the future is bright and a small, committed group of citizens can change the world.”

Mark Sebarrotin majors in Political Science and Law and Society at University of California, Riverside. As a congressional intern for Congressman Mark Takano, he corresponds with constituents, relays information from briefings and hearings, and prepares legislation memos.

Caroline Lee, UC San Diego

Caroline Lee, UC San Diego

“If you think that the government moves slowly then you’d be surprised to see how fast-paced working in a congressional office can be. I started this internship with a limited understanding of Congress and I’ve learned something new every day. I love the unpredictable and exciting work atmosphere. Some days, I sit and answer constituent phone calls. Other days, I’m power walking between buildings for meetings and events. I’ve even seen Vice President, Mike Pence, walking through the Capitol and attended the annual Easter Egg Roll at the White House. I’ve enjoyed hearing from people in my home district and working with fun, talented, and knowledgeable colleagues. Although I plan to pursue a different career path post-graduation, the workplace skills that I have gained and the connections that I have made are invaluable for my professional and personal development.”

Caroline Lee majors in Communication at UC San Diego. As a congressional intern for Congressman Eric Swalwell, she tracks media coverage, corresponds with constituents, and leads tours of the U.S. Capitol.

Andrea Nguyen, UC Santa Cruz

Andrea Nguyen, UC Santa Cruz

 

“Working in an office and living at the UC Washington Center brought me out of my shell. I meet a lot of knowledgeable people at my internship and it’s motivating to learn from their work. I have incredibly smart friends who help me think critically about politics, society, history, and even my family history. I’ll never forget the Monday Night Forums and Reslife events. These new experiences have been a treat.

With the workload and excitement of D.C., sometimes I feel like I’m Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada and other times I’m a contestant in America’s Next Top Model. I like to think that I’m living in a season of America’s Next Top Intern.”

Andrea Nguyen majors in History at UC Santa Cruz. As a communications intern at the Solidarity Center, she writes for social media channels, performs research, and creates a daily digest of news on the international labor movement, human rights, and social justices issues.

Natasha Tandler, UC Santa Barbara

Natasha Tandler, UC Santa Barbara

As an environmentalist, it has always been my dream to work for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On the first day of my internship, President Trump visited the EPA to announce his executive order to get rid of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan. Needless to say, it has been fascinating to watch how the EPA and my colleagues adapt to this change in administration. It is rewarding to work with such passionate and intelligent people who are committed to protecting public health and the environment. My internship has inspired me to continue working in the environmental sector when I graduate. Although it was difficult to leave Santa Barbara and trade in the ocean for the office, I am so happy that I participated in this fantastic program that has helped me develop my professional skills and make new friends in a lively city.”

Natasha Tandler majors in Global Studies at UC Santa Barbara. As an intern at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), she writes communications pieces that include summaries about successful pollution prevention projects and articles on why the manufacturing sector should reduce its use of chemically hazardous substances.0

Johnathan Garza, UC Santa Barbara

Johnathan Garza, UC Santa Barbara

 

I’ll be honest, I didn’t want to leave. I never that imagined I would fall in love with DC and enjoy my job so much. I loved working in the fast-paced environment of Congress and seeing how everyone moved with purpose. UCDC allowed me to discover what I want to do for the rest of my life and become the person I want to be. Every student should do UCDC!”

Johnathan Garza majors in Communication Studies at UC Santa Barbara. As a congressional intern in the Office of Congressman Raul M. Grijalva this past spring, he corresponded with constituents, tracked media coverage, and research legislation.

Emily Kaar, UC Davis

Emily Kaar, UC Davis

 

“UCDC allowed me to grow—it made me a more polished and capable young professional. Through my internship with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), I learned that I want to pursue a career as an analyst. I now know more than any person needs to know about small (general aviation) airplanes, and discovered that safety data matters. I’ve always been passionate about data and through this internship, I provided public service with my data and coding skills. I know that my analysis will help keep people safe and that's worth all of the hard work.”

Emily Kaar is a recent graduate and double major in Mathematical Analysis and Operations Research and Economics from UC Davis. This past spring, she interned at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where she analyzed a probabilistic risk model identifying causes of aviation accidents—which included reading records, coding metric dashboards, and analyzing data reports.