Washington Center

Student Stories: Fall 2017

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Juan Valdez, UC San Diego

Juan Valdez, UC San Diego

“I can’t express how awesome it’s been to participate in #UCDC. Through my internship, I get to help veterans and active duty service members—that is huge for me. When you’re a sergeant in the Marine Corps, your job is to take care of your fellow Marines. I needed to pay attention to signs of suicide and PTSD before it became a problem. It’s a lot of responsibility as a leader but you owe it to your Marines to care for them. The suicide rate for veterans is twenty-two a day and that number is wrong. The actual number is around forty to fifty—mostly Vietnam veterans. I’ve had quite a few friends commit suicide. I tried to figure out what was going on and I identified that when they got out [of the service], they didn’t have a plan or their plan fell through. They became stagnant.

I became a veteran advocate. Since I work on legislation, I can help veterans in the long term and remove boundaries for them. Congressman Gaetz is on the armed forces and judiciary committees so going to all of these hearings and coming up with strategies to improve life for veterans is exciting for me. I’m so satisfied with the work I’m doing because I see the direct impact I have on veterans and the active duty community.

I still get internship offers and my office wants me to stay. It’s nice to feel wanted and more than that, to be helpful. That’s how I want to be remembered. This experience boosts my confidence because now I know that no matter where I go, I’m going to be successful. I have the right attitude to get it done and because of that, UCDC has been an essential experience for me.”

-- Juan Valdez, retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant and Purple Heart recipient. Valdez majors in Political Science at UC San Diego and is on track to graduate in spring 2018. He is the Military Legislative Intern for Congressman Matt Gaetz office in Washington, DC. Valdez is one of a handful of veterans who participate in UCDC every year. 

Nancy Gutierrez, UC Irvine

Nancy Gutierrez, UC Irvine

 

"Every day I wake up to go to work before sunrise, and arrive home after sunset, so that one day I can represent my Latino community in Los Angeles county and advocate for the resources they need to be healthy.

At SAMHSA, I’m learning how the federal government manages the opioid crisis. I gained perspective on the finances and drives of public health and how bureaucracy determines what is important at the national, state, and community level. As an intern, I create documents and presentations for briefings and am co-authoring a national report on the results of a program called Synar—which requires states to have laws prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco products to minors. The best part of my internship is meeting with colleagues and hearing their stories. I value my experience here in DC so I decided to stay for another term."

-- Nancy Gutierrez,Public Health Policy major from UC Irvine. She interns for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Adán Chávez, UC San Diego

Adán Chávez, UC San Diego

"As a Congressional intern, I support the Office of Rep. Jimmy Gomez in serving California’s 34th District, one of the most diverse districts in the United States. I’m not originally from the district but when my grandfather first arrived to the United States as a Bracero/laborer he arrived in downtown Los Angeles, which is part of #CA34. Years later, my father did the same and migrated from Mexico. This is a common story for the people in #CA34 and I am humbled to give back to migrant families like mine.

As a first-generation college student and working-class Chicano, I am committed to promoting equity, especially as a part of #UCDC. To me, this means increasing the number of first-generation students who participate in the program, advocating for initiatives that support first-generation students, and evening the playing field, so that every student, regardless of where they come from, can achieve their full potential and be afforded the same opportunities as me.”

-- Adán Chávez,  Political Science and Spanish Literature major from UC San Diego.

Holly Huang, UC Santa Barbara

Holly Huang, UC Santa Barbara

"As the legislative intern at FGR, I have the opportunity to attend congressional hearings, write summary memos on all sorts of topics, and assist staff on issues that impact the University of California.

I’ve enjoyed alumni networking events, Monday Night Forums, and field trips at UCDC! It has been a special and meaningful experience. I definitely recommend UCDC to anyone who’s interested!"

--Holly Huang, fourth year from UC Santa Barbara. Holly is pursuing a double major in Global Studies and Theater with a minor in Applied Psychology. This fall, she's interning with the University of California Office of Federal Government Relations (FGR).

Meg Winnett, UC Santa Barbara

Meg Winnett, UC Santa Barbara

“Through my internship with Congressman Huffman, I have the opportunity to give Capitol tours to constituents—which is my favorite part of the gig. My time in D.C. has been particularly special because I work in the office that represents my hometown. Several groups I've scheduled tours for are my friends and family. This was my first time on the east coast, and I wanted to make the most of it so I got a fellowship with the Democratic Party of Virginia and dedicated my weekends to canvassing and getting out the vote on November 7. I have learned so much about myself through my participation in UCDC—I found my dream job, learned how to network, and now I know that I want to live in D.C. after graduation.”

--Meg Winnett, third year Global Studies major from UC Santa Barbara. This fall, she’s interning with Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02).