The highlight of my day to day was going to the White House at

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1 Samantha Rivera Journal entry June 08 The highlight of my day to day was going to the White House at night with the group. The funny thing about that day was getting lost and getting caught in the rain which was a lesson learned for all of us to all ways carry an umbrella. We called it a night when found our way back to the dorm after about 2 hours of walking in the wrong direction. June 09 Today is my first real morning in Washington. I still feel as if I am in a dream and what better place to take pictures than at the weekend markets. The markets are different in Washington than those I am used to in Texas. At home they do not have a lot of handmade crafts like paintings and wood working. This was really a highlight. The interns come from various parts of the country DC is really different especially the climate. It reminds me of home, but for my friends form Oregon this is a new climate that they are learning to adjust to. One of the many things my roommate and I have in common, is our love for books, so we found a bookstore in the market and we just had to capture the moment..

2 June 11 Today we participated in an event where we all share an interestimmigration reform. We marched to the House offices with the United Farm Workers (UFW) president Arturo Rodriguez and other community activists from across the country. People were willing to speak up but also get arrested for this cause. A 12 year old boy was one of those arrested. What shocked me about the protest was that members of congress actually lock their doors, so that the people could not get inside and share their opinions. Instead we were forced to write our views on the back of a photograph of a family that had been separated due to a deportation.

3 June 12 It has been the best day ever getting to visit everyone s office and who they would be working with. The staff at Congressman Hinojosa s office was very welcoming I am so excited for work on Monday. It look forward to working with the congressman and his staff. Nothing like a Texaswelcome to make you feel right at home. There are 5 other interns all from the valley. One of the interns goes to UT Pan Am. We had never ne until we met in DC. Another intern went to my high school and has the same love for his roots as me which is awesome. I am not going to lie. Initially, I was shy and scared. I thought I was going to the outcast, and that my time in DC was not going to be fun, but after receiving my welcome, I can say that all those fears have gone away. Now I feel that I am a strong woman ready to take this opportunity to make a difference in people s lives and share what I have learned to help my community. I know this is only the beginning, and there are still a lot of unknowns that I will encounter along my journey here but for now, I will follow the words of Edward R. Murrow Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts.

4 Samantha Rivera Journal entry Today was my roommate s birthday and what better way to spend it by visiting all the historic monuments that she has been wanting to experience since she was little girl. First, we took her out to lunch to a burger joint, as she stepped outside to take a call. We called over the waiter and asked him if he could sing her a song with some of the staff. The look on her face was priceless. After lunch, as we were walking down block towards the Washington Monument it occurred to me how huge it was in person versus in pictures. Our next stop was breathtaking, you could only imagine finding something so grand in the movies; it was the World War II Memorial. The World War II Memorial displayed several waterfalls and a tower in the middle; which were surrounded by pillars that were engraved of each of the 50 states. The highlight of that day was the Lincoln Memorial. Seeing Honest Abe was an amazing experience, I even had to pinch myself just to make sure I was not dreaming. Reading the history on the wall, took me back into time during the Civil War, Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address. Our great nation has faced many trials and tribulation from The Great Depression, World Wars, and Operation Iraq Freedom and seeing how the USA comes together in the time of need makes me proud to say I am an American.

5 June 16, 2014 Monday, first day of work on the hill, so many things going through my head for example: what time I am schedule to be there, what kind of projects am I going to do, is the staff nice and so many other thoughts that gave me a headache before I even started working. I arrived about an hour early before the doors of the main building opened and when they did I still had to wait in the hall for another hour because the office did not open up till 8:30 and the staff was not suppose to get there till 9. On the bright side of being early, I was able to talk to other staff members and learn the do s and don ts that the congressman expects in his office before he arrives which is wonderful to learn on the first day. Who would of thought that there is so much to do around the office in very little time? It takes the whole staff working together to run the office even inters whether they know it or not there help play a major role in the office.

6 Day two of work and I hit ground running in the office asking everyone for work no matter what it was and they gave it to me. I attended a briefing going over several agendas and even details about giving tours to people who asked for them. The most exciting activity that I did that day was making a trip to the Flag Office. I asked the person in charge of the department what they did with the flags that are flown over the capital and inquired how may I retrieve a flag. He stated all I have to do is order it and he will take care of the rest. Today Congressman Hinojosa had an important meeting with the Ambassador of El Salvador and the Embassy Representatives from Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico on the topic of unaccompanied minors. Given the opportunity to sit in at that meeting alongside with the ambassador and the embassy representatives was like a dream and listening to them discuss about their different situations and what could be done to help stop the problem of unaccompanied minors.

7 The highlight of my week had to be on Thursday, our group was heading towards the Martin Luther King Memorial where a movie about immigration was being shown. As we were walking a man stopped me and asked if I could take a picture of the most important day of his life. At first I did not understand what he meant until he got down on one knee in front of this woman, and pulled out a ring as he popped the question. The women started to cry and the man just looked at her and asked, Is that a yes? As she regained herself and said YES! The couple thanked me for being a part of this special moment and that these pictures were defiantly going in the slideshow which they would show during the reception. I was pretty excited I was able to capture their special moment. From the first week of work, I have experienced variety of adventures from visiting iconic monuments, debriefing with the Ambassador of El Salvador and the Embassy s Representatives of Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico all the way to capturing a picture for the start of a new chapter in a couples live towards love and happiness.

8 Samantha Rivera Journal entry June 21 Today is one of the many days I will not forget. Throughout my life I have taken trips to different zoos to see the variety of animals they had. I figured visiting the National ZOO would be an awesome thing to do, and what a great adventure it would be. What made it even better is that some of my friends had never visited a zoo. That surprised me, so I made it my mission to make sure they saw everything there was to see at the zoo, and make sure it was a wonderful experience. The best part of that day was the excited look on one of my friend s face as she saw the different animals. At one point, she was the only adult up close to the viewing glass surrounded by children. Monday I saw the talented High School Performing Art Scholars at the Kennedy Performing Art Center. They showcased their talents from singing to tap dancing. Their performances made it clear why they were chosen. If asked what my favorite part of the show was, I would say the whole show had me on the edge of my seat. We sat in center of the balcony and it was an amazing view. I felt like I was in a castle and I did not want to leave. On the balcony at the Kennedy Center; I had a perfect view of the Potomac River. It was a beautiful place, and I hope I can attend other performances.

9 Wednesday was the highlight of my week. It was picture day with Congressman Hinojosa. Before, we took our pictures on the Hill. I saw the representatives coming out of their last session of the day. I was so distracted watching them leave that I forgot to take pictures with my phone. At least I was able to talk to a few congressmen who were still outside taking pictures with their interns. My photo with Rep. Hinojosa is a great memory that I will have for the rest of my life. There are not too many people who have had their picture taken with their representative and I hope to share the experience back home in the Rio Grande Valley. Friday was a great day to just clear my mind from a long week of meetings and briefings. I took a stroll and enjoyed the monuments at night.

10 Samantha Rivera Journal entry June 28 Good morning Saturday! A day to relax and see what new adventures they have planned for us. We were up early to meet Dr. Ramirez; Director of the Migrant Education Department at Huntington. When we first arrived she asked, How well can we swim, and did we bring an extra pair of clothes, good thing we all packed our swimsuits, and trunks. The drive to the lake was longer than we all expected. When we finally arrived to our destination, I was so glad to be out of the car and stretch out my legs. While everyone else was changing to get ready to go swimming; some of the interns, and I walked over to one of the ramps to view the lake. As we leaned over the ramp the first thing we saw was a Plain-bellied Water snake; which is said to be harmless, but still venomous. Snakes are one of my worst fears, so I was not going in the lake knowing there could be more of them. Once I told Dr. Ramirez that I was not going in, Diana; one of the other inters asked if we could use one of the canoes together instead of going inside the water. Some of the interns went paddle boarding and others went canoeing. While we were on the river my mind started to feel at ease since the encounter of the snake. I felt like I was one with the water, and nothing in the world could ruin this experience. Diana really enjoyed paddle boarding and going on a canoe, it was her first time experiencing both of these activities. We both made sure to take pictures of each other paddling the canoe. Believe me Diana and I paddle quit of bit on that canoe. Sunday, a day where I woke up not wanting to move any part of my body, but I knew that my time here in D.C. was coming to an end pretty soon. Come to think of it I really have not seen any of the museums that my family wanted me to see before they arrived. As, I walk through the Natural History Museum. I actually expected to see the same layout as the movie, Night of the Museum, but I was wrong. Walking in the museum the first thing I see is this big elephant not Rex. While I continue to explore around I could not believe I was here looking at all the

11 different animals and their environment where they developed from past generations. One of my favorite parts of the museum was walking through the live butterfly exhibit, and holding all the different species of butterflies. The butterflies were flying everywhere and they were landing on my hand, hair, and hat. It felt like I was in a dream being surrounded by all these butterflies; which I never want to wake up. Sadly, the lady that was in charge woke me up from my dream and told me my time was up. Another exciting part of that museum was getting to hold a Madagascar; a cockroach. Crazy thing, a lady had on in her hair and she did not even know it because the scientist that was showing them was called to the Beetle Exhibit. Apparently, one of the lights went out and need someone to attend to it as soon as possible. Monday, came so fast but went so slow. There was no briefing all week since there was no voting that needed to be done. So, basically the Hill was really slow, which was a new thing for me since the day I started had been fast paced. Only difference for this week is that all of this week it is my turn to open up the office for all the staff members, and make sure everything is in perfect order for the congressman just the way he likes it. The highlight of my week had to be on Thursday. The congressman walked in unannounced asking one of his staff members about some information around locations near the hill. His staffer was busy finishing up the earlier tasks the congressman had instructed her to do. She was still working on the assignment so I asked her if there was anything I could help her with and she said yes. When I received her regarding the information our congressman wanted, it took me about six minutes to locate all the information and it to her. She then prepared to print out the information and walk it over to his office. As he got off the phone when I walked in and he reviewed the information and he gave me thumbs up as well as a pat on the back. Which was an awesome feeling but what made my day was when he asked, Who opened up the office today? At first I was hesitant to answer him thinking maybe I did something wrong, but I told him it was me and waited to get into trouble. Instead of getting in trouble for something wrong I thought I

12 may have done, I received a complement for arranging his desk and cleaning up some of the binders he had on his chair. The compliment from my congressman may be small to others but for me it was a big deal for me.

13 Samantha Rivera Journal entry 5 Red, White and Blue are the colors that decorate and showcase our pride of being an American. Fourth of July is among us and there are many activities and events that help celebrate our freedom. After another week of no sessions, I am glad to say that it was a short week and the only people we saw during this week were the tourists. One of the groups that came in had a family who had a 5 year old daughter which reminded me of my little sister from back home. Before arriving in D.C.; my mind was set that I will not experience being homesick, but after seeing all these families and their children reminded me of home. I may have experience being a little homesick, but I know as the days come closer to going home; I will take the knowledge and skills that I have developed as an intern here in our nation s capital. Having Friday off this week is the best feeling ever, but since it is Independence Day; there are a lot of activities being planned to commence our Fourth of July holiday. As we walked around DC it was another experience that I did not expect for everyone to be dressed in red, white and blue. Our group headed towards the National Mall, where the parade was going to be held. Since the parade was going to start at 12 o clock, we thought that if we were to arrive half an hour early we would be able to find good seats, boy we were wrong! We walked about three

14 blocks from the start of the parade and found a small area that was surrounded by trees that gave great shade from the sun. We decided as a group to try to find a closer view of the parade. I realized as we were walking down the side walk, it seemed to get smaller due to the large amounts of people here to see the parade. Being at the parade was a different kind of experience for me. They had variety of bands and dancers performing numerous dance routines. Nothing like the parades I have experience in Texas. Form all the groups that performed I would have to say that the Chinese dance with the dragon was my favorite. The parade also involved different floats form different cultures expressing their Independence spirit. The one that I loved the most was the KISS float. This year s Independence Day is the night I will always remember. I know there might be some people that may not get excited about seeing a firework display. But this display is like no other, imagine you have the fireworks blasting from the top of the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial it is a breath taking site to see. Being here in our nation s capital; I have had a wonderful time and a lot of new experiences that I will never forget. The best part about D.C for me is being a distance of a few minutes from all the monuments. Some nights when I need to think or just clear my head, I would walk over to the Lincoln Memorial and just walk the path all the way to the Thomas Jefferson and back. At first, when I would go on those walks I could not walk that far, because my body was not in great condition to endure such a distance. Being here in DC I have developed my cardio for

15 long distance walks to the point where I may have forgotten what it feels like to drive from one place to another.

16 Samantha Rivera Journal entry 6 The start of a new week is the best feeling for me. Every day I wake up, and give thanks that I am here in Washington DC making a difference. Monday was an exciting day full of meetings, voting, events, and incoming calls to the office. The phones were ringing nonstop to the point they had to call down stairs to have more phones installed so the interns would be able to answer more calls. Needless to say I never felt more like a robot than today and am more than sure I had an arm workout from picking up the phone. That night I went to sleep and I literally was dreaming of myself back in the office answering phones calls. The following day after work I decided to revisit the monuments and enjoy history and the serenity it gives to be here, especially, since the days seem to be passing by so quickly and almost near the day I must say good bye to this awesome experience. It s been a full week of sessions, shadowing the congressman to his meetings, and other events all around the Hill. I feel very blessed to have been given this great opportunity to shadow our congressman even though I was happy hiding in the background. I was still able to meet and see very important people that held offices on the hill and also people that are very well known on the news channels. I will never forget this week, even though, it was a really busy I am so glad I was able to be here living a dream that most people are not able to experience. To end the week we got invited to the Pentagon which is located here in DC. A big

17 thanks goes to Mrs. Ramirez; the Director of the Office of Migrant Education (OME). She has been a great mentor and I am grateful for her taking us under her wing. Not only has she encouraged us to come out of our shells but to express our voices. I will never forget the great experience she has given us during our time here in Washington, D.C. During our visit to the Pentagon we were not allowed to take pictures around the base but we were able to explore all the different military branches. As we arrived we were given some background history of each branch, and a little bit of what each sector covers. Though the tour guide could not really go in full detail about each sector due to security purposes, the base was still amazing. If anyone ever gets the chance to visit the Pentagon, they do have the 9/11 memorial that was dedicated in honor of those who lost their lives during the attack on the pentagon. In memory of all those who lost their lives during the terrible events and those who sacrificed to help those who were injured. I would like to say thank you and you will never be forgotten.

18 Samantha Rivera Journal entry 7 As the days are flying by, I am very excited for this new week. I was told that our project which the congressman had assigned to us at the beginning of the internship was due by Thursday. On projects like these, I worry to make sure also a person I can call a friend. When I leave back to Texas I am really going to miss her and her good morning welcomes to the office staff and interns. Monday, was a slow day with the internship. The that my work is addressing the points that were being asked of me. Can you imagine how I am feeling towards completing this assignment for the congressman! But I feel so grateful for Rosa Garcia, policy adviser; for all her support and advice when it came to the project. She has not only been a mentor to me here in the office but Congressman had a press conferences most of the day and the phones were ringing once or twice within an hour time span. There was really not much voting action on the hill today. If it were not for the constituents coming to the office, I would not have had any physical work today. After work, I was invited by my roommate to go to the Bottomless Bowling in Chinatown along with a couple of friends from the Head Start Program. The four of us had a wonderful time

19 bowling even though some of us were more seasoned players than others. The conversation and memories that were created there will be unforgettable. One memory I will not forget, is our signature dance move that each person created before they bowled. I was undecided at first coming up with my signature move because all the ones I wanted were taken by my teammates, but in the end I settled for the Texas two- step swing. Wednesday, the day I finally get to see the White House from really close up. Our intern group were invited to attend a meeting in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The process of getting in for me was difficult. I got off the metro two stops earlier than I am supposed to due to my trusting of Google maps. I had to walk about 3 blocks and around the White House to find the correct entrance. I was grateful that I had my government I.D. badge with me which led me to skip the large tourist line. Once inside the building, I felt I needed to remember which hall lead to a particular destination and where the exit were located. The Eisenhower office entrance is on one side of the building and the building exit is on the other side. The interesting thing about this building is that here is where all the presidential signings of bills take place as well as the main location for the White House official gift shop. Thursday, was a very exciting day for us as we were given the privilege to meet with the Office of Democratic Whip, the Hon. Steny Hoyer in person. The most shocking thing of this meeting is that he shook hands with all 75 interns. Rep.. Hoyer told us his history and journey to his current position and also added that some of the other members who are also in office with him were once his interns at one

20 point in their lives. After his speech, we headed on over to the Longworth Building to hear Congressman Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) speak on behalf of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This week as been a great eventful experience that only happens once in a lifetime, and to think that next week will be our last week here in Washington, D.C. God Bless America!