Opportunities are Everywhere

I did not intend to complete my internship requirement with TRIO because I was hoping to be selected for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Summer Internship Program. The program chooses 20-30 undergraduates and participants intern with a congressional member's office in Washington, D.C. The program pays for housing, transportation, and provides a paid stipend to all participants. Summer interns attend various governmental events, workshops, and various socials with networking opportunities. The application deadline for the CHCI internship was February 11, 2014. For weeks, I anticipated and dreaded the institute's response and received many updates from them about my application status. I received news that my application passed preliminary reviews, second round reviews, and third round reviews and my anxiety grew with each update. The day before Easter Sunday, I received my final notice from CHCI and I was not selected. I was crushed because my plan had to change.

I wanted to complete my internship requirement before my senior year because I did not want that requirement to stall me from graduating. On Monday, I walked to the TRIO office in downtown Phoenix and expressed my hurt, disappointment, and worry to the program's coordinator, Davier Rodriguez. "What is your dream internship and why was this decision so important?" he asked. I paused and really thought about his question. My answer was that I wanted to 'leave my mark' on the organization that I intern for. I could not just intern there and not be responsible for any projects or not have the opportunity to be treated as a co-worker as opposed to an intern. I have heard many scary internship stories about students only getting coffee, the mail, or even picking up their supervisor's dry cleaning and that was their internship. I feared completing my internship and not learning nothing. So, Davi offered an internship opportunity with their office and that I could mold the internship to meet my needs or wants. I instantly accepted his offer.

It is funny how caught up one can get about something and not see all the other opportunities available to them. I really am happy I vented to Davi that day because my internship at TRIO is challenging me and I enjoy the challenge. Would I have been challenged at CHCI? Maybe and most likely would have, but would I feel the support I feel at TRIO? I am responsible for many projects, but TRIO staff is teaching me how to plan and execute programs. I am not doing this alone and I have guidance. What more could I ask for?