North Bergen resident Yanil Ferreira just turned 22 this past week, and already she has served in Congress. She was one of just 22 students selected nationally for the highly competitive Congressional Internship Program sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).
For 12 busy weeks, from Aug. 22 to Nov. 13, she worked in the office of Rep. Barbara Lee, U.S. Congresswoman serving the 13th district of California, helping out in multiple aspects around the office, from drafting documents to data entry to research.
“I got to go to briefings and hearings and wrote memos about it,” said Ferreira. “They let me do all different types of projects. I ran around a lot. They kept me busy.”
Learning about the program from a classmate who participated last year, Ferreira filled out the online application, which required her to write three essays, including one on a current event related to the Latino community. She chose immigration, a topic with a significant personal connection.
Originally from Santiago, Dominican Republic, Ferreira came to North Bergen five years ago. She attended three years at Hudson County Community College before switching to St. Peter’s University, where she is in her final year studying political science.
Cornerstones for success
CHCI was established in 1978 by a small group of Hispanic members of Congress. The goal was to develop the next generation of Latino leaders, with a vision founded on three “cornerstones for success”: education attainment and college access, leadership development programs in Washington, D.C., and access to a powerful network of Latino leaders in the United States.
Today the nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization directly impacts the lives of more than 1,700 students and young professionals each year through its congressional internships, fellowships, college scholarships, and online education center. The board of directors consists of Hispanic members of Congress, as well as nonprofit, union, and corporate leaders.
In addition to the internship experience, participants engaged in community service projects and leadership development events.
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Applicants must be students currently enrolled full time and working towards their undergraduate degrees, with evidence of high academic achievement, leadership skills, and demonstrated commitment to public service-oriented activities. At least five applications were received for every one available in the highly competitive fall internship program. The 22 interns selected this fall represented 20 academic institutions, 17 majors, and a diverse range of Hispanic heritage.
While all individuals are welcome to apply for the internships, preference is given to those with financial need, with 90 percent coming from households whose incomes are below $45,000.
Round-trip transportation to Washington was provided, as well as housing for the 12 weeks. “And then you give you a paycheck every two weeks to cover any expenses you have,” said Ferreira. “It was completely paid for. That was the best part, because for someone like me, I wouldn’t be able to do it otherwise.”
Ferreira was sponsored by Walmart, the founding sponsor of the program. Other participating sponsors include Marathon Oil, Chevron, Shell, Time Warner Cable, Prudential, United Health Foundation, UPS, and Southwest Airlines.
Learning leadership
In addition to working in the congressional office, the program requires participants to engage in 12 hours of community service activities, both individually and as a group. Ferreira engaged in numerous activities, including working in a museum helping kids with hands-on projects.
She also joined an activity for Latino high school kids. “It’s an organization that helps kids transition from high school to college,” she said. “We spent two hours with them and told them how it was for us.”
Every Friday the interns had the opportunity to participate in leadership and professional developmental events. “We had different people come to speak to us about different things,” she said. “One time we had a panel of women in positions of power. On the Friday before Veterans Day we had a panel of veterans talk about the military.”
Of particular note to Ferreira was a woman who offered a presentation on public speaking. “She told us about body language and how we should express ourselves and about public speaking,” said Ferreira. “It helped me a lot personally. I’ve always been really shy. I’m not really outgoing so it helped me to be out there, with my self-esteem. It gave me a lot of confidence in myself and about going out there and doing the things that I want to do.”
Still, that wasn’t the best part of the experience. “That was all the friends I made,” she said. “We were 22 people from all over the country and we became almost like a family.”
Ferreira hopes to volunteer overseas once she graduates, then continue for her masters. Although she hasn’t planned out her career yet, her interests are in applying her political science background to environmental, educational, or international affairs.
And the experience in Washington should help. “Now that we finished the internship they send us emails with job opportunities,” she said about CHCI. “They’re really helpful about everything.”
For more information on CHCI and their programs, including future internships, visit CHCI.org.
Art Schwartz may be reached at arts@hudsonreporter.com.