Cordova Y Fernos Program Newsletter

Córdova y Fernós Program Newsletter The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars

spr i ng 20 09

A New Historic Period in Washington, DC

Eila M. Sepúlveda ‘04, Program Advisor, Córdova y Fernós Congressional Internship Program

One week after President Obama took the oath of office in front of thousands of spectators, a new group of Córdova y Fernós students arrived in the nation’s capital excited to be part of the new history being written. For the fifteen weeks that they were in Washington, DC, they witnessed the enactment of a new Stimulus Package, they saw many cabinet members being confirmed, they learned about the nation’s new foreign policy and they visited places where others have made history. This spring, Córdova y Fernós students were able to intern in congressional offices like those of Rep. José Serrano, Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Rep. Ileana RosLehtinen, Rep. Charles Rangel, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi, as well as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Others interned in federal agencies, such as the Department of Interior, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice – INTERPOL. Moreover we had students placed in the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA), the Organization of American States (OAS), Telemundo Network and the National Puerto Rican Coalition, among other places. Their experiences in their offices made them grow professionally and exposed them to the realities of the current economic situation of the nation. Most of them had to research how the economic stimulus is being applied to the different states and districts they were working for, as well as the current plan for Puerto Rico.

As part of their programming they had the opportunity to interact with leaders of the Latino community in Washington, DC such as the Director of NALEO, William Ramos; the CEO of MANA, Alma Morales; and the President of CHLI, Octavio Hinojosa. The group also had a meeting and a lunch with Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi; they visited the headquarters of the National Puerto Rican Coalition and had a dialogue with its president, Rafael Fantauzzi; and they visited PRFAA and had workshop on federal competitive funds as well as listened to its Executive Director, Richard Figueroa. Furthermore, they visited the Organization of American States, the World Bank, the Embassy of Italy, the U.S. Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Pentagon. Additionally, the group attended an all day group activity focused on experiential education at Hemlock Overlook. At the park, the students worked all day on strengthening their teamwork and leadership skills while also getting to know their peers better and bond with the members of the group. Many were able to recognize that being part of a group involves trust and that we don’t have to be competing with each other all the time since sometimes working together makes us reach our goals. This will be a good lesson to take back to Puerto Rico so they can start working together with other people in order to achieve a better future for their communities.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars | 1333 16th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 | T (202) 238-7900 F (202) 238-7700 | www.twc.edu

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Life Lessons Learned in DC I’m pretty sure most of my companions had a pretty clear idea of why they applied for the Córdova and Fernós internship. If not, I’m sure they had at least the gist of how important this whole experience would be. However, I can’t quite say the same thing. I knew that this internship would make for a good experience, but I didn’t quite have the “why’s” down. Fortunately for me, those blurry “why’s” would soon come into focus, mainly with two lessons that I would learn along the way. Diamar Fernandez, University of Sacred Heart Spring 2009 Intern with Senator Harry Reid Above: Diamar with Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader, and Senator John Ensign

The first lesson goes hand in hand with something my group had been told over and over: make the most of everything, including failure and rejection. And right off the bat, my initial placement prospect, Rep. Charles Rangel’s office, rejected me. In hindsight, I wasn’t very into the idea of being placed there, but rejection still stings. It turned out to work for the best though, because I was placed instead with Senator Harry Reid’s press team. Some people might

see this as being handed leftovers, but if that’s the case, I sure got a great plate of leftovers. Not only did the placement go hand-in-hand with my major and career plans, but I liked the office vibe a lot more. The second lesson I got was to face my fears. It’s not to say I wasn’t trying to before, but I think the Hemlock Overlook activity definitely brought about this lesson in full force. I was pretty scared in both of the last activities that day, one of them because of my insecurities in physical activities, and the other because of my fear of heights. And even though I was one of the first people to do the obstacle course, it was only because I wanted to get it over with. Even though I was shaking from fear, I faced my fear anyway and managed to finish the whole thing. I even slipped off almost towards the end, but I just got back up and kept on going. I think my Córdova internship is a prime example of both making the most of what you have, and of facing your fears. This experience will stay with me for a long time, and not only because it will give me a jumpstart on my future. It’ll stay with me because I learned so much about myself and about other people too. I really can do what I set my mind on, and I hope future interns can learn this same lesson.

Representing Puerto Rico

Gretchen Alvarado, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Spring 2009 Intern at the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Above: Gretchen with Rep. Pete Marin (GA), Rep. Iris Martinez (IL) and Rep. Michael Consejo (VT)

When we were selected to participate in this prestigious program we all probably thought: How will The Washington Center benefit me? What experiences will help me in my future life? After finishing the internship, I realized the important thing is what you can do for the program. Participating as a Córdova & Fernós intern, you are not only representing the program itself, you become an ambassador of our island. Thus, we need to use the tools we are provided in order to make a good representation. During this semester I worked as an intern at the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL). It is a non-profit organization that helps better the life of the Latino community, but it is also a forum for information exchange and networking. Because their members are different Hispanic legislators, I had the opportunity to meet several representatives and senators from around this country. My favorite

event I attended was the Business Board of Advisor and Executive Committee Meeting, where I had the opportunity to spend two days with different legislators, and visit the White House. Some of the leaders I got to meet were: the Speaker of New Mexico’s House of Representatives, Ben Miranda; Representative Pete Marin (GA), Representative Louis Ruiz (KS), Representative Joseph Miró (DE) and Senator Lucy Arce (PR). I felt really privileged, because I did not only got to talk to them, but I also participated in the Health Care Task Force Meeting, where I was discussing, along with the representatives and senators, the main problems the Latino community is facing, and what this task force can do to help. Aside from the work activities, there are a lot of things that we got to experience. Like NBA and baseball games, have lunch with our Resident Commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi, and also host a cheering station to cheer walkers participating of the Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer. After living in DC, I come back to the island with more maturity, experience, and most importantly, knowledge that will help me spread a positive change in Puerto Rico, along with my fellow Córdova interns.

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A Witness of History Minehec Lebrón, University of Sacred Heart Spring 2009 Intern at DOJ – INTERPOL Far right: Minehec with Ronald Kenneth Noble, Secretary General of INTERPOL

I arrived to Washington, D.C., eight days after Barack Obama became President of the United States. I was immediately immersed in the law enforcement and intelligence government community’s whirlwind that is part of the daily life in the Metro area especially since the 9/11 attacks. Although the new administration has concentrated their efforts in the economic recovery, I have witnessed how other controversial issues have surfaced and are being discussed by public opinion. The controversy over Guantanamo, torture, violation of civil rights, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, relations with Cuba and Latin America, have given me the opportunity to gain a worldwide perspective of the problems faced today. Since my college background is in criminology, civil and criminal justice systems I was assigned to work at the INTERPOL –US National Central Bureau in downtown D.C. At the same time, I began taking the TWC course Managing the Intelligence Community. I felt apprehensive because I had no idea of what was like to intern with Federal agents who seem stern looking, serious and detached of any possible feelings towards other citizens. From day one the walls came tumbling down as soon as I began to work. I was assigned an identification badge and received specific instructions about the confidential nature of my duties. To my surprise, the USNCB has a well-structured internship program geared to provide an excellent insight into the world of international law enforcement. I quickly learned that the Bureau is the central point of contact for all INTERPOL matters in the United States, with police authorities in 187 member countries. I was sent to work at the Economic Division which handles fraud, mail fraud, stolen art and antiquities, credit card fraud, customs violations, hazardous material and vehicle theft fraud cases. It was very rewarding that my coworkers were from the U.S. Department of Justice, and detailed from the U.S. Secret Service, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshals, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). All were experts in their respective professional fields. My supervisor, the current Assistant Director of the Economics Crime Division, is detailed from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. All the staff at my division consider the interns an important element in the work performed by the agency and we were constantly told so. All were willing to provide answers to our questions as well as advise to the development of our professional careers.

Although the nature of my work was classified information, I provided assistance with the processing of routine criminal record-check requests that entailed researching, logging, and indexing data, handled files, prepared memoranda and correspondence, and participated in meetings with members of my division. All the interns were given tours organized by INTERPOL to Capitol Hill, the training facilities of the Diplomatic Security Service, and the headquarters, museums and visitor’s center of DEA and the Secret Service. I was thrilled when I met Ronald Kenneth Noble, the first American of African American and German roots to be elected Secretary General of INTERPOL in 2000 and unanimously reelected for a second five year term in 2005. He advised me to apply for the internship program at Interpol’s international headquarters in Lyon, France. At this moment I realize that my coworkers at INTERPOL are extraordinary human beings with different outlooks towards life, but very aware and committed to the interns’ academic and professional careers. They became fans of our Puerto Rican coffee, joked about the baseball rivalry between team USA and Puerto Rico, and talked freely about their families and future careers. I must say this made the Córdova and Fernós Internship program an excellent learning tool.

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Our Internship at the Organization of American States Yolanda Martínez Delgado (University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras) and Birjania Olivero (University of Sacred Heart) Spring 2009 Interns at the Organization of American States Far right: Yolanda and Birjania participating of the Model of the OAS

During our internship with The Washington Center, we interned at the Organization of American States (OAS). We worked in different departments such as the InterAmerican Commission Against Drug Abuse CICAD (Yolanda) and the Department of Human Resources DHR (Birjania). As interns of the OAS we had the privilege of participating in interesting activities aside from the ones that The Washington Center offers. As part of our internship we attended weekly meetings. In these meetings, we learned more about this great organization and the problems that affect the people of the Americas. The most important activity was the III Model of the Permanent Council of the OAS. Here we acted as ambassadors of a member state. Yolanda represented Costa Rica and Birjania, Canada. We had to work with our team to come up with a Resolution to be approved by the majority of states during the model. The theme for which we advocated for was “PROMOTING THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF WATER RESOURCES”. Each member state had two ambassadors, and we had to give a general statement about the position of our country regarding sustainable development, energy resources and the environment. We accomplished our mission and read the statement to the permanent council and other member states successfully. What we enjoyed the most was the entire protocol used during the Model. How we, as delegates, had to represent our countries, conduct ourselves and vote following a certain protocol. This was only a model but it gave us a sense of how an ambassador must feel and act when he/she represents the people of his/her country and advocates for them.

This activity and the rest of the meetings, as well as our jobs, were very informative and contributed to our learning process. Also, it helped us to create a network and friends from within the organization as well as from all around the Americas. Without hesitation we can say that as interns of the OAS we learned a lot, had a really good time and lived and unforgettable experience.

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Reading Stimulus Bill

Joelie Pérez, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Spring 2009 Intern with Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi

It is of common knowledge that reading is essential for the mind no matter the age. It promotes critical thinking, creativity, imagination, opens the mind to new opinions and worlds; it’s obvious that the simple exercise of reading, in the long run will bring success stories. It’s a sad reality we’re living, where the world has become iPod’ed and bulletin-board’ised, where everything is chewed and digested into voices from a speaker and two-word slogans on top of a woman barely covered in clothes. What has happened to reading? What has happened to imagining a written reality different from the one we live? Now parents don’t read to their children a story, they turn on the television or their iHomes and hope the child will go to sleep. We want to reopen the window to a whole new world, with new colors and sounds, experiences, people. We want to tell kids it’s ok to wish the moon a happy birthday, to laugh at the silly cat who wears a striped hat, to have tea parties with stuffed animals, to let a beautiful rhyme from Mother Goose lull you to sleep. We want children to read and enjoy what they’re reading. We want them to finish a story and say “I wonder what book I will get next…”

Our group consisted of Mikail Blancovitch, Florieli Diaz, Alex Olmeda, Javier Valdes, Francisco Zayas, and me. Our group/project was called “Reading Stimulus Bill”. The reason for the name was to appeal to a more mature audience that could help us collect children’s books so we could donate them to the Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Our plan included creating and distributing flyers announcing the collection of children’s books as well as money. Our efforts paid off since we collected many books as well as bought seven bookshelves to place one in each of the seven playrooms distributed around the hospital. This might facilitate, for those patients that have difficulty moving to the library or other common areas, to use these books without too much hassle. We can only hope that through a book or through a game, a child will visit faraway lands while improving their vocabulary, solve a problem while bonding with the reader, and increase their IQ while developing their eye muscles. A world of opportunities is opened through reading. An infinite array of challenges and experiences await those who, from an early age, develop a love for books. This was our purpose. We want children to rediscover the challenges and opportunities that us Córdovas are experiencing because we love to read. We see a little bit of us in their eyes, and we want them to succeed. If they succeed, we do too.

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How to Divide Your Week in DC: A Recipe for a Good Internship Gretchen Alvarado and Cristina Faica

8 hours of programming 1 hour doing a last minute journal 32 hours of work 2 hours reading the Announcements and Reminders email 5 hours of sleep 3 hours of Laundry 2 hours doing the portfolio 10 hours of drama

3 hours networking in Front Page on Thursday night 4 Staying true to your Latin roots in Café Citron or Sesto Senso on Fridays 7 hours of site seeing on Saturday afternoon 2 hours pre-gaming 5 hours enjoying a new club on Saturday night 12 hours of procrastinating

Quote Wall The Córdova & Fernós Internship Program has been one of the most important and exciting experiences I’ve ever had. Washington, D.C., work, the people, everything combines to ensure you have the experience of a lifetime. With the Office of the Governor, PRFAA, I have been given the opportunity to develop myself in many areas that I never thought I would. I worked with federal proposals, grants, legal contracts, legislative affairs, communications and even IT. I also had one of the best law courses ever, Our Living Constitution, with Professor Janice E. Garlitz. I had the opportunity to meet and share with a lot of people including our Governor Luis Fortuño. At the end, I really have to say that I did learn something that will be with me for the rest of my life; “You can hear others’ experiences but can’t leave it there, if you have the opportunity go do it yourself, enjoy, go back, share the experience and laugh together”. —Xiomara E. Ramírez, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, Spring 2009 Intern at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration

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Making my Time Count Brendaliss Gonzalez, University of Sacred Heart Spring 2009 Intern with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Right: Brenda volunteering at CentroNía Bottom: Brenda with Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

One of my main goals for my TWC internship was to make sure that I completed more than just an internship. Why merely limit myself to the work-experience and why spend my valuable time doing things I could do back home or things I wouldn’t even remember? A semester may seem like a long time, however as soon as I arrived I realized that time flew and it was very precious! I think that one of the best things I could have done throughout my time here was involving myself in the local community and being active “after hours”. This experience was one of the first times for me being on my own and I wanted to conquer all of my fears and put myself out there. The TWC introduced me to CentroNía, a non-profit educational center with a weekend tutoring program. It was there that I was able to complete my Civic Engagement project and at the same time give and involve myself in the local community. Every Saturday I tutored a six-year-old girl and got a real feel over the Latin Community of Washington, D.C. I also involved myself in a local church. Going to church every Sunday was a wonderful way to expose myself to locals and keep a positive focus. I was able to join a mentoring program, where I met a wonderful woman who dedicated one day a week to talk, give advice and provide support. I know that I was able to leave with valuable lessons, maturity and friendships. As I look over, the best experience and opportunity for personal growth was through my involvement throughout the weekends and after work. It was a great time to challenge myself to go above and beyond what the curriculum required. I leave this experience knowing that I took advantage of all the tools around me and made sure this was an experience I will never forget!

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 1333 16th Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036-2205

CONTACT INFORMATION: SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO Lourdes Torres Federal Internship Programs Office of Legislative Services Puerto Rico Senate (787) 721-5200 WASHINGTON, D.C. Arleen Ramirez Borysiewicz Senior Vice President, External Affairs The Washington Center [email protected] (202) 238-7962 Vanessa Gil Gasparri Senior Manager, External Affairs The Washington Center [email protected] (202) 238-7972 Eila Sepulveda ‘04 Program Manager, Cordova y Fernos Program The Washington Center [email protected] (202) 238-7971 Support the Puerto Rico Alumni Scholarship Fund to benefit future Cordova y Fernos participants For more information, contact: The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 1333 16th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: (202) 238-7900 Fax: (202) 238-7700 [email protected] www.twc.edu

www.wirelessbrain.org We embarked upon the endeavor of carrying out a civic engagement project with a firm resolution to cause a positive impact over the way in which our citizenry is represented democratically. As we brainstormed ways in which we could achieve this goal, we came to understand that there is a need to implement the use of technological tools such as the Internet in order to strengthen the practice of representative democracy globally, especially in our native land, Puerto Rico. We are convinced about the capability that this medium of communication has of enabling people to share information and develop social networks. Seeing how broadband access is still at an early stage, we are committed to working towards the further development of its accessibility. Also, we understand that in order to effectively use this medium, there has to be an alliance of the public and private sector in order to carry out a comprehensive educational effort that goes beyond what can be provided through public and private K-12 education. Furthermore, we wanted to stimulate the practice of dialogue over policy issues that affect the residents of our community, as well as the communities that surround us. Consequently, we developed a systematic framework that consists in the incorporation of a non-profit organization with a mission to further develop the practice of representation, and in this way, regenerate our democratic system of government. We are currently in the process of designing our organization’s legal and operational framework in order to be effective in our efforts to cause a positive impact over the way in which our citizenry is represented democratically, thus making the diverse modes of global, regional, and local governance more effective in their task of assuring the socioeconomical well-being of their people.