"The internship, sponsored by Jim Moran (VA-8), a member of Congress, was a life-changing experience. I got to know my community better. I was given the opportunity to learn how Congress works, got to complete a research project for the Dream Act, and got school credit. My fondest memory was accompanying Rep. Moran to a rally on the mall for immigration reform and meeting the great Senator Ted Kennedy while backstage. LP supported me throughout my whole internship and has kept in touch with me throughout the years, finding me internships, or providing me with opportunities to support other LP students.
"Throughout my career in Congress and in legislative advocacy, I got to work on the first-ever passage of the Dream Act in the House of Representatives as a staffer for then-Rep. Xavier Becerra, and subsequently worked on legislation that has provided for a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. While these efforts have fallen short of the finish line, these achievements are laying the groundwork for when these policies will finally become signed into law.
"The best advice I could give younger alumni who have similar life experiences as myself, what has always made a difference for me, is to follow your goals and be willing to put in the work--it doesn't matter what your background is or that you don't have a perfect GPA, your willingness to achieve will be what matters most in the end.”
