Ryan Garza: Blogs

Walmart Shadow Day

I learned a variety of lessons during my shadow day at Walmart. Most importantly, the notion of working hard, regardless of the task, was reinforced throughout the day. Moreover, my mentor allowed me to get a taste of what it is like to be working in that specific private sector. My mentor gave me valuable advice not only about career aspirations, but about Law-school and future educational goals.

"Re-Charging"

I utilize a variety of methods in order to “re-charge” or re-energize. While on the hill, I usually try to attend as many briefings as possible. I enjoy them for a variety of reasons, but above all else, they prove to be rather interesting and educational. Although it is not your conventional form of relaxation, it re-charges me in the sense that it keeps me interested and up to date on specific issues. Furthermore, since I have participated in this internship, I have used DC itself to “re-charge.” During stressful times throughout my internship, I have utilized the various sights and attractions DC has to offer. From the Smithsonian Museums to the Washington Wizard games, these attractions have shown me that DC has a tremendous amount to offer.

Health Care

Working on the hill during the passage of health-care reform is truly remarkable. I can honestly say that I will never forget being in the gallery during the final debates, let alone being in the Capitol during the whole process. Americans have been fighting for comprehensive insurance reform for 80 years, numerous presidents have tried, dozens of senators, and hundreds of congresspersons. Finally, we have a bill that is a step in the right direction. My experience during the whole health care debate was mixed. On one hand, I enjoyed all of the rhetoric, debate, and emotion. However, seeing all the protests, racism, and ignorance on that Sunday made me realize that for many people, this was not about health-care. Rather than debating facts, individuals were yelling, screaming, and quite honestly, talking with the educational level of five year olds. However, when all was said and done, It was truly a educational, and truly unforgettable experience.

2010 Census

If I were the director of the 2010 Census, I would enact various measures to ensure a high percentage turnout rate amongst the Latino community. First off, I would create a national outreach program starting with various community level organizations. In my opinion, true change starts with organizations that already have the trust, respect, and loyalty of the community. Through these community organizations I would create a true grassroots movement that would build and create trust between Census workers, and the individuals of that specific community. Secondly, as in previous Censuses, I would issue a moratorium on all deportations. This is not a radical concept, as it has been done before in the last two consecutive decades. In my opinion, this would correlate to a higher percentage turnout rate in the Latino community.

Week two

Initially, I had trouble adjusting to the lifestyle and pace of Capitol Hill. At first, it was little intimidating to see everyone running around in such a frenzy. However, after I became acclimated to the D.C. lifestyle I quickly began accepting more tasks and challenges that my office gave me. From running errands to attending hearings and briefings, I can truly say that my first week on Capitol Hill was a great learning experience. Although I have only learned a miniscule amount about what it means to work on the hill, I feel as though I have learned volumes about politics, the legislative process, and how Capitol Hill operates on a day to day basis. I have had numerous highlights in my first week on the hill. From my first congressional reception, to my daily interactions with my congressman, I can not highlight a single instance that has trumped others. Using the ropes course as a catalyst, I feel I learned about leadership skills in the context of teamwork. Although I have participated in numerous ropes courses in the past, this one provided me with valuable leadership tools. I learned that to become a good leader, you need to be a great listener. I found the activity where we were required to work in pairs in order to draw a picture to be the most effective activity of the day.

What are some new ideas that you have heard this week in terms of leadership?

Since the start of orientation at CHCI, I have learned both soft and hard leadership skills; skills that will undoubtedly assist me with my congressional placement.  From learning international protocol, to networking with former CHCI interns, the skills I have been learning are both new and invaluable to me.  In my opinion, the most important skills and ideas that I have learned was the first hand knowledge of working on Capital Hill, as well as ways to get acclimated to the fast paced D.C. lifestyle.  Above all else, I learned that there are numerous perspectives about Latinos in the United States.  I have learned that although every person has their own specific heritage, often times, as Latinos, we face some of the same problems.  Whether it is on our specific campuses, or stories from our childhood, there are many underlying themes.