Jorge Ambriz: Blogs

Week One: First Week in Washington, DC

Saturday, June 4, 2011, 7:10am. I boarded my flight headed to Baltimore, Maryland. Having no family, friends or connections of any sort in Washington, DC or on the East Coast for that matter, I did not know what I was to expect. I will admit that this first week has been quite nerve wrecking. It is that much more difficult for me to be so far away from home as this is my first time being out in the “real world”. It was during this first week in DC that I discovered what that really meant. I have been so accustomed to my community back home that it has been an interesting experience to live in a different part of the country and live among the other interns which all come from distinct backgrounds. Having completed the first week of Orientation, CHCI has already helped me develop personally and professionally. In my opinion, the highlight of Orientation Week would have to be the discussions we had with Sara Manzano Diaz, Director Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, and Dan Restrepo, Director of Western Hemisphere Affairs. It was quite amazing to have listened to their stories and see what these Latino leaders have come to accomplish. Having met these two individuals, on top of the other interns that will be sharing this amazing experience with me, I feel very motivated to fulfill CHCI’s mission statement. I feel that this internship opportunity will open many doors for me, which makes me that much more eager to take advantage of what will come in my direction these next 7 weeks.