Week 3

Pupusa Day!

Monday

Today was our third week of CHCI programming. In our GW Seminar today, we talked about the terms: Latinx, Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latine, etc. We were discussing what each of these terms means and how we identify with them. It was an interesting topic because everyone brought different points of view. We were given different prompts to discuss. It was interesting how we all identified differently and what terms we were comfortable identifying with. I really liked this conversation because we were all able to share our input. Additionally, some of us brought great insights about where the terms may have come from. By the time this session was over, we smelled pupusas. It was so funny because before this event, HEP/CAMP had another event where we had a bunch of pupusas. We took a whole tray of pupusas home, and by the time the fourth day hit, we were done with eating pupusas. I think we all just got sick of eating the same meal every day. However, all of a sudden, we were hungry and ready to eat pupusas. They were so good because CHCI offered a variety of pupusas. By the time we finished lunch, we started our next session, which was "Emotional Intelligence," and then our last session was called "Having Difficult Conversations."

The last session pulled on my heartstrings. It is really hard to hold back tears when there is an injustice being done or when someone is saying something rude. This session went over how to handle those types of situations. During this session, there was an activity where we had to see multiple images that appealed to our emotions. It was difficult to hold back and not say anything. Right after, we had to discuss "what our favorite sandwich is?". Personally, I found it difficult to move on from what I just saw, but this was the whole point of the activity. It taught us how to deal with a difficult situation and move on from it. I learned and grew a lot from this session. I enjoyed it because I did a lot of reflection.

After programming, we headed over to Dollar Tree and the grocery store. When we entered the grocery store, we had a goal in mind, which was to buy chips. Tell me why I went to the chip aisle and saw that there was a deal of "buy 4 for $10." They knew what they were doing with that deal. Unfortunately, some of us caved and bought four bags. I mean, I was going to buy 1. It's okay, though, because that will last us the two weeks. I think.... We thought we would be in our healthy era, but I guess not. We then went to get boba after we had said we would save our money. I guess that did not last long. We will start our healthy era in a few days. The problem is that today, we made a bunch of health promises we could not keep.

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Talking to Strangers

Wednesday

Today was so much fun! After a day of work, I decided to join my friend Angel at a networking event. When we arrived, I thought we were in the wrong place because everything looked luxurious. The networking event was held in a penthouse. It was absolutely amazing. I was so glad that I went dressed up because everybody looked nice and professional. I was there talking to a lot of individuals from different industries. There were some people my age and older people. The event was called the "2025 Digital Innovation Summit." The event was targeted towards Latinos, so I was happy to be in this space. The food was so good as they had a variety of dishes such as tacos, shrimp, and a charcuterie board. Apart from that, they had macaroons, crème brûlée, and cheesecakes. To continue, the conversations I had with the people at this event were amazing. I was talking to an individual who did research in India and Ecuador. She said her favorite part about her research was that she enjoyed talking to elderly individuals.

After talking to so many individuals, I went out to the balcony, and oh my goodness, it was beautiful. I was able to see the National Monument and the U.S. Capitol. I got so many pictures, and I enjoyed my time here. After reflecting, I feel so grateful to be able to attend lots of free events and meet people from so many different backgrounds. I feel as though I am learning a lot, and I can not wait to see what is next!

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Soooo Who Won

Wednesday

Today I did not go to work. Well, I did, but in the morning, after I had to give a Capitol Hill Tour to high school students. I was so scared and nervous for this day because I did not want to misdirect anyone. Thankfully, there were two adults with us, and they helped guide us. We were also doing constituent visits, and I gave the students confidence to ask questions. They were nervous to ask questions, so I reassured them they would do a great job. We got a photo with Senator Alex Padilla, and we were able to talk to Representative Jim Costa. Despite the worries, the high school students were excited for their meeting with Jim Costa. Most of them were able to ask questions, and I was so proud of them. This group was so great as we were all involved and interested in exploring the Senate building. They had so much fun riding the underground subway. We were able to see some paintings and state flags. The students were trying to spot the California flag. Additionally, we were able to listen to an informal hearing. By that time, we were all pretty tired as we were walking a lot, and we had just finished eating. By around 5 pm, we headed back to the bus where the students had left. I hope they were able to have fun and feel like they got the most out of this experience.

I was so excited for later that day because it was the Congressional Baseball Game. I know Republicans were going to win because Democrats have been losing. My favorite part was the cheering. It was exciting seeing people happy about the game. I was able to get free food, and it was pretty good. When 9 pm rolled around, I was pretty tired and thought it was time to call it a day. I still do not know who won.