Week 8: A Few More Weeks with a Full Heart

Monday 07.14.2025 - Saturday 07.19.2025

Tuesday was the Tri-Caucus event, where the CHCI, CBC, and APAICS Summer 2025 interns came together for a night of networking. I met some incredible individuals, and many of them are on the same career journey as I am. After the event, it's funny to now recognize so many faces on the Hill! It's nice to work in a place where you can see familiar faces. I had a great time meeting everyone!

On Wednesday, the Michigan Senators hosted a Hot Dog Day, where we invited every Senate office. I honestly didn't think many people would show up, but I seriously underestimated how much people love hot dogs! After setting up for the event, I went to take a meeting, and when I returned, I saw the longest line I have ever seen, stretching out the door! The room was so packed that it was hard to move. After swimming through a sea of people to get to the other side of the room, I began helping by serving food. Although I have experience in customer service, nothing could have prepared me for how nervous I felt this time. I wasn’t just serving food to anyone, but I was serving Congressional staffers and even Senators! It was incredible to see so many Senators right in front of me. I even got an amazing picture with one of my role models, Alex Padilla! The event turned out to be a huge success.

The rest of the week was spent enjoying time with friends. On Wednesday night, Andres taught us how to make sushi. On Thursday night, the interns in my office visited Shake Shack to enjoy some refreshing shakes. Then on Friday night, we celebrated the amazing speech Yaisy gave on Capitol Hill.

Saturday was a great day! I began my morning by volunteering at Food Justice DMV, where we created food bags filled with produce to distribute to families. We loaded the cars with the bags so the volunteers could deliver them, and we also cleaned the church where we were working. It felt great to put my Spanish skills to good use because some of the families or workers only spoke Spanish. Later, all the interns who had volunteered went to Columbia Heights, where we ate tacos, went thrifting, and visited the mercados. That night, a few CHCI and HEP/CAMP interns gathered to play Roblox and Among Us. Overall, it was such a fun day!

As I reflect on my time here, I can't help but feel a mix of emotions as my internship comes to an end. It's been a journey filled with remarkable connections, and I’ve truly met some incredible people along the way. While I am excited to go home, I can't imagine not seeing my HEP/CAMP best friends every day. Each moment I've spent here has been amazing, and I will cherish every moment I have left.