Students hold legislative internships
for future Latino leaders
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Julie Nieto and Victor Marquez,
interns in the Moreno/Rangel Legislative Leadership Program |
May 2007—To Victor Marquez, working as a legislative intern in Texas’ 80th Legislative Session was like being in military boot camp. “The position requires endurance, patience, and a whole new way of thinking and learning,” said Marquez, a Political Science major and one of 12 students statewide (including two other Texas State students) chosen as interns in the Moreno/Rangel Legislative Leadership Program. One of the great rewards of the experience, Marquez continued, was knowing that he was participating in a lawmaking process that had the potential to affect millions of Texans.
Julie Nieto, another Texas State Political Science major who held a Moreno/Rangel internship, said the internship allowed her to see the inner workings of the democratic process up close. She worked in the office of Rep. Robert R. Puente, Bexar County, and was charged with seeing certain bills through the legislative process—bills relating to family issues, education, and, of particular interest, the lifesaving benefits of blood from newborns’ umbilical cords.
“The legislative process significantly impacts all of our lives,” Nieto continued, “and, because of my experience during the 80th Legislative Session, I have a better understanding of why it is so important for the average citizen to take part in the process. As I watch the representatives debate bills on the House floor, I am comforted to see so many stand up for the ordinary person, stand up for what is right, and stand up for all of those who otherwise do not have a voice. I have been blessed to have had the privilege of working in an office that has allowed me to experience the intimate workings of the Texas Legislature.”
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| Edwin Ortiz and Gov. Rick Perry.
Ortiz participated in the
Texas Legislative Internship
Program
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Edwin Ortiz held an internship as Assistant Committee Clerk on the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Judith Zaffirini. His internship was sponsored by the
Texas Legislative Internship Program. The program,
sponsored by Sen. Rodney Ellis and administered by the Mickey Leland Center on World Hunger and Peace at Texas Southern University, provides internships in the Legislature and state government for undergraduate and graduate students at Texas colleges and universities. Ortiz said that being able to work with professionals in the Legislature gave him a lot of useful experience as it taught him about the legislative process. "Working in the Legislature is demanding, but it's fun if politics is your passion," he said. Ortiz, who graduated this month, said he plans to stay in the political arena, and hopes to work for a lobbying firm or a state agency.
To learn more about internships in Political Science, visit the Department's internship page:
http://www.polisci.txstate.edu/resources/Internship-Information.html.
Many departments in the College of Liberal Arts offer internships. Read about them here:
http://www.liberalarts.txstate.edu/services/internships.html
