David Lopez  

Congressional Intern, Presented by Walmart   

Hometown: Vienna, Virginia  

School: George Washington University  

Major: International Affairs; Economics  

Placement: Office of Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia  

David Lopez was born in Italy, growing up in a military family that relocated to a new country every few years. His experiences living abroad half of his life inspired his set of values aiming at improving the outcomes of the working class everywhere. Visiting family back in Puerto Rico and Colombia exposed him to the levels of income inequality present in the places he calls home. This reinforced the idea that comprehensive economic development anywhere is key to solving wealth disparities.  

David is a student at The George Washington University, majoring in International Affairs and Data Science with a minor in Economics, focusing on international development and how trade impacts socioeconomics conditions. In terms of his own community, he seeks to be involved in ways that improve student life, whether that be working at his university’s Admissions Office giving tours of the school in Spanish, advocating for students through the Student Government Association, or financing events for the university’s Organization of Latin American Students. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, David hopes to cast a wide net and have a career in foreign policy, ultimately aiming to serve as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department.  

As a CHCI Intern, David hopes to jumpstart his career development story through firsthand experiences of the legislative process. He also hopes to use this experience to find how he can best directly help people through his various interests.