Noel Mendoza - Entry 1
Please describe your first week in Washington, D.C.
A few minutes ago as I opened constituent mail it struck me. I stopped, looked at myself, and thought about how deceiving I appeared.
I'm dressed in a neatly blue-striped suit, black polished shoes and flashy new tie, but no one back home would have guessed I open constituent mail on a daily basis. I laughed to myself as I thought about this.
I look like a billion pesos, I look like a chambelan de honor, but I feel extremely privileged to what many interns would refer to as slave labor. These duties are no surprise to me-opening constituent mail, summarizing briefings, answering phones, and replying to constituents.
Apart from these duties, my first week has been a lot more beneficial than what one may initially think. The bells that go off every half an hour remind me that I am not in a typical office. Everyday I am immersed with my fellow coworkers, politics and procedures of my office. I feel as my congressional office embraces my spirit and service.
When I run errands in the interconnected underground tunnels, a natural fit comes upon me. Walking in the same halls as Congress evokes visions as I look for familiar faces, and I am thrilled to almost bump shoulders with individuals who write laws that affect the entire nation. I am grateful and honored to be part of this program because many Latinos are not given this opportunity of not only understanding Capitol Hill, but also experiencing it, which is inaccessible.
