A JAULI Scholar's Semester as an Intern in Washington D.C.

My name is Anthony Samaniego, a Senior International Economics and International Relations student at Seton Hall University. I have been a scholar for the Joseph A. Unanue Latino Institute for the past three years and a Peer Mentor for two years. I have been on the Adelante Executive Board for three years as Freshman Ambassador, then Secretary, and still an active E-Board member for Prospanica Seton Hall Chapter. I form part of the prestigious Alumni Association for the Center for Hispanic Policy Research and Development.

Beginning in September 2024 I started my internship in the House of Representatives, interning for Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-38) during my semester in Washington D.C. under the Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy. My internship in the House of Representatives, as well as my Fall 2024 semester in Washington D.C., was a once in a lifetime experience. While I was completing my internship, I was taking internship credits required under the School of Diplomacy and taking seminar style courses related to American national security and foreign policy at the United Nations Foundation, along with two fellow Diplomacy students from Seton Hall. Having completed the semester in Washington D.C. during the final phases of the most recent Presidential election, it was an interesting time period to undergo as debates on several issues were taking place, which we discussed routinely in class. Our class usually took place once a week when all three students were off from their internship duties. Our class would consist of reviewing topics and current events important to American national security and foreign policy objectives. Many times we would invite guest speakers from various government agencies and think tanks. For our class sessions, we also had the chance to visit the White House, Department of State, the Pentagon and the Supreme Court.

My responsibilities as a Congressional intern consisted of facilitating communication between constituents, lobbyists and other congressional offices. I uploaded each caller’s concern on the congressional offices Integrated Quality Systems, as well as reporting each issue of concern to the appropriate staffer. I regularly assisted the Congresswoman’s legislative assistants with any tasks needed to follow through on pending legislation, based on each assistant’s area of specialty. On a weekly or bi-weekly basis, I would attend panel discussions from Think Tanks present that day to lobby to Congress and would write a one-page summary memorandum with the most important talking points. I would greet any constituents or lobbyists that arrived to the Congressional office for scheduled Capitol Tours and who requested to meet with the Congresswoman to discuss issues or legislation of concern. I would also assist constituents over the phone with scheduling Capitol tours, as well as obtaining Presidential inauguration tickets.

My biggest takeaway was receiving a better understanding of the structure of the federal government from all three branches and which government agencies like the Department of State, the Federal Reserve Board or the U.S. Postal Service fell under the appropriate branch. I also understood that Federal government spending fell under two major categories, which is mandatory and discretionary. Mandatory often takes up most of the federal budget and consists of the Congressional Budget Office, calculating the cost of programs like Social Security Benefits and Medicaid, as well as who is eligible for them, which requires no Congressional approval. Discretionary spending is when the Congressional Budget Office decides what other areas need government funding like benefits for federal employees, national parks or military equipment.

Overall, this was a great experience and I learned valuable lessons. If it wasn't for Seton Hall University, I would have never gotten the chance to explore this fantastic opportunity. 

Categories: Campus Life