August 7, 2012

Congressional Breakfast with civil servants and
HACU summer interns

The HACU National Internship Program (HNIP) hosted its second Congressional Breakfast of the summer 2012 session on July 31, bringing 80 current HACU interns together with civil service leaders. Speakers included U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX), the Honorable Pedro Pierluisi, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, and Maria Meier, Director of the Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative. Each speaker shared personal motivations for entering public service and their current work on Capitol Hill, as well as valuable advice for aspiring professionals. Congressman Cuellar spoke about the need to increase Latino students’ college completion rates, and his support of policies such as passage of the federal DREAM Act and increased funding for Hispanic-serving institutions via the Farm Bill.

Congressman Pierluisi and Maria Meier shared insights on building a professional network and accessing employment opportunities on Capitol Hill and federal government agencies. The Senate Democratic Diversity Initiative was highlighted, which recruits across a diverse pool of applicants for staff positions within Democratic Senate offices.