Major: Political Science, Minor: Spanish and Communication

• Internship: Business Development Intern at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC)
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-alfaro-20906b225/

Tell us about your internship – what kind of work did you do? What did you find rewarding?

Throughout my internship at the United States Hispanic Chambers of Commerce I worked with the business development team in preparing for upcoming summits our organization was holding such as our 2022 Legislative Summit, 2022 Energy Summit, and 2022 National Conference. I created several business proposals which negotiated the funds which our organization received from our sponsors and the events we would then hold for them. I attended several partnership meetings in which our organization held with corporations we worked with. I was responsible on several deliverables trackers to which our team reviewed and depended on so that we were organized for our upcoming events.

Have your career or life goals changed as a result of your internship? If so, how? 

Although I am pursuing law school and the legal field, participating in the USHCC internship helped me grow in skills in which I know I will be utilizing in the future. I gained a lot of experience in communication, writing, and time management. As I felt that I have improved on many areas within my internship, this experience also helped me recognize what areas I could improve on, and motivated me to pursue higher opportunities afterwards as well.

Share an exciting memory from your internship – something unexpected, an accomplishment, someone you met. 

An accomplishment I felt from my internship was when I recognized that I was completing proposals faster and what was once difficult for me became very easy to complete. Furthermore, when I was training the next intern for Spring quarter, I realized just how much I had learned throughout my internship.

Did your internship lead to any opportunities?

I was able to make connections with my business development team and spoke with my supervisor in securing a recommendation letter in the future.

Share a story about something special you did in Washington – an event you attended, a place you went, an exciting talk, etc. 

This program gave me the opportunity to meet other students who were involved in the same major I was in, and with some who were pursuing the field I am, as well as other students pursuing other fields as well. I made many connections with people from different UC campuses and am grateful to have made several friendships throughout my time there. I am also so glad that I took advantage in visiting the Smithsonian museums while I was in Washington D.C, and being able to meet amazing people throughout my time in D.C.

How has living in the nation’s capital for a quarter changed you?

I have gained a great deal of confidence from my time in the UCDC Washington Program. I am immensely grateful for the relationships I made during my time there, and the personal growth I made as well. Meeting other ambitious people within this program not only gave me confidence to pursue higher opportunities but to continue working hard to conquer my goals. The UCDC Washington program and the DC city environment helped me recognize that I could thrive in the East Coast. I had not realized the job opportunities available for my major in Washington D.C. before this program. It gave me the confidence to believe in myself, recognize my potential and have the confidence to know that if I really want to an opportunity, I have the power within myself to achieve it.

Do you have any advice for future UCDC students?

My advice is to take every opportunity that is shown to you in this program, and really take the initiative to create your experience there. To plan exactly what you would like to see in Washington D.C., the museums, historical locations, and attend conferences. I would make sure to take this opportunity to step out of your comfort zone. Furthermore, I would say to not be afraid to apply to different internships while in D.C. if you are unhappy with the one you chose. I would say the best way to gain confidence is to put yourself out of your comfort zone and experience as much as you can with the time you have. You can make the most of your experience in D.C. depending on how much you are willing work and the level in which you choose to leave your comfort zone.