Name: Gizel Gomez
Date(s): 06/17/24-06/23/24
Monday & Tuesday: 06/17/24-06/18/24
Programming & Youth Summit
Everyone knows what happens on Mondays; it's programming day. As usual, we went to the Washington Center on Monday for our weekly Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) programming day. The session started with the seminar from Professor Bartels which entailed intersectionality and learning how to navigate our identities. There was an activity in which different categories were placed around the room, and depending on the question, we'd choose where to go. The categories included immigration status, race, class, gender identity, etc. It was interesting to see how we moved around depending on the question being asked, and many of us would pick based on what people might think of us. To us, it was almost impossible to explain our reasoning behind picking a category without mentioning others' opinions. After lunch, we discussed the Gallup assessment and reviewed our top strengths. We analyzed the descriptions for each and picked out the things we most identified with. Also, we learned more about the things we do that may cause setbacks. For example, my top strength was being an achiever, but I learned that sometimes when you work too hard, people may question whether your intentions are good or bad. Towards the end, we learned about imposter syndrome, how to recognize it, and how to potentially overcome it. The programming ended with a discussion of Juneteenth and why it became a federal holiday. It was important to recognize the history behind it, understand why we get a day off, and see how hard people fought to get recognition.
Tuesday was different; I didn't go to the office but met with the interns in my office at the Department of Commerce for the Youth Summit. The White House Hispanic Initiative (WHHI) had a table at this event where they provided more information to the attendees. As interns, we were able to attend the different sessions but also sit at the table and talk to anyone requesting information. There were other agencies and organizations there, like NASA, HACU, NOAA, USAID, AmeriCorps, etc. They all had a table set up for people to stop by, chat with them, and learn about the different opportunities they offer. I attended the Youth Led Panel, where youth community organizers shared their stories and the impact they hope to make. The event ended around 3 PM, and we all went home early. My day was different, but I enjoyed helping the WHHI and learning more about different opportunities for us students.
Wednesday & Thursday: 06/19/24-06/20/24
Juneteenth and Concerts
On Wednesday, we had the day off since it was Juneteenth. The day before, we had all agreed to go out and attend some of the events going on around the area. We left around 11 AM and went towards Anacostia where there was a small event. There were a couple of tables sharing information and others selling food, shirts, and jewelry. The event was barely getting started, so we stayed for a while and then left towards Smithsonian. We had a couple of events we wanted to go to, but I think we left too early because there weren't many people. Since there wasn't much going on, we got an Uber and headed to Henry's Soul Café. I got BBQ ribs with sides of mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, which were delicious. There were no tables there, so we walked to the nearest park to enjoy our food; it was worth it. We were there until we decided to leave, and I headed to Columbia Heights. I went to look for some glasses for Thursday's concert, but unfortunately, I didn't find any. After going to almost every store there, I decided to just leave and come take a nap in my room.
As soon as I heard that Feid was going to perform in DC, I knew I needed tickets. The CHCI interns had mentioned they wanted to go, so we got tickets! I went to work in the morning, but all I could think about was going to the concert at night. I did what I had to do, joined meetings, and worked on a flyer for the upcoming HEP/CAMP grant competitions. Once I finally left work, I rushed to get back to the dorms to start getting ready. Feid was performing in Atlanta that same day, so he had announced he'd be late, but Ryan Castro was opening the show. We left around 8 PM and the line seemed long, but thankfully it was moving fast. Once we were inside, we just sat there for a bit, waiting for someone to come out and perform. Finally, Ryan Castro came out. I didn't know a lot of his songs, but I still enjoyed them. He finished performing, and Feid was still not there. I was tired, hungry, and impatient. Feid didn't get on stage until 11 PM, but it was definitely worth the wait. The show was amazing; I enjoyed every second of it and sang almost every song. My phone almost ran out of storage from recording so much, but I'd do it again!
Friday & Saturday: 06/21/24-06/22/24
Lacking Sleep & Late Night Museums
The concert on Thursday ended a bit late, so I required more sleep when I woke up on Friday. Thankfully, I was working virtually, so I didn't have to wake up extra early to get to the office. Friday was like any other Friday; I joined a couple of meetings and continued to work on the HEP/CAMP flyers. My day went by kind of fast; before I knew it, it was already 5 PM. I was drained from the day before, so I just took a nap for a bit. That was about all I did on Friday; it was pretty uneventful.
There were a lot of events going on Saturday: late-night museums, BBQ competitions, dancing classes, etc. We wanted to check all of them out, but that didn't work. Initially, we planned to go to the BBQ competition, which was all-you-can-eat. For some reason, we didn't end up going; instead, we grabbed some chicken sandwiches nearby. The museums had a lot going on; they were going to be open until midnight and had music playing. Some of the other (CHCI) interns mentioned going to multiple museums later in the day, so we did. We showed up too late because we were only there for like 30 minutes before they told us it was closing. Once we left, we tried to go into another museum, but they were all supposedly closing already. It was fun while we were there, but then we decided to come back to the dorms and have a fun karaoke night.
Sidenote: the only picture I could find of both days.