Opportunities after the Women of the Mountains Conference:

Internship at the U.S. Senate for UVU student

On March, 2011 Utah Valley University and the students from several clubs, including Foreign Affairs club and Sustainable Mountain Development club hosted the Second International Women of the Mountain Conference. I was fortunate to be involved in the planning and execution of the conference along with some of the most service oriented students at UVU. After the Women of the Mountains Conference I remained involved with both clubs and even during summer 2011 I became one of the first four Co-Chairs of the created coalition of students clubs, named Utah International Mountain Forum. The experiences that I had while been involved with the conference and other related activities helped me build a very strong and attractive resume.

Last summer I was able to intern in the Office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Although the selection process for the internships is tedious, and most applicants don’t even get an interview, I was fortunate enough to be accepted. An influential factor behind my acceptance was my involvement with the conference and students clubs. The experiences that I was able to gain through my involvement in all activities with the UIMF, the Women of the Mountains Conference in particular, made me the right candidate to work as an intern in the office of the Senate Majority Leader.

My time working in the Office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was the best academic experience I’ve had, and certainly one of the best summers of my life. The work I was required to do was often challenging and time consuming, but after meeting deadlines and after hours of hard work, often being one of the first ones to arrive at the office, and one of the last to leave, the feeling of accomplishment was the best reward.

Reynaldo Benitez, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

during summer2011 internship

I had the great opportunity of working for a couple of different offices, all part of the Reid Team. I worked with the Democratic Policy and Communications Center, the Hispanic Press Office, and the Senator’s main office. I worked closely with the Senior Advisor of Hispanic and Asian Affairs to Senator Reid, with the Director of Hispanic Media, and the Hispanic Press Secretary. For most of the projects assigned to me, my Spanish language skills played a major role. Some of the tasks given to me included: research of specific issues like education, jobs, immigration, defense, and redistricting, all of which affect the Hispanic community greatly. Writing and translating letters to constituents, other members of congress, and prominent individuals, as well as translating press releases for Senator Reid and other Democratic Senators, and letters from the Senate Democratic Leadership to other politicians and members of the military such as Vice-President Biden and Admiral Mike Mullen for public release. I was able to attend several lectures throughout the summer. Some of the lecturers included Gen. Colin Powell, Ralph Nader, Grover Norquist, Justices Scalia and Kagan, Senators Bennett and Udall and Charles Bolder, NASA’s current administrator. I also had the pleasure to meet Senators Schumer, Murray, Menendez, Stabenow and Durbin, and saw dozens of others. I toured the capitol countless times, each time learning more of its history. I bumped into several celebrities like Jennifer Garner and Jessica Alba, helped plan interviews for several senators with Univision Networks, and dozens of press conferences. I also became involved with an organization called Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) whose purpose is to train young Latinos on how to become America’s future leaders. I was able to attend an all day conference at the White House sponsored by them, where I meet several White House officials and was able to expand my network. The experiences that I had this summer are ones that I will never forget, and that have definitely shaped and solidified most of my views. Although 90% of all the work I did was related to Hispanic issues, I was able to see a little of everything, including the great Debt Ceiling Debate and the FAA, ambassadorial confirmations, the extension of the Patriot Act, and countless others. I am extremely satisfied with my work during the summer of 2011, and hope to be able to return to D.C and work in the Senate again. This amazing opportunity was made possible impart due to the experiences I had with the UIMF, the Women of the Mountains Conference, and my hard work. Reynaldo Benitez, Co-Chair, Utah International Mountain Forum