By Ignangeli Salinas
To put it simply, Minerva Santigo is a go-getter. The 22-year-old Political Science major, who also minors in International Affairs and Writing and Communication, is an intern at the office of Congresswoman Jenniffer González, the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Minerva was in D.C. as an alumna of the Córdova & Fernós Congressional Internship Program, a scholarship and internship program awarded by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico. Her experiences provide much needed insight into the the life of an intern and a student in one of the most politically important places in the world.
Minerva, who loves reading and listening to music (“everything from ‘Despacito’ to Taylor Swift”), has been interested in Law since she was little. From a young age, she was drawn to detective work especially, and being able to create flawless contracts and find the loopholes in ones that are not her own. So, when she heard about Córdova & Fernós Program, which places students in Puerto Rico in semester-long Congressional, federal and media internships in D.C., it definitely caught her eye. While Minerva was accepted in the program on her first try (which she maintains was a surprise), she did not get placed in an office as quickly as her fellow interns: when she arrived in D.C., she had no idea where she would work. However, that same day, she had a phone interview and was able to land her intership at Congresswoman González’s office. Since she was in a Puerto Rican office in Washington D.C., her experience was slightly different from other interns; for instance, she would sometimes walk into conversations in Spanish!
Besides that, she was a regular intern. In other words, she did a bit of everything. She claimed “It’s really important to prioritize work,” since giving White House and Capitol Hill tours, answering phone calls and being in meetings and hearings, is pretty time-consuming.
Even though she had a lot of work on her hands, she didn’t lose a single opportunity. Minerva was so involved in her social activities, she even represented Puerto Rico as Cherry Blossom Princess! She explained, “You get a week off work to represent Puerto Rico, and you get to wear dresses all week.” Since Minerva is a disciple of the phrase “do what you have never done,” she went for it, and spent a week with other women who were representing the states, U.S. territories and other countries like Russia and Japan, and was part of a parade where she represented her island. As Cherry Blossom Princess, she met people like the Japanese Ambassador and Ivanka Trump.
What Minerva loveed most about D.C. is how she was able to “go behind the scenes;” that is, attend congressional hearings and briefings and get an inside look of how policy works in the US. On top of that, she met people from all over the world and nurtured a family with her fellow Cordovitas. Even with all its freedom, Minerva found out that work life is not all peaches and cream. Balancing all her duties, from working from 9AM to 6PM, taking a night course, plus attending mandatory weekly seminars and workshops, was no easy task. “It’s go, go, go, it’s hard to even get time to think sometimes.” Being so far away from her family and friends was also hard. “I started getting homesickness after a month; I saw people who got be with their moms and I was like: ‘Where is my mom?’” In addition to all that, she says “Sometimes you can’t get into the things you want, because you have intern tasks.” However, what was it like being in “the room where it happens?”
“Priceless,” she answers, and adds, “I definitely feel it was worth it, I learned so much. I would tell anyone that wants to do it, to apply. Don’t be like me and put it off. Don’t be nervous in the interview process, say things that make you stand out, and show what you can give the internship.”