My time working on Capitol Hill

This past summer I learned what my role is as a U.S. citizen.

As a first-generation American, I have always been unfamiliar with how to be an American. The United States of America is a melting pot of people, so there is no single definition of what an American looks like. However, I believe there is one fundamental responsibility that every American should take on: participating in our democracy.

Over the summer, I interned at the House of Representatives for my district's congresswoman, Dr. Yadira Caraveo, who is also the first Latino congresswoman from Colorado. I wanted to intern for her because she is my representative and I wanted to see the work being done to serve my community. Plus, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy seeing a face that looked like me representing me in Congress.

As a chemical engineering student, I felt completely out of place and was constantly curious about the role of hearings and committees and who was talking or why I should care. To be honest, I started the summer with the “I'm Just a Bill” episode of Schoolhouse Rock as the foundation of my knowledge of the legislative process, which, all joking aside, is still a great introduction to how it works our representatives legislate there. There were definitely times when I felt out of place and where I got lost countless times. Still, I learned so much.

I learned that there is a great need for diversity among the people who work every day to run the country. I'm not just talking about racial or ethnic diversity, but also diversity of thought, of people who think differently and are experts in different fields.

There was a Department of Energy event at the Capitol that proves this point. On the topic of nuclear fusion, an audience member who introduced himself as a legal advisor for science and technology asked whether there was a risk of a nuclear meltdown. For comparison, nuclear fusion cannot cause nuclear meltdowns because it is different from nuclear fission, which is responsible for nuclear meltdowns like Chernobyl. In other words, the person responsible for providing guidelines and legislative recommendations on nuclear fusion that could be turned into law didn't know what he was talking about. The fact that a person unfamiliar with a technology is able to make legislative recommendations to regulate the technology is frightening.

But the most important thing I learned was that my voice matters. This is my opinion as an American citizen about where our country should play a role. In national elections like the presidential race, our votes might feel a little pointless. The Electoral College places disproportionate importance on the voters of individual states, and if you're a Republican in a blue state (like California) or a Democrat in a red state (like Idaho), your vote might feel a little pointless.

However, your vote really matters in local elections.

About a third of eligible voters did not vote in 2020, and this is where democracy is truly dying. People cannot expect the system to fix or work for them if they are not willing to do the work themselves to apply the pressure necessary to create lasting change.

Don't get me wrong, the framework in which this country was founded inherently favored the same 56 men who signed it – wealthy and white men. But our country and the American spirit evolved so much more than 248 years ago. Local elections bring small changes that can later have massive consequences, for better or worse. That's why our voice is important, that's why it's important to vote. As Americans, we must be willing to get to work now to create a better future for our future Americans, because despite partisan divisions, polarization and hatred, we are still Americans and must believe in our country.

Overall, I never thought I would see myself on the steps of Capitol Hill, much less that I would be interning there. I never thought there was a place for me there. My mother and father were very proud. They said it was a joy to see their Mexican-American son with his little brown face in a suit at the Capitol.