Cal Poly Pomona students with an interest in public service and beltway politics could get an opportunity to intern for Rep. Norma J. Torres.
Torres, whose 35th District includes the cities of Pomona, Montclair, Ontario, Fontana, Rialto and Bloomington, visited the campus Career Center Monday to discuss internship opportunities in her Ontario office.
The Democratic lawmaker also toured the center's Clothes Closet, donating of box of business attire. The Clothes Closet serves more than 400 students each quarter. The clothes that Torres donated will assist students in building their wardrobe for interviews for future employment opportunities, said Tom Munnerlyn, director of the Career Center.
Torres' office offers both paid and unpaid internships to college students all year round and currently is looking for research/press, field representative and casework interns to do tasks ranging from helping to write speeches to planning events to logging constituent inquiries. All majors are welcomed to apply. The Career Center and the Center for Community Engagement plan to assist with getting the word out about the internships.
"We are always looking for great students who might need to have a little work experience to put on their resumes," Torres said. "We are looking for people who can help meet the needs of our office."
Congresswoman Norma Torres looks at clothes with Cheryl Love, career counselor, in the Career Center's Clothes Closet.
Torres, who serves on the Foreign Affairs and Natural Resources committees, recalled an event where she hosted a visiting president from Central America. Interns played a significant role in setting up the room and coordinating with Capitol security, the kind of experience most interns don't get.
Interns also help her staff prepare her for committee meetings, which require a ton of research.
"Having to help to prepare me for running one of these meeting is a lot of work for a staff person," she said, "and having a key intern to help them with the resources needed is very important. We rely on our interns to help us do our day-to-day work."
Christina Moreno-Donato, the academic internship coordinator for the Center for Community Engagement, said her office serves as the clearing house for internships on campus, screening them to make sure they are appropriate for students. Students may receive course or other credits toward their degrees with the internships and should contact their academic department to see what is available.
Moreno-Donato said she was impressed by a story Torres shared about taking a group of interns to historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles, demonstrating her appreciation for the students.
"That she wants to help the students build the soft skills and prepare them for when they go out and pursue that career, I think it's great," Moreno-Donato said.
Students who want more information about internships can contact M. Christina Moreno-Donato at morenodonato@cpp.edu or call (909) 869-4637.
Current Congressional District Office Internship Available
Positions Needed:
- Research/Press Intern: Works with press secretary to develop and implement communications and social media strategies; assist press secretary with graphic design, photographs, drafting speeches, talking points, creation of constituent newsletters and compilation of daily press clips; supports legislative staff with research on legislation and grants.
- Field Representative Intern: Assists field representatives with outreach to local, state and federal officials and other important constituencies; supports the setup, execution, management and participation in municipal meetings, related events and district projects; helps research and build long-term event planning.
- Casework Intern: Assists the case workers to log incoming and outgoing mail and incoming telephone calls related to case work; maintains up-to-date files on all cases and categories of information of importance to the office; provides periodic reports on status of open cases.
Deadline to apply: Sept. 29
How to Apply: Send a resume, cover letter and writing sample to denise.marquez@mail.house.gov. Indicate the position you are applying for. For questions, call Marquez at (909) 481-6474.
Qualifications: Must be enrolled in a community college or four-year academic institution. Candidates must be detail-oriented, and self-motivated. Bilingual speakers are encouraged to apply.
Required hours: Interns must commit to work a minimum of 12 hours a week. They can be arranged Monday through Friday in four-hour blocks with occasional staffing needs at special events during some weekends. The internship runs through December.