Hello there! In this blog, I will be discussing my next steps after the program and what I plan to do in the future. However, before I do that, I would like to discuss how my last week went with my host office, Altamed. To begin with, my last few days were spent on writing letters of support and having one on one meetings with folks before I leave. Overall, I really enjoyed interning at AltaMed and their Government Affairs team. They have really shown me why they are integral in the civic engagement world.
For example, the Government Affairs team researches, keeps track of health bills, and advocates them to elected officials. They do all of this to ensure that adequate services are provided. The same goes with the Civic Engagement team which directly works with the Government Affairs team. To demonstrate, the Civic Engagement team gets the vote out by engaging with community members on the importance of voting. They also assist with registering their peers and community members to vote.
All of this work is important as I have mentioned in my previous blogs. Overall, Altamed has taught me skills and takeaways that I will not forget. Some of this is researching and keeping track of legislative staffers on a spreadsheet. Likewise, I learned how to read and analyze legislative bills. Lastly, I learned how to write a letter of support and why they are important in pushing for certain policies to be passed.
Given all of this, you are probably wondering what my next steps are after this program? Well, some of my next steps are completing my last year of undergraduate and graduating with a degree in Bachelors of Art. While this is important, I am looking forward to applying to fellowships and job openings in AAPI non-profit organizations. Ultimately, I am hoping to work for two to three years before deciding whether I want to go to graduate school or not.
Honestly speaking, it is very nerve-racking to think about all of this. As a result, it led me to seek help from my AltaMed peers. One of which was Berenice Núnez Constant who is the Senior Vice President of Government Relations & Civic Engagement. During our meeting, we chatted about what my plans were after the program and specifically what I was doing during, as well as after college.
Although I was very uncertain about my future, she reaffirmed me by saying “don’t think too far in the future, rather think about what your next steps are.” I completely agree with her - instead of overthinking and stressing about the future, I should focus on the present. At the same time, we spoke about how to be confident in oneself especially when it came to networking.
As a Asian American and a woman, I am often viewed as timid. I told Berenice that I did not want to be seen this way. She responded back by telling me that I should practice how to present myself and that it takes time. For this reason, I am very grateful to Berenice for giving me this advice. In summary, I really enjoyed my time at Altamed and I hope to connect with them again.