At The Washington Center, we celebrate interns who not only excel in their professional roles but also contribute to the larger conversations around leadership, representation, and community impact. Elizabeth Gomez Solis is one such standout intern.
Currently a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, Elizabeth interned with the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, where she provided administrative support while also diving into critical research on policy issues and congressional representation. Read on to learn how Elizabeth’s time at CHLI gave her the tools and motivation to further her aspirations and strengthen her resolve to become a Latina attorney—one who will add her voice to the growing Hispanic leadership in America.
Where are you interning and what are some of your responsibilities there?
I served as an Administrative Intern at the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI), where my responsibilities span a broad range of tasks. On a daily basis, I provided comprehensive administrative support to my supervisor and colleagues, tackling everything from routine assignments like document printing and event registration to assisting with guest logistics, such as escorting attendees to conference rooms.
In addition to these operational duties, I was also entrusted with more analytical assignments, which involve conducting in-depth research on a variety of subjects, including congressional members, political organizations and relevant policy issues. This diverse workload allowed me to gain valuable experience in both administrative functions and research analysis within a dynamic, policy-oriented environment.
Tell us about a project or experience you worked on during your internship that stood out to you, and how it helped build your confidence or passion for a future job or career.
I dedicated several days to researching the current roster of incumbent members of Congress to identify those of Hispanic descent. After thoroughly reviewing the data, I found that only a small percentage—roughly 60 members—identify as Hispanic. As a first-generation Mexican American college student, seeing individuals from my community in positions of power, such as these congressional representatives, is deeply meaningful to me. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of representation and the potential for growth within our community.
Witnessing the success and increasing presence of Hispanics in leadership roles fills me with a sense of pride and hope for my own future. It reaffirms my belief that, with hard work and perseverance, I too can achieve success and one day hold a position of influence. My aspiration is to join the growing group of Latinas—currently only 3%—who earn a Juris Doctorate and become successful attorneys/lawyers. This internship has been instrumental in boosting my confidence and strengthening my resolve to pursue my dreams, knowing that the path ahead is possible and within reach.
What are some of the specific skills and networking opportunities you have gained during this experience that you’ll take with you into a future job?
The Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute has numerous connections with several members in Congress, health organizations, education committee and everything in between. Over my time here, I have been invited to many events where I have gotten to meet several members from all kinds of organizations, to ask for their LinkedIn and/or business cards. They've been a great start to my networking, and though small, it has been a great start to learning how to build a network. I still have to gain some confidence in communicating with others in events where I don't know many people, but it has been a great skill I've begun to develop and hope to take with me back home. I also have further expanded my computer skills through my experience.
What was the most exciting, rewarding or unexpected (in a positive way) experience while at TWC or in D.C. – your “only in D.C.” moment?
The most rewarding moment I would say is a culmination of experiences. It's big to me but small for many, and that is all the FREE events you can find here in D.C. In Colorado, museums cost money, going to the zoo is such a drive and expensive to go to, but in D.C. these tourist things are completely free! I checked off so many museums from my "go do in D.C." list. And this is relevant to so many things, there is always something free going on around the city, it's so exciting!
What were things that you were concerned about when applying for the program, and what did you do to overcome those concerns? This could include finances, living in a new city, uncertainty about your internship, etc.
When applying for this program, I was a little concerned about just living here in Washington D.C. I know that it's a bigger city than Colorado Springs, where I'm from, so that meant getting around was going to be something new, and the cost of living was going to be slightly higher. I haven't "lived" outside Colorado Springs for longer than a week, so the whole concept of coming to a bigger city was something I would have to overcome.
It wasn't hard to overcome this issue for me. You are (probably) only going to be an intern in your college years in D.C. once so you can't be nervous to go explore and figure things out. I made plans for every weekend, every day I didn't have to go to work, and even if I went by myself, at least I was going out and conquering this new city to the best I could. Those three months moved fast, so I made sure to just figure it out.
What’s the number one piece of advice you would give to a student considering joining the TWC program?
To any student considering joining the TWC program, my biggest advice to you is: "don't take everything so seriously." The TWC program is a 9-5 with evening courses and as daunting as having this rigid work schedule may seem, don't take it seriously. This experience is only about 3 months, so while it may be draining at first, it is only three months. It takes time to adjust to the TWC program schedule, but it's an experience worth every day.
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