Liberal Arts Major(s): Criminology, Political Science
Minor: Spanish
Hometown: Orange County, California

What was the best part of your experience?

The best part of my experience was getting to see the different sides of prosecuting both local and federal cases. Every day was different; I got to attend closing arguments, help attorneys prepare for trial, watch forensic interviews, complete my own projects, and much more! I also loved being in D.C. and having the opportunity to network with professionals in the field.

This experience gave me the chance to learn what the day-to-day life of an attorney looks like

How did this experience impact you academically?

Interning at the U.S. Attorney's Office gave me a lot of insight into the criminal justice system, which has been super helpful in my Criminology courses. This experience has also given me insight for my thesis, which is about sentencing. Getting to watch sentencing hearings and speak to attorneys about sentencing gave me important information that has helped me with my thesis!

How will this experience impact your career goals?

This experience gave me the chance to learn what the day-to-day life of an attorney looks like. I learned a lot about what a career as a prosecutor at the local and federal level entails. I also had the chance to learn about different careers by interacting with analysts, federal agents, and police officers regularly. Gaining experience with the federal government has made me more confident applying for positions within the federal government.

How has the Paterno Fellows Program had an impact on this experience?

As this internship was unpaid, the funding that came from the Liberal Arts Enrichment Fund was extremely helpful. I could not have been able to participate in the internship without the help from Paterno Fellows and the College of the Liberal Arts.