Hello! My name is Emmanuel Hurtado, I’m from Salt Lake City,
Utah and I’m a junior at Claremont McKenna College. I study Government and
Philosophy and am currently interning at the Center for American Progress on
the Progress 2050 Race Policy Team.
In only a couple weeks I’ve already gotten extremely good at
giving myself a concise introduction. In fact, we’ve practiced it constantly
since I arrived in Washington, DC, and I’ve learned quickly what a great skill
it is have. It did not take long for me to discover that the so-called “elevator
speech” is a real and aptly named experience. It’s astounding to me how many
times I’ve had to introduce myself in the time between the opening and closing
of an elevator door. I’ve learned DC is a city of meeting people.
What all the hours of orientation couldn’t teach me is that
DC has unique culture one can only understand by living it. The city is
tireless. Everybody has a place to be and a reason to be there. People are
work-oriented; they walk with an air of purpose. Each individual is like a
small but necessary cog in a machine, but it’s hard to tell who’s most
important. Nearly everyone is here because they are driven and because they
want to make a difference, and the result is a large and diverse pool of
interesting people to meet. Also unique is the amazing intern culture which is
characteristic of the city. It’s exciting working alongside other young people
who share the same wide-eyed optimism with which I arrived, but it’s equally enlightening
to hear from and speak to some the highly experienced and brilliant people this
city attracts.
Being constantly surrounded by the culture of Washington an
indescribable experience which can only be understood by living here. Between
the amazing opportunities I’ve had at my internship and the great line-up of guest-speakers
and panels provided by Professor Spalding, the opportunities to learn about the
plethora of topics constantly being discussed in DC from a variety of experts
have been plentiful. So far my high point has been meeting Senator Elizabeth
Warren, one of the most inspiring speakers I have ever heard. Other notable
sightings include Hilary Clinton getting into her car following an event at the
Center for American Progress, and Justice Antonin Scalia who scurried into a
room at the Supreme Court as we passed him on our tour.
The sheer breadth of ideas and beliefs in DC is astounding
in many ways, and I enjoy the efforts the Washington Program takes to ensure
that we hear from individuals who vary greatly in their experience, areas of
expertise, and political ideology. It’s
important to appreciate the many perspectives that contribute to the noise that
is government and the intelligent individuals on each side of most issues. What
has stood out to me the most is that the large majority of people in Washington
are approachable. Coffee meet-ups exemplify the social nature of this city and
the efforts people will make to make themselves accessible.
I chose to write about the people this week, but Washington has
amazing in so many ways. It’s been an enlightening few months and I hope I can
soak in as much DC as I can in the months to come. I'll write more soon, but here’s some pictures.
Me (and Charlotte and Denys) and Elizabeth Warren
Me and Nicole on the Speaker's Balcony
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