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06/17/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2025 11:47

How an Ask for Help Led to an Internship on Capitol Hill

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How an Ask for Help Led to an Internship on Capitol Hill

By embracing the support system on campus and the resources available through Southwestern’s liberal arts education, first-generation student Fernando Cruz-Rivera ’26 has put himself on track to a successful career in government.

June 17, 2025

Andrew Felts

June 17, 2025

Andrew Felts

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When Amalia Merino joined Southwestern University as the school’s first-ever Hispanic Student Success Coordinator in the summer of 2023, she set out to connect with every self-identifying Hispanic student on campus to understand their needs. One of the first Pirates she met with was Fernando Cruz-Rivera ’26, a rising sophomore who reached out for guidance in navigating higher education as a first-generation student.

Cruz-Rivera’s simple act of speaking up and asking for help ultimately led him to an internship with United States Representative Lloyd Doggett at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

“From the beginning, it was clear that Fernando had big dreams and the motivation to achieve them. He just needed a little bit of guidance,” Merino said. “Around that time, Southwestern was accepting applications to sponsor a group of students for the HACU ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute. I encouraged Fernando to apply, and after he was accepted, his growth and success really took off.”

After Southwestern was declared a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the United States Department of Education on July 1, 2023, a group of SU students, faculty, and staff, including Merino and Cruz-Rivera, attended the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) annual ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute in Chicago. The three-day conference was designed to empower and develop leadership skills within the Hispanic community through leadership training, networking opportunities, and mentorship sessions.

“Amalia exposed me to HACU and other programs that were offered not only for first-generation students, but students of Latino and Hispanic descent,” Cruz-Rivera said. “That exposed me to a wider community and a wider range of professionals, and really helped me become more assured of my relationship with my identity, and what I wanted out of my future.”

Back at Southwestern, Cruz-Rivera made it a priority to get involved with different student groups on campus. In addition to serving in leadership positions with the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Southwestern University History Union (SUHU), and Student Government Association, Cruz-Rivera has also been heavily involved with Latinos Unidos and LatinXcel, two organizations dedicated to fostering community among Southwestern’s Hispanic and Latino students.

“Through these organizations, I really got involved. I met a ton of great people and learned a lot about myself,” Cruz-Rivera said. “They were really great experiences and I’m very thankful for them because they helped me reorient myself toward more professional endeavors and ensure I have the skills needed to get off on the right foot.”

While Latinos Unidos is a student-run organization, LatinXcel is overseen by Merino and is housed in the Center for Academic Success within Academic Affairs. Through LatinXcel, Merino works to connect students with other offices on campus to ensure student success.

“One of my goals for students is to help them succeed both academically and personally, while also encouraging them to start thinking more critically about their future goals and how to use existing campus resources and opportunities to achieve them,” she said.

As a political science and philosophy double major with the goal of one day becoming a federal clerk, Cruz-Rivera set his sights on gaining experience in the legislative arena. He worked with Merino and the Center for Career and Professional Development to prepare his resume, conduct practice interviews, and write essay responses en route to securing an internship in the office of Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt in Austin.

Fernando Cruz-Rivera '26 with his fellow interns and Texas State Senator Sarah Eckhardt.
(Photo courtesy Fernando Cruz-Rivera)
“The people I met were really genuine and gave me an incredible look into the world of the Texas Legislature and what it’s like working on policy in Texas,” Cruz-Rivera said. “They were incredibly helpful in guiding me towards the path that I wanted to go on and demystifying it more than anything else. They gave me the baseline skills that I needed to do my job in the federal legislature, and for that, I’m forever grateful.”

During the semester-long internship – his first legislative experience – he managed all correspondence for the State Senator’s office, conducted research into workers compensation and education law, and communicated directly with constituents about their concerns, requests, suggestions, and policy stances.

“I got my foot in the door, and that’s what I needed,” Cruz-Rivera said. “From there, I have been doing my best to try to take the reins and continue to represent myself and continue to be grateful for the people around me who support me and taught me the skills that I needed to get to this point. I try not to forget that.”

With legislative experience under his belt, Cruz-Rivera shifted his focus to the Capitol Hill Internship Program (CHIP), an experience he first learned about during a first-year course with Professor of Political Science Bob Snyder. Southwestern is one of eight schools across the country participating in CHIP, which is designed to provide internship and classroom experience to students of all majors interested in both government and non-government careers in Washington, D.C.

“As I got toward the beginning of my junior year, I had developed the experiences, the expertise, and most importantly, the confidence to advocate for myself within these different spaces, from the application to the interviews,” Cruz-Rivera said. “I knew it was something that I wanted to do, I knew how to apply for it, so I thought why not give it a try?”

Through CHIP, Cruz-Rivera secured a role as a Congressional Intern in the office of United States Representative Lloyd Doggett, whose 37th Congressional District covers much of the western half of the Austin metro area. Working out of the Sam Rayburn Office Building adjacent to the United States Capitol, Cruz-Rivera filled a variety of roles in the office, including communicating directly with constituents back in Central Texas, over the course of the 15-week internship.

“[Fernando] is one of those students who has really taken advantage of the resources that we have here at Southwestern and made the most of what it means to be at a liberal arts institution. I am just beyond proud of what he has achieved.” — Hispanic Student Success Coordinator Amalia Merino

“Working in a constantly changing environment like Congress really demanded me to adapt to what was going on, because the situation was changing every five or six hours,” Cruz-Rivera said. “We didn’t know what was going to happen and we had to accommodate for that ever-changing environment. In my own life, finding a way to maintain some sort of stability, given that everything else I was dealing with was so unstable, was a really valuable lesson.”

When he wasn’t in class or at his internship, Cruz-Rivera and his cohort of about 20 other students participating in the program got to experience all that our nation’s capital has to offer.

“CHIP was an incredible way to experience D.C.,” he said. “The program makes it really easy to travel across the city, and the people that I was grouped up with were great. We got along well. Despite our political differences, living together and learning about the city together provided an opportunity to get to know each other as people, and that made for a much more positive and fulfilling experience.”

Both of his recent internship experiences have reinforced Cruz-Rivera’s desire to attend law school and pursue a career in government. As he enters his senior year, Cruz-Rivera is beginning preparations to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), with the goal of applying to Georgetown Law School, the University of Chicago Law School, and the University of Texas Law School.

“This has only reinforced the fact that this is work that I’m capable of doing and this is work that I want to do,” he said. “Even if there are some downsides, it’s something that I feel I’m passionate about. It’s work that I see myself doing and that I feel is worth doing.”

Originally from nearby Pflugerville, TX, Cruz-Rivera first visited Southwestern as a sophomore in high school to attend a cousin’s soccer game. He instantly fell in love with the campus and the community and knew it was the right school for him.

“I chose Southwestern because I felt that knowing who I was, knowing my ambitions, and knowing where I was, Southwestern was best able to meet my needs,” he said. “It not only provided the financial support that I needed to get through college, but it also provided the community and the space for me to grow into myself and pursue the ideal of excellence that I always aspire to.”

“Amalia has been such an incredible and supportive figure. I see her as very much a foundational figure, a really good resource, and someone who is very much invested in seeing Hispanic students and Latino students flourish.” — Fernando Cruz-Rivera ’26

Looking back on his time at Southwestern so far, Cruz-Rivera is thankful for the community and the support that he has received, especially as a first-generation college student.

“Learning to ask for help and ask for support effectively, not only from teachers and counselors, but also from friends and peers was the most valuable experience,” he said. “That really made the difference in turning what could have been a very alienating experience into one where I can wholeheartedly say that I have a community of people and a support system. Without that, I don’t think I would have been able to reach the heights that I have.”

As a fellow first-generation college student herself, Merino takes pride in the role that she plays for students like Cruz-Rivera.

“I love what I do because I get to offer the kind of support I wish I had when I was an undergraduate student,” she said. “Many first-generation students don’t always realize the challenges they face: imposter syndrome, feeling like they have to do everything on their own, or thinking that asking for help means they’ve failed. That’s why it’s so rewarding to see students like Fernando, who not only seek the help but fully embrace it. He is one of those students who has really taken advantage of the resources that we have here at Southwestern and made the most of what it means to be at a liberal arts institution. I am just beyond proud of what he has achieved.”

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