A call to public service
From CSU Voices and Views blog
*By Steven Avila*****CSU Monterey Bay Alumnus****Special Assistant, Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior When I transferred from community college to CSU Monterey Bay in 2009, I thought I knew what I wanted to do with my life: I would study business, graduate and move up to Silicon Valley or New York to pursue a life of big deals and enterprise. But later that year, the most incredible opportunity flashed into my student inbox and it changed my life forever. It was an application for the Panetta Institute Congressional Internship Program. Every year, the program sends one student from every CSU to Washington, D.C., to intern with a member of Congress from the California delegation. It pays for your trip, provides a stipend, and you receive college credit. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is an unbelievable opportunity. Too bad I don’t have a chance.” But one application, several group interviews, and some essays later, I was selected to represent CSUMB in the 2010 Panetta Internship class. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Working on Capitol Hill, living in Washington and being surrounded by the most dedicated, hard-working people I had ever met confirmed to me that I had to dedicate my life to public service.