Student serving prestigious congressional internship
October 27, 2008 -- Ever since SF State student Jennifer McCrea-Steele immigrated to the United States from Argentina, she has dreamed of using politics to make a difference in the lives of others. Working in the U.S. House of Representatives on an internship this fall, she moves a step closer to fulfilling her dream.
Leon Panetta (left) and Sylvia Panetta (right) congratulating Jennifer McCrea-Steele (middle) on her acceptance into the Panetta Congressional Internship Program.
On Sept. 22, McCrea-Steele began a two and a half month internship working for Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier. McCrea-Steele was chosen to take part in the prestigious internship, sponsored by the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, because of her outstanding academic achievement and interest in politics and public service. In fall 2007 she worked on San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's re-election campaign. She then spent the spring 2008 semester interning for Jackie Speier locally, after which she was hired by Speier's office as a paid staff member for six weeks. McCrea-Steele helped with Speier's special election campaign to become the Democratic representative for the 12th Congressional district after the death of Rep. Tom Lantos.
After an intensive two-week training course at the Panetta Institute where students learned how the legislative process works, McCrea-Steele requested to spend her Washington D.C. internship working again for Jackie Speier. "She represents the district that I am from," McCrea-Steele said.
McCrea-Steele immigrated to the United States from Argentina when she was 5 years old. It is her past that has driven her to promote change because of the poverty she has witnessed both in the U.S. and Argentina. "I want to learn about politics first hand rather than reading about it in the news," McCrea-Steele said. "I hope this internship will prepare me for a job in public policy development so that I can make a better life for those who are less fortunate than myself."
McCrea-Steele, a senior in communication studies, graduates at the end of the fall 2008 semester. She hopes that this internship will turn into a permanent position in Washington D.C.
The Panetta Institute for Public Policy sponsors the internship program, which was founded by former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and his wife Sylvia. Based at California State University, Monterey Bay, the institute selects 25 students each year from several participating California universities and provides them with an opportunity to experience how policy is made in Congress.
For more information on the Panetta Congressional Internship Program and how to apply, visit the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement Web site at: http://www.sfsu.edu/~icce/
-- Student writer Josh Tobias with Elaine Bible
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