According to a recent report by the group Pay Our Interns, Latino and Black students make up only 7.9 and 6.7 percent of paid congressional interns. White students, on the other hand, make up 76 percent of paid congressional interns despite only accounting for 52 percent of the national undergraduate population. Attorneys Antoinette Rangel and Alexa Kissinger, former Obama White House staffers, decided to do something about it.
Rangel and Kissinger have launched a new scholarship program for Latino students interested in pursuing public service internships in the nation’s capital. The Latinx44 Scholarship Program will award $1,500 scholarships to ten Latino students in order to help fund their public service summer internships in Washington DC. The scholarship program is funded by Latinos44, a group made up of hundreds of Latino former Obama officials, and has already raised more than $10,000 for scholarships.
“I knew White House interns who had to take out personal loans or work multiple jobs or really live on a frugal budget. For students coming from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, it could mean them not taking an opportunity,” explained Rangel, who began her own White House career as an intern for the Office of Political Affairs, in an interview with NBC news.
College and graduate Latino students who have secured a public service summer internship in DC are eligible to apply. Apart from the $1,500 scholarship, recipients will also be provided with professional development opportunities and mentors in their careers of interest. The program aims to break down barriers between Latino students and the Washington DC workforce.
Former White House official Valentina Pereda donated to the scholarship program because of her awareness that internships, especially with Washington DC’s high cost of living, can be cost-prohibitive for some students. “It’s really about — first of all — knowing that you have the financial support to do it,” said Pereda. She hopes that the scholarship will support students who may have been unable to pursue certain opportunities otherwise as well as the next generation of Latino leaders. “We just want to make sure Latinx students have the same opportunities as their peers from other backgrounds so they get these experiences of a lifetime,” she explained.
The scholarship’s application deadline has been extended to May 1. To find the application, click here.