A check-in with the UTRGV legislative interns in Austin

_{UTRGV student interns visit the University of Texas System Chancellor’s residence, the Bauer House, in Austin. The students are serving as interns during the 88th Texas Legislative Session. Shown are philosophy junior Jocelyne Montelongo (front row, from left), political science junior Mireya Garcia, political science senior Zeila Chavez and political science senior Lizette Galaviz. Back row: political science senior Matthew Rodriguez, political science senior Hector Chapa, political science junior Anthony Hernandez, political science senior Sontino Mann and political science junior Bobby Garcia.}_{Photo Courtesy Associate Vice President of Governmental Relations Richard Sanchez}

Out of hundreds of applicants, 11 students were interviewed and chosen to take part in the UTRGV Legislative Internship Program. In January, the students left for the state Capitol in Austin and will remain there until May 29.

The program is an opportunity for qualifying UTRGV students to gain real-world experience in the field of politics.

Political science senior Anthony Hernandez, who was chosen for the program, said the experience is exciting.

“The whole experience is … super different from what you see on the outside,” Hernandez said during a Zoom interview with The Rider last Wednesday. “… To actually be in the room where it happens, you realize it’s very different. … You see how much more human everyone appears.”

The hall of the legislative office where Hernandez is interning has representatives from across the state, from “Odessa, the Panhandle, all the way down in South Texas” and is “super diverse,” he said.

Hernandez said his day-to-day duties have gone from “celebratory” to legislative work.

His main duty every morning is preparing a bill book, which informs Hernandez’s legislator, state Rep. Janie Lopez (R-San Benito), about bills that will be voted on the floor.

Afterward, he performs smaller duties, such as answering phone calls, scheduling appointments and sending emails on the legislator’s behalf.

On top of his other responsibilities, Hernandez also chose to take a class in constitutional law with Charles Olney, a UTRGV political science associate professor.

“Everyone kept telling me, ‘If you took more than one [class], you’re gone,’” he said. “‘You’ll have no free time, no energy,’ and they were right. … If I had taken more than one, I know it probably would’ve been too much.”

_{Eleven UTRGV student interns went to Austin this semester to attend the 88th Texas Legislative Session and were assigned to the Rio Grande Valley legislators. Shown are philosophy junior Jocelyne Montelongo (front row, from left), political science senior Zeila Chavez, political science junior Mireya Garcia and political science senior Lizette Galaviz. Back row: political science junior Bobby Garcia, political science senior Matthew Rodriguez, political science junior Anthony Hernandez and political science seniors Hector Chapa and Sontino Mann.}

Hernandez said although his workdays are between 11 and 14 hours, he takes part in other events, such as dinners, sightseeing and more.

“So far, it’s just been such a fun experience,” he said. “The most fun I’ve had is probably budget night.”

Budget night is when the House of Representatives convenes in order to debate how the State of Texas should use the budget for the next two years.

Hernandez said on budget night, he gets to see “people who are usually dressed nice and fancy” in sweatpants and “falling apart.”

Political science senior Lizette Galaviz and philosophy senior Jocelyne Montelongo, who were selected for the Legislative Internship Program, shared Hernandez’s sentiments.

“Honestly, this is a wonderful experience and, I think, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I was fortunate to be able to have, and a great opportunity,” Galaviz said. “It’s crazy [and] it’s scary moving from the [Rio Grande] Valley to here within the span of a month.”

The other eight interns are political science seniors Hector Chapa, Zeila Chavez, Mireya Garcia, Sontino Mann and Matthew Rodriguez; political science juniors Roberto Garcia Jr. and Karina Lucio; and finance junior Derek Luna.

Each intern is assigned to a legislator. This is done after an interview process that discerns the intern’s political alignments and assigns them to a legislator who best fits with them.

Due to the nature of their positions as interns, all students chosen for the program who serve under a legislator do many of the same jobs, especially this time of year when lawmakers are voting on bills.

“Aside from answering phone calls from constituents, lobbyists and people asking about bills or information … anything dealing with the appropriations committee, I was in charge of preparing,” Galaviz said.

Although it is a lot of work, Galaviz said she has “a pretty good way of patience.”

“It’s not just me,” she said. “… Everybody helps each other out. We’re very interconnected like that.”

Montelongo said is it a crazy experience to be in a legislator’s shoes.

“It’s amazing because we get to experience what a professional world would be like,” she said. “It’s not your regular 9 to 5.”

The interns’ schedules normally result in late nights.

“You’re typically expected to be here by 8 [a.m.], and then you leave at whatever time you can,” Montelongo said. “We do get the opportunity to go out for lunch or in case we have meetings outside of the Capitol, but other than that, we don’t typically leave at 5 [p.m.]. A good hour we usually leave at is around 7 p.m. and that’s if there’s no committees the next day.”

Montelongo said the latest she has stayed at the office is 2 a.m.

To learn more about the UTRGV Legislative Internship Program, visit its webpage or contact Richard P. Sanchez, associate vice president for Governmental Relations, at richard.sanchez@utrgv.edu.