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Other Latinas
came to Capitol Hill after spending time in other
professions. Jessica Herrera-Flanigan worked as a
cyber-crime prosecutor for a D.C. law firm before
becoming the Democratic staff director for the House
Committee on Homeland Security. Imelda Aguirre,
communications director for the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus, worked in media and public
relations in Los Angeles, and Urrutia spent seven
years at the National Council of La Raza working on
immigration and health-care policy.
Whether they came to the Hill fresh out of college,
through an internship, or after a successful outside
career, Latina Hill staffers agree on one thing:
Their jobs are intense. The type of work each does
differs greatly according to her particular job, but
they all work long hours and deal with a wide
variety of tasks—sometimes all at once. “On a
typical day, I might deal with computer technicians,
work on writing letters, or research the new energy
policy,” says Lorenzo.
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Patricia
Rojas
Democratic professional staff member
of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs |
Senator Ken
Salazar with staffers Elisa Montoya, Felicia
Escobar and Joan Padilla at their office
holiday party |
The constantly
changing environment on Capitol Hill requires the
ability to shift gears quickly—but it is also
tremendously exciting. “You always have to be on
your toes,” says Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli,
director of Hispanic media in the Office of Senate
Democratic Leader Harry Reid.
Christine Del Portillo’s job also requires her to be
ready for anything—and everything. As deputy chief
of staff for Ros-Lehtinen, she handles the
congresswoman’s schedule every day. “Her whole
schedule can change in just one second, so I have to
multitask, and I have to do it quickly,” she says.
People skills are essential for Hill staffers. “You
have to know how to talk to very different people—and
how to listen,” says Montoya. “I can go from one
meeting where I’m talking to the CEO of a telecom
company, and 10 minutes later I’m walking into
another meeting with farmers from a small community.”
Organizational abilities are also key to success. “I
set a lot of schedules on the computer to keep track
of all meetings I attend, and then I do summaries of
important meetings so I can remember them,” says
Rojas. And of course, there’s the ever-present, ever-beeping
Capitol Hill accessory: the BlackBerry. “I think my
husband would be happy if I would put it down
sometimes,” laughs Herrera-Flanigan.
No matter what their job descriptions are, Latina
staffers work very long hours. But the camaraderie
can make up for it: “When you work on the Hill, you
meet your friends at work,” says Escobar. “We
understand each other’s schedules.”
For younger
staffers like Sarah Perez, a legislative assistant
in the Office of Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen,
the long hours aren’t too different from those she
kept in college. And other staffers find ways to
balance their hectic weekday schedules with outside
interests such as martial arts. "My family knows
that my job and the decisions we make each day
affect everyone nationwide," says Linda Macias, "and
they respect [that] and give me the time I need to
get things done."According to Sarmiento de Poblete,
it’s all worth it. “You have to do what you love,
and this is my passion—despite the 14-hour days, the
weekends [in the office], and eating from the
vending machine.”
On Capitol Hill, the intensity of the work—and the
intense competition for even the lowest positions—can
be daunting for even the savviest professionals.
Although no formal mentoring network exists
specifically for Latinas, many staffers say that
informal support systems help them thrive in a tough
environment. In offices where several Latinas work
together, a sense of support and bonding prevails.
“In Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s office, we really function
as a team, and it’s a great environment,” says
Lorenzo.
Likewise, the Latinas who work together in higher-level
positions serve as informal mentors, both to one
another and to newcomers to the Hill. “We get
together as often as possible,” says Jimenez.
“Whenever there’s a job opening, we rally behind
each other and try to figure out ways to help others
apply.”
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