|
A Commitment to
Leadership and Public
Service
Julissa Marenco, 32,
always knew she wanted
to work in television.
She was the type of
child who would
interview anyone and
everyone that crossed
her path, recalls her
brother Julio Marenco.
“It was a common event
in the Marenco household
for not just [the family]
but anyone who visited
had a full interview to
go through with [Julissa],”
says Julio.
So it was no surprise
that her passion for
broadcast would lead her
to a promising career
with one of the largest
Spanish-language
television networks,
Telemundo. Marenco first
joined Telemundo’s New
York station in 1998 and
moved to their
Washington, D.C. station
in 2002 where she became
general manager in 2004.
This was just the
beginning for this New
Jersey native, whose
dedication to public
service and professional
achievement led to her
selection as a 2007-2008
White House Fellow.
|
|
|
In the past, this
distinction has been
given to prominent
individuals such as
former Secretary of
State Colin Powell,
Secretary of Labor
Elaine L. Chao and the
former CEO of CNN Tom
Johnson who is now
retired.
“It’s a tremendous
honor,” she says. “As a
broadcaster so much time
is spent reporting on
government be it at the
local, state or federal
level. You spend a
significant amount of
time working with
government and reporting
on government, that to
me, to be able to have a
deeper understanding at
the exposure you have at
the highest level, to be
able to know how the
government works at that
level, will make me just
a stronger professional
and broadcaster
therefore being able too
serve my viewers even
more.”
Since 1964, the
fellowship has been
providing exceptional
Americans with a first-hand
account of the country’s
government and
leadership role. Fellows
are placed with a
government agency for
one year and are
expected to apply the
knowledge gained in
their respective
communities and
industries.
|
 |
 |
|
Julissa in front
of St. Basil’s
Cathedral, The
Red Square in
Moscow, Russia |
|
Though thousands of
applications are
received each year, only
between 11 and 19
candidates are selected.
She was one of 15
selected for the
2007-2008 year and is
the 16th Latina to be
chosen since its
inception more than four
decades ago. As part of
the fellowship, Marenco,
who was placed with the
Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), has not
only had the opportunity
to travel to France,
Turkey and Russia as a
means of learning about
international relations,
but has also had the
privilege to meet with
several political
leaders.
“You know you’re going
to meet the vice
president. You don’t
know you’re going to go
have lunch with him at
his house!” she says.
“You wake up and you’re
just so thankful to be
selected for this.
You’re having these
opportunities to meet
all these world leaders.”
One of her most
inspiring encounters,
she recalls, was with
General David Petraeus.
“He said to us, ‘Never
underestimate the power
of energy. Never
underestimate. When
you’re a leader, when
you go out into your
respective fields and
you’re leading people,
never underestimate that
power of energy. Be the
leader that gives energy
as opposed to the leader
that drains energy.’”
Those words have stayed
with Marenco and have
helped her realize that
his advice can apply
across, whether it’s on
a battlefield or in a
corporate boardroom.
|
|
But her new sense of
knowledge and broadened
perspective has not only
impacted her as a
professional, it has
also helped her discover
a new found interest in
the environment thanks
to her placement with
the EPA. “The agency
strives to protect human
health and to preserve
the environment and
there’s a lot of things
that we take for granted
that you just don’t
think about,” says
Marenco. In fact, her
newly acquired interest
has even changed her
lifestyle.
“I am most certainly
much more conscious
about energy,” she says.
“I don't leave
appliances plugged in as
much as I used to. I try
to conserve energy by
being mindful of turning
lights off. I actually
decided to try to forgo
air conditioning in my
home this summer. I want
to be as efficient as
possible.”
Though her fellowship
will conclude at the end
of August, she certainly
sees herself continuing
to explore the field of
public service and
government even though
her passion will always
be broadcasting. “I
found that this year has
been great and
incredible, and I’ve
learned so much that I
want to go back to
broadcast because I feel
I could really
contribute at a greater
level,” she says. “My
goal, of course, is
television. It’s my love.
I always hope to be
working in television.”
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Blue Mosque in
Istanbul, Turkey |
|
Interested in
becoming a White House
fellow?
The online
application must be
submitted with
supporting documents by
midnight Eastern
Standard Time on
February 1, 2009. Visit:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/fellows/
for more information.
By Alondra Hernandez |
