We begin this CelebrateYOU celebration with the beautiful and beloved, Ms. Kiara Pesante. My first encounter with Pesante was through CNN…and Brian’s excitement. “I found her!” he yelled, when he discovered Ms. Pesante on Facebook. As I was gaining my hearing back, in my left ear, we were intrigued her poised posture and by the fact she had seven internships! At the conclusion of the segment, Brian reached out to her and now we’re here. Following her on Twitter is an amazing experience, as she is focused on obtaining her Master’s from Howard University, networking in the most impressive of circles, and attending events such as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Gala…featuring the President and the First Lady. It is a pleasure to celebrate a socialite like Kiara Pesante. Without further adieu…Ms. Pesante, CelebrateYOU!!!!

When Plans A, B and C Didn’t Work…
Why you need to learn Spanish, how powerful interning REALLY is, and making it in the Nation’s Capitol

By Kiara Pesante

If you asked me four years ago today would I be here, I probably would have laughed at you.

I never intended to do nearly 10 internships. I never intended to be on CNN (well, not that quickly…). I certainly didn’t know I would be entering politics.

However, what I did know is that I would take things one day at a time, and creatively maximize each and every opportunity possible that was presented to me… or create opportunities for myself. Although circumstances forced me and my fellow 2009 classmates to do so more than in years past, that is my greatest singular piece of advice to anyone reading this – MAKE IT HAPPEN, by any means necessary, all while wearing a smile!

What does that mean? No whining, no excuses and learn to sacrifice. Is the economy bad? Yes. Is it tough to find work right now? Yes. Is that an excuse to sit around your parents’ house and do nothing? Hell no.

I began my post-grad job search at the end of my junior year, and still didn’t turn up much. After a ridiculous amount of shoulder-rubbing, 112 applications, and 72 interviews, I still had nothing. I suppose most people would find that utterly depressing, yet I used it as a chance to shift directions. Social media helped me tremendously during this transition.

Having access to thousands of complete strangers allowed me to get a lot of “pure advice”; that is, advice not tainted by the bias of family and friends. Micro-blogging especially, in the form of ‘tweets,’ allowed me to learn about graduate programs, internships, fellowships, financing and money tips for someone with huge student loan debt, and general support and encouragement.

It also gave me a platform to reach out and touch others who may have been in similar situations: fresh out of school, on the job hunt, perhaps dealing with family illnesses or losses and, often times, too broke to even joke about. That is one of the greatest triumphs of Twitter – the immediacy and volume. You can find lots of answers to virtually any question you might have about something, and from an actual person, rather than a search engine.

As you may know or have read, I am in graduate school. I specifically chose to move into politics for a number of reasons. First, my bachelor’s was in Journalism, which is a suffering industry that rarely rewards good work. Second, the 2008 presidential campaign and election made me truly see that people in my ‘demographic’ – ambitious, college-educated, 20-somethings of color – did not have a real voice in the political realm, despite having elected the country’s first black president. If there was anything I took from Journalism, and my personal life of selfless service, it is that when you are able, you should do all you can to ‘give a voice to the voiceless.’ Thus, I wanted to study not just politics, but the literal process of how policies are created in this country and how they impact those that look like me. I knew D.C. was the place to be to do this, and after spending four years at the 91 percent-white Auburn University, Howard was the only option for me.

That being said, when considering any career or school option, one must understand the world they live in, and its needs. It is predicted that by 2025, Latinos will comprise 25 percent of the United States’ population. Translation: every fourth person you live near, go to school with, work with and know will have roots in Spain, Central and/or South America and the Caribbean. Therefore, speaking, reading and writing Spanish is a GOLDEN job skill to have now and moving forward. In addition, having some knowledge of the different cultures that exist within the Spanish-speaking countries will be of help to you, too, as well as appreciating the tremendous political power this segment of society has, and will increasingly have.

I must admit, I had never previously considered ‘being Puerto Rican’ a career asset. But, with that information, I used it and my Journalism skills to cement a communications internship with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. CHCI is one of the most well-known and respected non-profits in Washington, with some fantastic relationships with some fantastic people. Those kinds of relationships can become your relationships if you play your hand correctly. As an intern, definitely pull the “I’m-young-and-not-a-threat-and-trying-to-get-experience” card to position you for greatness in any organization. Powerful people are always flattered by your desire for information they have, and take note of hard work, thus, will invite to you to sit-in on meetings and attend after work events that others may not get access to.

Many of those post-work mixers and events lead to my ultimate decision to intern on the Hill. As presidential advisor David Axelrod recently said, “every day is Election Day in Washington.” Politics rule this town and everyone in it – even those not working directly with Congress or a lobbying firm. The normal “don’t burn any bridges” and “watch what you do and say” still applies, but is amplified by 1000. You truly never know who knows who, and always want to leave all doors open. My advice to anyone who is trying to secure a Hill internship without connects to any particular office is to seek out organizations like CHCI, or the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, or your university’s alumni association – you’d be amazed at who you indirectly know in D.C. If your ultimate goal is to work on the Hill, the way to do it is through an internship, seeing as the majority of Hill staffers are former interns.

Looking ahead, my ultimate goal in life is to help as many people as possible; whether that is through writing legislation that influences information equality and increases broadband internet accessibility, volunteering with after-school programs and perhaps even starting my own non-profit to help teenage girls… all of my success means nothing if another person wasn’t helped through it. It is my sincerest hope that reading this has helped YOU in some way, and that if you ever need anything, you find me. Be well!