Kofa grad interning in DC

Marisol Marquez has gone from the halls of Kofa High School to the Capitol Hill. The Yuma native was one of 34 young Hispanic university students in the nation who earned spots working for Congress in Washington, D.C. through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Congressional Internship Program.

She was chosen from a pool of about 200 applicants, according to Rebecca Dreilinger, communications coordinator with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

"It's been extremely exciting. Before this, I just kind of read what happened. I read what the legislative process was like but I never understood it ... I was able to get a taste of the political process."

Marquez is working on the final week of her summer internship in U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva's (D-Yuma) Washington office.

She said she interned with Grijalva's Tucson office last summer while she was attending the University of Arizona. That job led her to this opportunity.

Marquez, the daughter of Martin and Nohemi Marquez was born and raised in the city of Yuma. She graduated from Kofa in 2004 and went on to the UA.

She is currently majoring in political science with a minor in pre-law.

She said she's had an interest in politics ever since she was a girl but hadn't really pursued it until she got into college.

She said she's spent her time mostly attending hearings and briefings and doing research for Grijalva's office, along with the standard intern duties of answering phones and dealing with incoming mail.

Dreilinger said the caucus' internship program was created to develop the next generation of Latino leaders. It has been active for 21 years.

"Not only do they develop leadership on a national level, they also return to their home communities and give back locally," Dreilinger said.

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Sarah Reynolds can be reached at

sreynolds@yumasun.com or 539-6847.