SHEKINAH DEOCARES California Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo

First and foremost, I want to give a big thank you to the U.S. Philippine Embassy and the USAI Staff - Mary Sue, Zev, and Temi. Thank you for creating a space for Filipino Americans to not only explore so many different opportunities in D.C, but to navigate the intersection between our Filipino identity and working for our communities on a national level. It was an honor to be part of the inaugural IMPACT! cohort alongside five other amazing and intelligent Filipinas as we all figured out how to make the most of this program and summer while interning remotely during a global pandemic. Throughout this summer, so many people have asked me about how difficult and awkward it must have been to work on civic engagement projects, complete an internship, and bond with the rest of the cohort via Zoom. Thanks to the USAI Staff’s hardwork and the collaborative spirit of our cohort, any difficulty or awkwardness was easily overcome. Despite being hundreds of miles apart, our cohort grew a bond founded in our shared love for our Filipino and Filipino American communities and our shared goal to uplift and empower others.

Now, to introduce myself - My name is Shekinah Deocares. I graduated from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in March 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Ethics, Public Policy, Science, and Technology. Shortly after, I worked as a Director of Acquisition at a local tech start-up, but realized early on that I wanted to go back to my roots in Los Angeles to pursue community and advocacy work. When I moved back, I quickly got plugged into Asian American policy advocacy and civic engagement work as I worked for the City of Los Angeles and a local nonprofit, Pilipino Workers Center. As my love for this work grew, I recognized that I never got to experience this type of work on the national level during college, but it was an experience I desired to have.

Not long after this realization, my mentor and supervisor at that time, Commissioner Jessica Caloza, told me about USAI’s new IMPACT! Fellowship for Filipino Americans. Because I had just started working in Los Angeles, I wasn’t sure if it was the right time for me to go to D.C., even if it was only for the summer. I didn’t want to disrupt the work I was already doing, but thankfully, my supervisors understood my interest in exploring policy advocacy work on a national level and encouraged me to pursue this opportunity. Now, as I look back, it’s clear that my experience with USAI this summer has elevated the work I do now in Los Angeles for my local communities and I am so glad that I applied.

Throughout this summer, I virtually worked at Congressman Adam Schiff’s office as a legislative intern. I was especially excited for this internship because of all Congressman Schiff has accomplished over the last few years and his work as a representative for the neighborhoods I work in. Furthermore, Congressman Schiff has consistently reached out to the Filipino American community in Los Angeles to ensure their voices and issues are being heard. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t a traditional Hill internship experience. I did all of my work for the Office via an IPad and Microsoft Teams account. That being said, the internship supervisor and the rest of the staff successfully turned an ordinarily in-person experience into a successful virtual experience. In two months, I worked on constituent relations and outreach, got acquainted with new software, met with legislative and communications staffers, attended and wrote notes for legislative briefings, and worked on legislation projects.

The staff went the extra mile in ensuring that the other interns and I all had the same access to learning about the legislative process and connecting with D.C. professionals that we would if we were there in-person. Overall, I am extremely thankful that I was able to do a congressional internship during this time - especially one with staff who truly cared and fellow interns who all supported one another. My time at Congressman Schiff’s Office deeply expanded my knowledge and understanding of pursuing a career in D.C. and supporting local communities on a national level. Growing up, I have often felt that I have had to sacrifice parts of my FIlipino culture and pride to successfully fit into different spaces where I could affect policy and change.

I am so grateful to have met people and organizations who actively work to create spaces where that is not the case. Spaces where I can be unabashedly Filipina American and take deep pride and recognition in my Filipino culture and American nationality simultaneously. USAI and the US Philippine Embassy’s IMPACT! Program has created a space where I can do exactly that. I have learned so much during my congressional internship, met so many professionals through USAI and the Congressman’s Office, worked on two civic engagement projects with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), furthered my understanding of U.S. Philippine relations through the U.S. Philippine Embassy at D.C., and have gained a lifelong “kapamilya” in the other fellows of the inaugural IMPACT! Cohort. And all of this was done in the context of my Filipina American identity and recognizing the ways I can uplift and empower my Filipino American community.