WASHINGTON – The Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute named Vanessa Fierro to the summer class of Victory Congressional Interns. This competitive program places LGBTQ college students in a semester long internship with an LGBTQ or LGBTQ friendly member of congress in their Washington, D.C. office. Fierro was one of eight individuals selected, from an applicant pool of 89. During the internship Fierro will be interning with Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva’s Office as part of the 2014 class of Victory Congressional Interns.
“Victory congratulates this year’s class of exceptional young LGBTQ leaders,” said Torey Carter, Managing Director of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Institute. “The Victory Congressional Internship is a crucial part of the Victory Institute’s mission – to build and support a network of LGBTQ leaders. I am optimistic that these eight young people will help shape a bright future for LGBTQ representation.”
Fierro is from San Jose, Calif. and will be a senior this fall at the University of California, Santa Cruz – where she is a triple major in Legal Studies, Feminist Studies, and Forensics. She is also pursuing a minor in Politics, and serves as a volunteer on community service projects near campus. Fierro is a fellow with Students Rising Above, a selective scholarship and development program for student leaders.
Each semester, the Victory Congressional Internship serves the purpose of developing the next generation of out public leaders by bringing outstanding LGBTQ college students to the nation’s capital to participate in an intensive leadership program which includes firsthand experience working for a member of U.S. Congress, an educational and leadership development program, as well as a community service project. In December, the students will attend the Victory Institute’s annual international conference.
