Media Credit: Daniel Michel Enthused students take oppurtunity to meet one another at the HACU meeting

Media Credit: Daniel Michel Students mingle at HACU meeting

A new internship opportunity offers Hispanic students what could be called dream jobs - a paycheck with complimentary travel and assisted housing.

In a packed Student Activities Center on Jan. 30, Francine Troyer, Assistant Director of the HACU National Internship Program, spoke to students to inform them of the opportunities that HACU offers. At the top of their list is its internship program.

HACU stands for Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, of which Chaffey is a member. According to their website, they are the only national organization representing Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), an institution defined as having at least 25% Hispanic student population across the country.

According to Troyer, the goal of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities National Internship Program (HNIP) is to increase the representation of Hispanics in government and corporate decision-making.

Selected students are placed with federal agencies or private corporations in Washington, D.C. for either 10 or 15 weeks. Aside from the $450 a week stipend, HACU pays for the student's travel to and from Washington, D.C., and assists in securing affordable housing.

The program would allow students to intern for a corporation or a federal government agency. At the same time, they would meet new contacts that could later help them find a job after graduation.

The internship program is open to all majors and students who do not have to self-identify as Hispanic to be eligible. However, they do seek students who are active in community and campus activities and who maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Students in attendance seemed excited at the opportunity to travel, gain experience and get paid, all while living in our nation's capital.

"Every student should know about this," Moses Estrada, agricultural major, exclaimed. "Where else are you going to find someone who is going to pay you to get this kind of experience?"

Moses and other students who attended plan to organize a HACU club on campus in order to help spread awareness about HACU.

HNIP offers both summer and semester-long internships with agencies that range from the Central Intelligence Agency to McDonald's Corporation. The deadline to apply to the summer internship is Feb. 22. For more information, or to apply, you can visit www.hnip.net. HACU also awards scholarships available exclusively to HSIs. For more information on scholarships, you can visit www.hacu.net.

The event was sponsored by the Office of the Vice President of Student Services and The Associated Students of Chaffey College to make students aware of HACU and the opportunities it offers.