Student Commentary: CRF Alumna Goes to Harvard

Former Youth Internship Program participant reflects on her experience.

An article posted June 15, 2006.

By Sarah Yun
Grade: Senior
School: Cleveland HS Grad '06

I stood there, floored by the glaring white teeth of the mayor and his firm hand shake, like a star-struck fan smiling and nodding in euphoria. As I started up the stairs of City Hall, the significance and importance of this historical monument sent my mind whirling. From that moment forward, I knew my experience as a Los Angeles City hall intern would shape me immensely. Stepping into the office I would work in, I anxiously awaited my adventures in this bustling center of politics and law.  

I attained this extraordinary opportunity through a competitive Youth Internship Program sponsored by Constitutional Rights Foundation. Thirty students were chosen out of hundreds to be paired with an internship to an appropriate corporate or government agency. Needless to say, job shadowing people who produce so much quality change in my city impacted me enormously. Through this, I was able to glimpse the great power of politics to make a lasting and positive difference in society.  

Experiencing the impact of politics in the everyday lives of real people is what ultimately motivated me to step into this intimidating field. The greatest part of my stay at City Hall was spent aiding constituents with the Mayor’s Office whose problems ranged from trees blocking their houses to getting knowledge about local parades. I also served as a makeshift translator in a dilemma concerning Korean-American pastors wishing to start up an English language class for newly arrived Korean immigrants.  

One deeply moving moment for me was to see daily politics in action, really helping the struggling workers of Los Angeles. Mentally handicapped Mexican-American women spoke before the entire council to ask for aid in keeping a plot of invaluable land for farming, which sustained them and their families. The council members were sympathetic, chose to keep the land away from contractors and gave it and more to the needy women instead. This small yet poignant action showed me the great influence government has to truly help people.  

I also witnessed city politics stretch out into the global community. Participating as a hostess at an African Peace Conference held by the African Diaspora Foundation was an exciting international affair. I met Consuls from various African countries and helped to facilitate discussion with Los Angeles African Americans about various global issues. I also aided the Chief of Staff of my office by completing an AIDS research project and ultimately presented the best prevention methods as part of a future plan for the office.  

In small steps I have already begun my greater journey by giving back to the community through volunteering and leading community service organizations such as Interact and Adopt-A-School. However, my hunger to broaden my views and expand my ambitions cannot be satiated by remaining in a comfortable, yet stagnant world. I recognize that it is ultimately up to me to ensure my own growth and I know that continuing to enrich my education would be the best way to further catapult myself on my mission towards actualizing my goal-ultimately, to build a better society and a brighter world.

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