Political Science Major is Cal Poly’s 2018 Panetta Representative
Political science junior Philip Abarquez has been selected as one of 26 students from the state of California as a 2018 representative to the Panetta Institute for Public Policy’s Congressional Internship Program. This year is the 20th anniversary of the celebrated program.
The highly prestigious internship awards scholarships to students from each of the 23 CSU campuses along with one each from Dominican University of California, Saint Mary’s College of California, and Santa Clara University. To qualify, a student must be nominated by their respective campus president.
Abarquez is the 18th Cal Poly student to participate in the program since 2001. He will work and study in Washington, D.C. for two weeks in August at the Panetta Institute at CSU Monterey Bay, followed by 11 weeks in the nation’s capital working full-time in the office of a congressional representative.
“I look forward to applying the skills I have learned during my time at Cal Poly in the office of a congressional representative’s office,” said Abarquez. “I also look forward to participating in an internship that offers a unique hands-on experience in the nation’s capital… This internship has a lot to offer, and I can’t wait to make the most of an amazing opportunity.”
The Panetta Institute covers program costs including course registration fees, campus services during orientation, air travel, and housing in Washington, D.C., which makes the program available to interns from all socioeconomic levels.
Arbaquez will graduate in 2019 with a degree in political science, pre-law concentration, and a minor in psychology. He intends to pursue a law degree with the ultimate goal of running for public office.
“My hope is that I attend a distinguished law school and go down that path,” said Arbaquez. “I have enjoyed taking courses in constitutional theory, constitutional law, jurisprudence and civil rights, and I have bold dreams that one day I will be a judge who interprets the constitution.”