Currently a junior at Waynesburg University, political science major and Bonner Scholar Lluvia Suárez had the opportunity to intern for Juan Ciscomani in Arizona during the summer of 2025. Ciscomani currently serves as the representative of Arizona's 6th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
After interning for Pennsylvania 50th District Representative Bud Cook last semester, Suárez knew she wanted to continue on a similar path, just in a different location. She searched for a congressman with an office close to where she’d be staying over the summer. She was looking for someone who shared her beliefs, and Ciscomani fit the bill, so she applied for an internship. After a successful interview, she was offered the position.
Arizona Congressional District 6 Representative
Her duties ranged from taking phone calls, to opening mail and making sure that the correspondence went to the right person.
“The district office’s responsibility is to speak to federal agencies on behalf of the constituent in order to expedite or ask for a favorable outcome in their inquiry,” said Suárez.
Since Suárez is bilingual and fluent in Spanish, she was also able to serve as a translator for Spanish-speaking constituents, ensuring they could fully engage with the office’s resources and services, which she notes was her favorite part of the internship.
“Arizona is a very diverse state, so Spanish speakers would often enter the office asking for help from the congressman,” said Suárez. “Unfortunately, the office did not have a fluent Spanish speaker until I got there. I was able to connect the Spanish-speaking population of the district to the office in Tucson. It was a moment of realization for me in my career where I know what demographic I can serve best with the skills God has given me.”
Through this experience, Suárez learned how to remain professional in challenging circumstances, as well as what her future in the field may look like. Since one of her main duties was answering phone calls, she learned to deal with some unhappy constituents without losing her poise.
“There were a few times where I was able to directly help a constituent because my boss was teaching me how to do in-depth work,” said Suárez.
After her summer internship experience, Suárez had some advice for her fellow students.
“I would advise any other student to begin putting your foot in the door as soon as you can,” said Suárez. “We all have skills and assets to offer, and one needs to find opportunities to showcase that. Whether it is just an internship or a job, just apply. If you have a goal in mind, you must follow it with actions that may seem small but can have a huge impact on the rest of your career.”
About the Bonner Scholarship Program
We're proud to be one of only 21 universities in the country to offer the prestigious Bonner Scholarship Program.
With support from the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, this unique scholarship opportunity offers selected students financial assistance in return for a commitment to service while enrolled at Waynesburg.
About the Political Science program
We train students in political science as part of an interdisciplinary major in social science to help them prepare for future careers in business, education, government, journalism, law, and politics. You’ll make valuable career connections outside the classroom, too, as you seek practical experiences or internships for credit in government organizations, social service agencies, or other appropriate public or private agencies.
About Waynesburg University
Consistently ranked a best value school, Waynesburg University’s Strategy for the 21st Century affirms its commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and ethical leadership skills for all students. Rooted in its mission of faith, learning and service, the private, Christian university is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania.
