Jose Silva, Junior Sociology Major with Politics and Psychology Minor, shares about their internship with Hernandez Immigration Law in Walla Walla, WA
“Hi Everyone! My name is Jose Silva. I am a rising junior majoring in Sociology with a double minor in Politics and Psychology. Throughout this past school year, I have been interning with Hernandez Immigration Law located right here in Walla Walla. I learned so much throughout the school year that I figured there was so much more to learn and grow and decided to intern again this summer.
This summer I have been allowed to gain more experience and to learn about specific cases when it comes to immigration law. A typical day in the office usually starts with login into our system which helps us keep track of where a client’s case status is or if there are any important updates we need to inform the client about. This also usually means looking at the schedule to see if there are any in-person consultations, phone call appointments, or deadlines that clients need to meet to send the information we need to continue with their case. This summer has been a different experience compared to this past school year. Most of this school year was learning the process and helping out with translations, interpreting, and learning the beginning steps to starting an immigration case as well as the different types of immigration cases. This summer I have also been allowed to start doing asylum research with the attorney. This has been an eye-opening experience seeing how laws referring to immigration are seen in other different countries. Though there have been moments when learning about this process has been difficult and upsetting, it has helped me prepare myself career-wise by working with Attorney Wendy Hernandez on how to manage these cases and what are the necessary steps to move forward. Interning at Hernandez Immigration Law has helped me connect my academics to this internship. Fall Semester 2022 I took a class called Sociology of Health and Illness with Professor Alissa Cordner, this class was very much a sociology perspective on Public Health (My favorite class I have taken at Whitman). Some of the cases I have been working on this summer have made me connect to what I have learned in class about healthcare policies and barriers that affect many individuals including immigrants. Many immigrants, especially undocumented face the barrier of accessing health care due to lack of language, struggles to find employment, or fear of sharing status. It made me reflect on how these become determinants of health.
Ultimately interning at Hernandez Immigration Law has been one of the biggest learning and rewarding experiences I have been able to have as a Whitman student. It has allowed me to see what it’s like to work in a law firm and what it takes to be a practicing attorney. This experience has not only shaped me as a student but as a person as well. I feel incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity to help people in their immigration process in the ways I have been able to do so. I will take this experience with me wherever I go!”