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P3
December 2013
A
drianaGarcia-Maximiliano
is both
a DREAMer and a dreamer.
As a child who in 2000 crossed the border with her parents, Garcia-
Maximiliano never felt comfortable sharing her past until she enrolled at
Grand Canyon University last year and joined the Latino Student Union. “It
was like a family, and they made me feel better than I ever did at my other
schools,” said the 21-year-old marketing major, a junior. “This is the first time
I’ve been able to be who I am.”
As an adult with a bright future, Garcia-Maximiliano is absorbing Washington,
D.C. She is one of two interns in Arizona Congressman
Raul Grijalva
’s office
this semester, and among 24 Latino students selected from across the country
by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) to learn about the
legislative process and strengthen their professional and leadership skills.
Her introduction to politics – and with the federal government shutdown
and debt-ceiling crisis, what a baptism it has been – has Garcia-Maximiliano
rethinking her future.
“My mind was set on getting my MBA and doing international marketing for a
Fortune 500 company,” she said. “But everything that’s involved with making
policy is interesting to me. For now, I’m keeping my options open.”
Born outside of Mexico City, Garcia-Maximiliano has early childhood memories
of family, attendingMass and frolicking at the beach, and the exquisite fragrance
of her grandmother’s bakery. When Mexico’s economy slumped, her parents,
seeking opportunities, brought their 8-year-old to Arizona.
She learned English watching PBS’ “Arthur,” and in ESL classes, where she and
her best friend, a girl from Japan, practiced their new language together.
Garcia-Maximiliano was an honors student in middle school, and joined
art club and Girl Scouts in high school, from which she graduated with an
International Baccalaureate diploma.
But the Peoria teen had a secret she couldn’t share with anyone: She wasn’t
an American citizen.
“A lot of doors were closed to me, like not being able to drive, and I had
that feeling that my family could be separated at any time,” said Garcia-
Maximiliano, whose two younger sisters were born in the United States. “I
never talked about visiting family back home. I was both ashamed and afraid.”
She enrolled at Glendale Community College in 2011 and became politically
active for the first time, volunteering for
Daniel Valenzuela
’s Phoenix City Council
campaign. She started classes at GCU in 2012, shortly before being granted legal
immigration status as a “childhood arrival.”
In the nation’s capital, she has found Congressman Grijalva “welcoming and
accessible” and enjoys doing constituency services, answering phones and emails,
and attending CHCI’s special programs. She loves living in the Beltway.
Garcia-Maximiliano has advice for the undocumented, DREAM Act population
who came to the country as children and who may not know yet how to pursue
their dreams. “Just go for it! Don’t be afraid of being who you are and taking the
next steps. Take on a challenge that you didn’t think you could do,” she said. “I’m
really proud and happy of where I’m at, but I know this is just the beginning.”
■
Washington, D.C., internship
a dream job for high achiever
‘
JUSTGO FOR IT
’
– by Janie Magruder
Adriana Garcia-Maximiliano is
working in the office of U.S. Rep.
Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., where
she interacts with constituents,
performs research and attends
Congressional briefings.
GCU junior Adriana Garcia-Maximiliano (front row, second from right) poses with other
interns chosen by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute to spend the semester in
Washington, D.C., learning about the federal government and honing their leadership skills.
Photos courtesy of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute