By Rachel Huser
Staff Writer
Two Dominican students attended the all-inclusive National Student Conference on Hispanic Politics in Miami, FL from Oct. 8-9.
Hilda Alvarez-Rodriguez and Maria Dominguez spent a busy weekend full of panels and breakout sessions about Hispanic politics.
The pair found out about the conference through political science professor David Dolence. He forwarded them an email about the conference at the beginning of September.
When asked why she applied, Alvarez-Rodriguez, a junior majoring in international relations and diplomacy and minoring in interfaith studies, said, “why not? It looked interesting and a good thing to put on my resume.”
Dominguez, a transfer junior majoring in political science, cited similar reasons. “It looked really interesting, and it sounded like a good opportunity to get an insight on what I could be doing,” she said.
The application process required a resume, cover letter and a 250 word essay discussing a public figure that you disagree with on political views yet still respect.
Both Alvarez-Rodriguez and Dominguez found out they would be attending the conference on Sept. 16.
“I was really excited,” said Alvarez-Rodriguez. “I really didn’t think I was going to get in.”
Dominguez immediately called her mom to tell her the good news. “It was a lot to process. I was very excited.”
Alvarez-Rodriguez arrived at Miami International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 7 and stayed with family nearby for the night. Dominguez arrived in Miami Friday afternoon and the two met at the Pullman Hotel near the airport, where they would stay for the duration of the conference.
The hotel was paid for and set up by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the host of the conference. The only travel expenses they had to pay upfront were transportation costs to get to Florida International University, where the conference was held. AEI would reimburse them later.
Both Alvarez-Rodriguez and Dominguez were very eager to experience what the conference had to offer.
“I was really looking forward to meeting the panelists,” said Alvarez-Rodriguez. The panelists included former U.S. representatives, political journalists at big-name papers and Luis Guillermo Solís, the former president of Puerto Rico.
“I was really looking forward to having a dialogue with people that have different ideologies than I do,” said Dominguez. The conference brought together students not only nationwide but worldwide as well, bringing a spectrum of views on topics like the environment and voting.
“Dialogues are crucial,” Dominguez said. “There is no way our country can function if we stay this polarized.”
After a weekend full of panels, breakout sessions, networking activities and a professional opportunities fair, both students found themselves grateful for the opportunity to attend such an enriching conference.
“I definitely enjoyed the experience; it was amazing,” said Dominguez. “It gave me a sense of what I could do with my major.”
“I saw a more balanced view of politics rather than the polarized view that we see every day,” said Alvarez-Rodriguez. “It was a really good networking opportunity, and I hope they do this again next year and more Dominican students can go.”
*Correction from an earlier print version of the article, Luis Guillermo Solis is the former president of Puerto Rico, not Cuba.
