WASHINGTON, DC - The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the nation's premier Latino youth leadership development and educational services organization, welcomed the arrival of its third-ever Spring Congressional Internship class to Washington, D.C., on Monday, February 6, 2012. Twelve undergraduates arrived from nine states to take part in the nationally-recognized and award-winning CHCI Congressional Internship Program (CIP).

With the support of Walmart, the CIP offers three internship sessions each year that provides Latino college students unmatched job opportunities in congressional offices on Capitol Hill as well as an opportunity to participate in CHCI's nationally renowned leadership and professional training program. The goal of the program is to expose talented Latino college students to the inner-workings of the federal government while preparing them to become part of the workforce pipeline to fill leadership positions in all sectors – private, public, and non profit.

"CHCI is committed to creating opportunities for young Latinos to come to Washington, D.C., and learn not only how the federal government operates, but how they can work to impact public policy for the betterment of their communities," said Esther Aguilera, CHCI President & CEO. "Thanks to Walmart's support, we are keeping the promise to the next generation of leaders and ensuring that future halls of Congress accurately represent the growing Hispanic population in America."

The 2012 Spring Congressional Internship class reflects the national diversity of the Latino community, representing eight ethnic backgrounds, 12 academic institutions, and nine academic majors. Nearly 60 percent of the class is the first generation to attend college and 100 percent come from homes with a total income below $45,000.

"The CHCI Congressional Internship signifies the beginning of a new journey in my life," said Linda Gomez, CHCI 2012 Spring Congressional ...