By Stacy Cruz
Staff Writer
Costa junior Akela Aguas dove head first into the controversial world of politics when she began an internship with David Hadley’s State Assembly Campaign. This opportunity is paving the way for Aguas to pursue her love for politics in the future.
Aguas is one of the several interns working on Hadley’s campaign. Aguas has worked on a few long-term projects so far like campaign videos, and has set up collaborations with Young Republican groups in the South Bay in an effort to encourage registration among young voters.
“Every Saturday or Sunday, I go door-to-door to spread the word about the campaign,” Aguas said. “During the week, we make phone calls to voters in the district about our candidate.”
Aguas started the internship in June, when she received this opportunity through her friend Jack Hadley, David Hadley’s son.
“I wanted to do it not only to help the Hadleys, but also because I have always loved the campaigning part of politics,” Aguas said.
Aguas is the youngest of the campaign interns and works primarily with college students and graduates. As a high school student, Aguas contributed to the campaign efforts by setting up a booth at Costa last June which registered more than 200 students and administrators to vote.
“Personally, I think being the youngest intern is one of the best parts [of the internship],” Aguas said. “I get to work with people who have already ‘been there and done that,’ so I’ve definitely learned a lot.”
Aguas has also met prominent political figures, including Congresswoman Janice Hahn, through her intern work. In addition, she was invited to the annual California Republican Party Convention of 2014 by Senator Rand Paul. According to Aguas, the internship with Hadley’s campaign has opened many doors for a future in politics.
“In an industry as ruthless as politics, the people you know mean everything,” Aguas said. “I have met many college admissions advisors and the heads of the political science programs at several top-ranked universities just through this internship, which is exciting.”
When Aguas was younger, she enjoyed studying political campaigns from the 1930s and 1950s. This helped bolster her interest in both politics and debating at an early age.
“The opportunity to actually work with a real campaign was very appealing,” Aguas said. “I knew it would be a great opportunity to actually get involved with real-world politics, rather than just debates at school.”
According to Aguas, she has always aspired to pursue a career in the film industry. Working for the internship has helped her make decisions regarding her future and education by incorporating both film and politics.
“I’ve always loved politics and debate and this internship has made me realize that I do want to pursue a double major in political science and communications in the future,” Aguas said.
According to Aguas, she has not yet had trouble with balancing her internship responsibilities and schoolwork. The internship ends after election day on Nov. 4. However, Aguas has plans to continue interning in the future.
“As a whole, the internship does take up half of my weekend, however, I think [the internship] has definitely been worth the sacrifice,” Aguas said. “I hope to find more internship opportunities with other campaigns this upcoming summer.”
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