Mateo visited the Library of Congress, including a stop to the Main Reading Room. Photo courtesy of Mateo Gonzalez.
What is your background?
I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. From a young age I knew that I wanted to work in government as I used to gaze up at Buffalo City Hall while passing it by with my father. I even got to intern in Buffalo City Hall last summer as an Urban Fellows Intern. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio with a Major in International Business and a minor in Legal Studies. After I get my four-year degree, I plan on obtaining a graduate degree in the field of International Affairs.
I am also Puerto Rican, so I do speak Spanish, and I have a passion for learning about many Spanish speaking cultures. Next semester I will be studying abroad in Seville, Spain where I hope to be fully immersed in Spanish culture and I also hope to travel around Europe.
How did you learn about the intern program and why did you want to work at the Library of Congress?
I heard about this internship opportunity while attending a seminar at my school that discussed government jobs and internships. I saw this opportunity and thought it was just right for me! As part of my fellowship I performed a research project in the Science, Technology, and Business Division where I conducted research on Hispanic Americans in business and entrepreneurship. Since I am a Puerto Rican International Business major with aspirations to work for the government, this internship checked all of my boxes and I am so grateful for this opportunity.
How would you describe your internship?
My mentor Lynn Weinstein, a Business Reference and Research Specialist, has been a very insightful resource for me during this internship. She has taught me how to research effectively and has opened up lots of resources to me. We are also both from Buffalo, New York, so it was easy to connect with her from the start. When I visited the Library of Congress with my father before the internship started, Lynn took us to a number of reading rooms and I am very grateful for her showing me around the Library.
Display Day Filming. Photo Courtesy of Mateo Gonzalez.
The focus of my internship at the Library has been creating the Hispanic Americans in Business and Entrepreneurship research guide that will help researchers who are interested in Hispanic American studies. I have put a lot of work into this research guide and cannot wait to see it get published.
What amazed you most about the Library?
This internship program not only provides Junior Fellows with interesting research projects but also provides an opportunity to work in a professional setting. There is a Professional Development Series designed for Junior Fellows that teaches interns how to conduct themselves in a professional environment. I have learned a lot from these meetings and I am super thankful. When I visited the Library of Congress in person, I was stunned by the number of reading rooms and the size of collections they offer within the Library buildings. I am so grateful that I can use the online resources from these reading rooms at home [through access provided as Junior Fellow] as well!
What have you learned about the Library that you didn’t know before you started your internship?
I have learned many things about the Library of Congress that I did not know about before. I did not know that it is a national library with a worldwide reach. I learned about the history of the Library and the variety of collections it holds through the Professional Development Series. It is astonishing to see how many resources the Library has including the works of so many public figures in the past. Not only this, but the history of the buildings alone is something that should be valued.
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