Career Services Spotlight, Daisy Carrera, MPA ’25
Published April 2025
Where are you doing your internship and what is the mission of the organization?
As I approached the final phases of my graduate studies at the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, I was fortunate to have interned with Mixteca, a non-profit organization focused on empowering the Latin-American immigrant community residing in the five boroughs of New York through programs and services. The organization itself is composed of five departments: education, mental health, health & wellness, immigration, and advocacy, each focusing on various elements and challenges the community as a whole faces. Having been raised the youngest child of immigrant parents, while simultaneously being a Latina woman, and a first-generation college graduate, Mixteca’s mission resonated with me on a personal level.
What are your responsibilities in this role?
Due to my personal interest in immigration law and in consideration of today’s political climate and its effects on immigrant communities, I displayed interest in lending my support as an intern to the immigration department assisting with the completion of pro se asylum and work permit applications; I also lent support to the education department by providing community members with information pertaining to resources and social services available through various governmental agencies within the State of New York.
As an intern in the immigration department, I was responsible for assisting in setting up in-person appointments with perspective asylum seekers, preforming initial intake evaluations, assisting applicants with translations, completing and reviewing pro se asylum, work permit applications and corresponding paperwork, compiling supporting documents, submitting application packages for attorney review during legal clinics, and finalizing packages for pro se submission to the UCSIS federal agency for consideration.
Additionally, I provided support to the education department by holding one on one sessions with community members, informing them of resources and services available to them and their families. My duties included completing and submitting school enrollment, daycare voucher, and reduced transportation fare applications, amongst others. I was also tasked with allocating various referral sources with free access to educational programs providing services in Spanish for those who sought out continuing their education through GED, ESL, computer literacy, and resume assistance.
What have you learned or discovered by doing this internship?
Through this internship I have learned the value and importance of community. Ensuring resources are readily available and attainable for people in difficult situations makes all the difference. It has helped me expand my ability to be compassionate and empathetic, both important traits to carry in any career path. Mixteca has also helped me unfold and put into practice the power of advocacy. Working with this organization has shown me the effectiveness of community involvement when speaking up for injustices and advocating for people that are overlooked and underserved.
What advice do you have for current students looking for an internship?
If I could lend a piece of advice about my experience seeking internships, I’d recommend and encourage discussing your prospects with Baruch’s Marxe Career Services, your professors and advisors, as they are all collectively a valuable resource. They were extremely helpful throughout my personal journey acquiring an internship position and assisted me with finding a placement that ensured both a theoretical and practical experience within the non-profit sector.
