Dallas, TX
May 25, 2018 | Andrew Hurst
Amid hundreds of applicants, Sierra Sabido was skeptical whether she would receive the internship to work for the office of Texas Junior Senator Ted Cruz .
She remembers saying, “Hey Lord, I know I am putting all my eggs in one basket but I am trusting in you.”
As a college senior, she knew that she needed real-world experience and felt that this internship would provide the exposure she needed before pursuing law at her dream law school – Harvard Law School . She looked on Harvard’s website to see what criteria they looked for in applicants through which she learned many of their students had gone through internships working for congressman and senators.
“Internships are crucial,” says Sabido. “They give you real-world experience of your capacity to potentially work in this career field.”
“The ability to work for (congressman and senators) provides one of the best exposures to law from working with constituents to learning more in-depth about policy.”
Despite her initial doubts, Sabido made it through to the final interview in which the costs of living and expenditure was discussed. Sabido was worried she would not be able to afford the internship because it was an unpaid internship and the cost of living in Washington was much higher. Yet, she trusted in the Lord knowing that if God was calling her to this opportunity, He would provide a way. “I just remember thinking, “Lord, you will make it work if all else fails.’” During this final interview, she learned of an opportunity to potentially work in one of the Texas offices. She was also informed that this position would give her the opportunity to be more hands-on with Cruz’s current projects. Though the window to apply for an internship with one of the local offices had past, the interviewer sent over all of Sabido’s information to the Dallas office. She ended up doing a phone interview and within a few days, received an email notifying her that she had received the position. “It was a total God thing,” says Sabido.
She describes her upcoming role as a supportive position. She will handle paperwork, assist donors, and facilitate and help with any projects that are requested of her.
One aspect of her newfound work environment that surprised her was the diversity and varying beliefs of fellow workers within the office. “Not everyone agrees with every policy of Cruz but we are still able to work together. That was the one thing in all of the interviews that stuck out to me – that not all my beliefs are going to align with everyone but that is okay.”
Sabido will graduate from Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in the Spring of 2019 with her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Religion. She believes that SAGU has helped her in her development of critical thinking. “SAGU has helped me develop a voice and to think critically about what I believe and why I believe that way,” she says. “So when I go into the workforce, I am not going to let the circumstances dictate who I am and what I believe.”
Sabido will work for the offices of Ted Cruz beginning the last week of May and through the month of August before she begins her senior year as a student at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU).
In regards to her internship, she says she is most excited about working with Ted Cruz and other alumni of Harvard University to learn about their experience in law school and to figure out if law is truly the right career choice for her.
“Often times as students, we are studying about a subject that we find intriguing but we do not understand what the day-in, day-out work will look like. Internships allow you to see past the fantasy of a career choice and it gives you a realistic perspective of the specific profession you are seeking after.”
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private, Christian university located 30 minutes south of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex in Waxahachie, Texas. The university was established in 1927, and now offers more than 70 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees on campus or online. More information is available at www.sagu.edu