Herbert Rodriguez

Washington D.C. Summer Internship Program Summer 2003

Herbert interned at the Western Hemisphere Affairs Department of the United States Chamber of Commerce.

The United States Chamber of Commerce represents businesses and their interests to the government. By providing businesses with a concise and influential voice in Washington and around the globe, the Chamber uses experts to bring these interests into a reality.   

Some of the big projects that Herbert helped work on while interning at the US Chamber of Commerce  include the free trade agreement between the US and Central America, the Business Future of the Americas conference, and Faces of Trade book.  He also helped with planning, organizing and working at events, clerical work and attended briefings and conferences.  Herbert wrote summaries of the briefings and meetings he attended which were eventually combined with the Associate Directors notes and sent to all the Western Hemisphere staff.  For the Business Future of the Americas conference Herbert did a lot of research related to trade.  He contacted the American Chambers of Commerce around Central and South America to market and to get their support for promoting the conference.

Interning at the Western Hemisphere Affairs Department provided Herbert with the opportunity to attend many special events with key international officials. One such example was attending a dinner with President Musharraf from Pakistan.   

Some other skills Herbert improved upon while in Washington DC include using public transportation, cooking for himself, and managing his money.  Herbert felt the internship experience in Washington DC provided a wide variety of experiences both at work and after working hours.