Political science alumni take their talents to Washington, D.C.

Two recent political science graduates from Eastern Connecticut State University have recently begun their professional careers in the nation’s capital. Grace Carlos ’23 serves full-time as scheduler for U.S. Representative Jimmy Gomez, while Katherine Escalante ’25 served this summer as an intern for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) under Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Aside from keeping Rep. Gomez up to date with his schedule, Carlos serves as a personal assistant for the congressman. “When he's here in D.C., I'll accompany him to meetings. I'll make sure he has all his materials,” said Carlos.

Gomez serves on Congress’s Ways and Means Committee, which is tasked with shaping fiscal legislation. As such, Carlos is also tasked with corresponding with committee staff and leadership on behalf of Gomez.

Escalante, meanwhile, served as her team’s Hispanic media intern. “I worked under the director of Hispanic media and supported everything from drafting press releases to strategic initiatives to engage the Latino community, both for Sen. Schumer and for the Senate Democrats,” she said.

In their new roles, both Carlos and Escalante rely on the skills they learned at Eastern. After working on campaigns for Governor Ned Lamont and former Vice President Kamala Harris, Carlos reached out to political science Professor Martin Mendoza-Botelho amid her search for full-time work in D.C.

“I didn't know where to start, and he was really helpful, giving me networking tips, tips on how to score an interview, what to do in those interviews, and how to follow up,” said Carlos. “He was instrumental in helping me get to the Hill and helping me develop.”

Gomez serves on the Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on work and welfare as well as its tax subcommittee. Carlos said her coursework at Eastern prepared her to communicate effectively with subcommittee members and Gomez to understand the work he does.

Escalante, who has a second major in philosophy, relied on the media background she gained as a student employee under Ryan Quigley, director of the Office of University Communications and Marketing. Her role was “about talking points and media angles, which Ryan taught me a lot about in my time at Eastern, just developing an intuition for what engages people,” she said.

Escalante’s political science education also instilled in her the importance of networking and “how to best present oneself, which is always a helpful skill in a place like the Hill,” she said.

Each alumna has served their constituents in a different way through their roles in the nation’s capital. According to Carlos, Gomez is the founder and chair of the Congressional Dads Caucus and the chair of the Congressional Renters Caucus, two groups that represent members of Congress balancing various aspects of their lives with their service.

Carlos is proud to represent Gomez and serve constituents from all walks of life. “Working in operations, it seems like you're just doing the day-to-day, the scheduling, but it really is putting it all together to ultimately serve different people,” she said.

Carlos continued: “I believe every aspect when it comes to congressional office is serving constituents, whether it's taking photos, posting on social media, scheduling, or working on a bill. We all have to work together as a team to serve different people, and not just the constituents of the member, but everybody, because everyone's affected by the different bills that are put forth or passed.”

Escalante combined her own lived and observed experiences to serve those in positions similar to hers in life. “There were a lot of conversations this summer about Hispanic issues, identity, and visibility,” she said.

“It was great to be on the ground and help craft responses that resonated with people, because when times are tense, people look to leadership to figure out how to navigate.”