USC senior Pamela Ascon has been awarded the Global Leaders Internship & Fellowship given by the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI) for the spring semester.

As one of only four fellowship recipients from across the country, Ascon, who is majoring in health promotion and disease prevention studies at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, is working on project-based programs that provide practical experience and strengthen her understanding of public policy.

“Being selected … has provided me with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Ascon said. “I look forward to expanding my knowledge through the real-life experiences this program affords — not only living in the nation’s capital but working in corporate and congressional offices.”

During the program, which will end on May 5, Ascon is working with congressional offices and private corporations in Washington, D.C., and will earn academic credit hours. The CHLI scholarship includes a monthly transportation stipend, a $2,000 living stipend, and enrollment and housing at George Washington University for the semester.

Ascon, who serves as co-chair of the USC Institute for Genetic Medicine Art Gallery Internship program, was brought to the United States by her parents at the age of 10 and is the first member of her family to go to college.

“I look forward to gaining more leadership skills,” Ascon said. “I am interested in acquiring firsthand understanding of the business, health care and nonprofit worlds.”

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