Colorado State University – Pueblo student earns prestigious HACU internship
             
Pueblo- A senior history major from Colorado State University – Pueblo will spend the summer working in the National Archives in suburban Maryland as one of 400 summer interns selected by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).
Puebloan Andrea Rael will leave June 3 to spend the summer working closely with documents that outline the rights of American citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience through a full-time, paid internship with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). She is the first student to earn an internship at NARA through HACU and is the only one placed there this summer.
“I’m super excited,” said Rael, who currently works in the CSU-Pueblo Office of Student Academic Services. “It’s funny, I had made a joke that because I’m a history major, I’d probably end up working at the National Archives, and the notification letter said just that.”
 
Rael said she entered college wanting to become a teacher, but she hopes to take this opportunity to find out about the broader range of occupations for which a history major qualifies. She is investigating and visiting possible graduate schools as well. While surprised by the offer, Rael believes her extensive community service with the Head Start program may have given her an advantage.
 
“I'm looking forward to the whole experience. I love Washington, D.C. and its suburban areas, and I think that the opportunity will be a great chance to establish contacts and network with other people,” she said.
 
The HACU National Internship Program seeks to increase college attendance and graduation rates for Hispanic students. With a mantra of "Open the Doors of Opportunity," the program aims to provide avenues for students to develop and grow professionally. Participating agencies and corporations hope to increase diversity in their work force by providing internship opportunities to high-achieving Hispanic students. This creates a pipeline of future employees who have had positive, meaningful work experiences.

CSU-Pueblo is an Hispanic Serving Institution, a federal designation requiring that more than 25 percent of the student population is of Hispanic descent. The designation brings opportunities and programs that benefit all students.

HACU interns are undergraduate and graduate students with a minimum 3.0 GPA who are active in community and campus activities. HACU provides round trip airfare to Washington D.C. HACU reviews applications (which include transcripts, 250-500 word essay, and resume) for completeness and eligibility and matches academic backgrounds to internship descriptions provided by the host organizations. In the past, interns have enhanced their professional skills.

through placements in departments of public affairs, accounting, human resources and information technology, as well as laboratories, hospitals, airports, and national forests and parks, among others.

Rael will work at the NARA headquarters in suburban Maryland, adjoining the campus of the University of Maryland. Among the goals already set for her experience are to:

1. Learn what is a Federal record and basic records management laws and regulations
2. Understand the organization and function of an agency records management program
3. Learn basic recordkeeping requirements for managing records in all media formats
4. Learn basic computer terminology and concepts
5. Learn about technical documentation that defines the contents of electronic records
6. Learn how to accession electronic records into NARA holdings
7. Learn about technical documentation that defines electronic records content
8. Learn about the automated systems used for accessioning and preserving electronic records
9. Learn how to review and draft record series descriptions for electronic records
10. Learn how to provide reference for electronic records

NARA is an independent Federal agency that manages and holds the historically valuable records of all three branches of the Government. At more than 30 sites across the country (regional archives, records centers, Presidential libraries, and three major buildings in the Washington, D.C., area ) NARA safeguards and makes available millions of records in a variety of media ranging from the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to rapidly increasing numbers and types of electronic files. It helps Federal agencies document their activities; publishes the Federal Register and other official documents; oversees Federal classification and declassification policies; and makes grant supporting initiatives to document American history.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.