When Cal State San Bernardino junior Marius Wong Ah Sun left for Washington, D.C., for a congressional internship, he expected to spend the fall answering phones, learning the workings of Capitol Hill, and returning home to finish his degree in English.

Instead, he lived through a federal government shutdown, was unexpectedly elevated from an intern to a fellow so he could keep working amid furloughs, and came back with a completely new career goal.

“I’ve always thought I’d become an English teacher, but I’ve always really loved law and everything that goes along with that. Now, I think I want to go to law school after I graduate,” he said. “This experience taught me not to run away from what I actually love doing.”

Wong Ah Sun was part of the 22-member cohort selected for the prestigious Panetta Institute for Public Policy Congressional Internship, a program that places students from across the state in Washington, D.C.,  for fall-semester service. The internship began Aug. 8 with an intensive two-week orientation at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy in Monterey, followed by nearly three months working full-time on Capitol Hill.

He learned about the opportunity through Sunny Hyon, CSUSB English professor, who encouraged him to apply for the internship. “She was really cheering me on and super supportive the whole time,” he said.

Interns are selected based on an exemplary scholastic record, as well as interest in politics, policy and public service. The institute covers all expenses associated with the program, including tuition, airfare, lodging and assistance for living expenses, allowing students from all socio-economic backgrounds to participate.

Wong Ah Sun, who returned Nov. 8, said the experience was transformative from the moment he arrived in Monterey. “It was very rigorous — speakers all day, every day — and you’re being fed new information,” he said. “One speaker will be talking about immigration reform, the next one's talking about balancing the U.S. budget and the deficit. You had to be on your game, be ready to listen and ask questions. It was very intense.”

Highlights of the nonpartisan program, Wong Ah Sun said, included presentations by the founder of the institute, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson and a Zoom presentation by former New Jersey governor and presidential candidate, Chris Christie.

But nothing prepared Wong Ah Sun for what happened after orientation. Just weeks into his Washington placement with the office of U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, who represents California’s 24th Congressional District, the federal government shut down — a first for the Panetta internship and a major disruption for the cohort.

“Out of our 22-person group, 18 of us were furloughed,” Wong Ah Sun said. For the first 10 days, he was among them. But Carbajal and his office worked with the Panetta Institute to reclassify him as a fellow so he could legally continue reporting for duty. “I actually got the chance to keep on working during the entire shutdown,” he said. 

Working through the shutdown meant being immersed in the fast-paced, sometimes chaotic reality of daily congressional operations, Wong Ah Sun noted.

“There’s not a lot of downtime on the Hill,” he said. “It is chaos — foot on the gas the entire time. People coming in, people going out, meetings crammed in. Everyone is working. There’s no time for slackers.”

In Carbajal’s office, he learned the inner workings of constituent service and legislative support. His responsibilities included answering phones, processing and responding to batches of emails, assembling weekly reports on the legislation the congressman signed, and helping to schedule and lead Capitol tours for constituents.

The highlight, though, was being invited to sit in on a “fly-in” meeting with the full staff and the congressman. “I was sitting in the room with a U.S. representative as he talked through the plans for the week,” he said. “I feel very privileged to have been assigned to Rep. Carbajal’s office and felt included in everything that was happening.”

Most importantly, he said, he gained valuable insights into leadership and service, particularly from Panetta. “Being a leader isn’t about making everyone happy — it’s about doing what you think is right,” he said. “Seeing people on the Hill work so hard, even during the shutdown when they weren’t getting paid, showed me what commitment looks like.”

For students considering applying for the internship in the future, Wong Ah Sun’s advice is simple: “Please do it. You have nothing to lose,” he said. “They’re not looking for the most polished person. They’re looking for real, authentic people who are passionate about helping others. That’s really what it’s all about.”

After returning to academic life at CSUSB, he encourages other students to participate in causes they’re passionate about. “Get involved,” he said. “Be vocal about what you believe in. Have conversations, even the hard ones. That’s how real change happens.”