LOS ANGELES, California – The California Latino Legislative Caucus Institute for Public Policy (CLCI) is pleased to announce the selection of its 6th class of Polanco Fellows. Named in honor of former California State Senator Richard G. Polanco, a founder and the chair of the Institute, the program provides leadership training and development for a select group of college graduates. With this newest class, there are now 33 Polanco Fellows including the class of Fellows currently working in the legislature in Sacramento. Due to the current economic downturn and the effects of the current state budget cuts, the Institute Board has decided to select three rather than six Fellows for this coming year.
In welcoming the new class of Fellows, Sen. Polanco said, “They are an excellent example of the caliber of people selected for this Fellowship. The Institute’s goal is to develop the next generation of leaders who will help guide California as it navigates the great public policy challenges of the 21st century. This year’s class includes individuals who have demonstrated leadership in their communities.”
Considered one of the premier public policy fellowships in the nation, the Polanco Fellowship is a yearlong placement that includes leadership training at the world-renowned Center for Creative Leadership in La Jolla, an annual Institute Orientation at UCLA, a four-month placement in a major state agency in Sacramento such as CalPERS and, then, the heart of the Fellowship, an eight-month placement in the Capitol office of a state legislator. While in the legislator’s office, Polanco Fellows carry legislation, staff the elected member and attend hearings on critical public policy issues. In addition to their placement, the Fellows create and manage a Community Service Project that provides a direct benefit to the greater Sacramento community and they also attend a weekly seminar taught by award-winning professors from the California State University, Sacramento. The Fellowship is funded through the generosity of the Institute’s Corporate Advisory Board including Amgen, AT&T, Chevron, Chrysler Corporation, Heineken USA, Kaiser Permanente, Nielsen Media Company, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Inc., Sempra Energy, Southern California Edison, Southwest Airlines, TELACU, and the Western States Petroleum Association.
This year’s Fellows are:
Trinidad Solis: Hometown: Salem, CA. University: Stanford University, BA Human Biology with Honors, 2007. Of special note: received the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for three years running; Chair of Chicanos in Healthcare at Stanford and was a Med Ed Scholar at Duke University.
Michael Castillo: Hometown: Los Angeles, CA. University: UC Davis, BA International Relations/Chicano Studies, 2007. Of special note: served as a judge for the California Academic Decathlon from 2004-2007
Ismael Herrera: Hometown: Mendota, CA. University: UC Irvine, BA, Sociology, 2007. MA, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2008. Of special note: received the David C. Lizarraga Graduate Fellowship
Established as a nonpartisan effort in 2002 by the California Latino Legislative Caucus, the California Latino Caucus Institute (CLCI) is a broad-based leadership development organization. The Latino Caucus Institute was created to fill a pressing need in our society for enlightened leadership and positive social transformation. The Institute is responding to the current economic and social challenges by being an incubator of ideas and ethical leadership. For more information, please go to www.cllcipp.org
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