Senior criminal justice major Mariela Solorzano completed a summer internship in central Mexico with the Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity Oaxaca (Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity Oaxaca), a civil organization that promotes the respect and practice of women's rights and gender equality. The agency's purpose is to influence legislators, to train and educate women regarding their rights, and to construct a society that is equitable and inclusive of all. During the internship, Mariela was involved with the judicial aspects of human rights defense and worked with the organization's attorneys. Through this, she learned how to assess public awareness of injustice and develop a plan to enhance public understanding and involvement in cases which are not adequately addressed by the criminal justice system. Mariela found the internship abroad to be extremely rewarding. She said, "This experience taught me so much about what it means to be a woman in a very sexist culture and also helped me perceive the sexism in my own country and how our legal system responds to this type of injustice." She added, "Having this opportunity to do an internship in another country has been one of the most unique things I have ever done. It taught me about the realities of being a lawyer and helped me refine my career goals."
