A semester at the White House: Palm Desert High graduate returns from Washington, D.C.

Isabella Mazet recently finished an internship at a place most people never get to step foot in.

Her routine at the office commenced promptly at 9 a.m. everyday, and some of her tasks included managing her team's mailbox, overseeing the prior day's projects and having regular check-ins with her supervisor — a series of seemingly typical responsibilities for an intern.

However, her role was anything but typical on the days she spent preparing for the Australian prime minister's official state visit to Washington, D.C., or watching President Joe Biden pardon a turkey for the annual pre-Thanksgiving tradition on the White House's South Lawn.

Since the age of 13, the 19-year-old Palm Desert High School alumna has been entrenched in the world of politics, fueled by a dream of becoming an attorney that she's held onto since she was merely 3. ("I think I liked wearing suits and heels," she said.)

This past fall semester, she finally made it to the White House — for a coveted paid internship with the Vice President's Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, "which basically means that we engaged with ... governors, mayors, city council members, state senators, state representatives and then obviously, the general public," she said. "I helped to turn legislation that nobody can understand and make it accessible to the general public. It was really incredible because we were pretty much the forward-facing office of the vice president's team."

'You're here, you made it, you're in'

Mazet, who goes by Bella, is a second-year student double majoring in political science and history at Emory University in Atlanta. She learned she was accepted into the White House Internship Program in July 2023 while interning for Rep. Katie Porter, D-Orange County.

"I found out in the office on one of my last days," she said. "Obviously there's a lot of steps being onboarded to the White House, and so when I got my final confirmation, it was a sigh of relief and joy. I was just very happy."

Fast forward to her first day at the White House in September, when Mazet and her peers were reminded of their well-deserved accomplishment: "You're here, you made it, you're in," said Ayanna Kelly, the director of White House Internship Program. Mazet found solace in this statement, a much-needed reminder for someone who self-identifies as a "professionally stressed person" due to her razor-sharp focus on her career development.

Mazet recognized that she hadn't previously found herself among such a diverse range of peers, all of whom were representative of various educational backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths and ties to citizenship.

"As we enter into a new generation, as the workforce changes, it is very important that we continue to hold diversity as a priority," she said. "And so it was an incredible experience being able to talk to the most diverse group of people I've ever been around."

At the time of Mazet's arrival, Vice President Kamala Harris was set to embark on the month-long "Fight for Our Freedoms" college tour, which touched on key issues that impact young people across the country — "from reproductive freedom and gun safety to climate action, voting rights, LGBTQ+ equality and book bans," according to a release from the Office of the Vice President.

"To talk about so many issues that I find near and dear to my heart was something that I was very passionate about," Mazet said. "We engaged with so many students, student leaders, and people who have never had the opportunity to engage with people anywhere near the level of governance as the vice president."

Mazet experienced one of many full-circle moments during her internship, but one particular highlight was when she read about the college tour initiative in the POLITICO Playbook, a newsletter she's read every morning since the seventh grade.

"It felt so good that my project was in the newsletter that I have read — that millions of people read — for the first time ever," she said. "I think I cried in the Metro. I sent a screenshot to my parents because, you know, this has been something that has been part of my daily life."

Spending the semester working for the White House also came with its perks.

"Interns get one state arrival and mine was Australia," she said, recalling the prime minister's arrival. "There's nothing like gathering on the South Lawn with thousands of Americans (waving U.S. flags) who are just so excited to see their president and all of our dignitaries lined up like that."

She also enjoyed attending the Christmas tree lighting and the menorah lighting ceremonies, "but the turkey pardoning (on President Joe Biden's birthday) was just so funny," she said. "And it was the day that the cake photo came out."

She did get to briefly meet President Biden — "a quick hello" — and also met Vice President Harris, but Mazet was reluctant to share specifics. What she will share, however, was "that the vice president is incredible and her priorities are, I think, genuine," she said. "Being exposed to the government from Washington, D.C. and working for her team — incredible, hard-working people who care so much — I think I'm more hopeful than I was previously.”

'Professionally raised' by Congressman Raul Ruiz

Mazet's journey into politics began as an intern for Congressman Raul Ruiz in August 2018 through November 2022.

"We like to joke that I was one of the most senior people in the office as an intern because I was there for so long," she said. "I really grew up in that office. Dr. Ruiz raised me professionally and has given me a very good representation of what, at one point, I would like to be and take his lessons to heart in terms (of how he serves his community)."

Mazet strongly encourages young people to nurture relationships with "the incredible people in their lives who could make incredible mentors to them," she said. "When someone can make calls for you, when someone can attest to your character ... and they just want to see you grow, it's invaluable." It's how she feels she got to where she is today.

During her time at the White House, her worlds merged when she shared breakfast with Ruiz and the vice president's legislative director at the West Wing restaurant. "There was nothing more incredible than having my mentor meet my new colleague and boss," she said. "It was such a fulfilling moment."

A return to community-led issues and service

Mazet views her White House internship as the culmination of a six-year journey that has afforded her the opportunity to engage with lesser-known but equally crucial community organizations. "I'm both Jewish and Hispanic, and I'm a college student," she said, "and so I really care about working with my communities and the things that impact me directly."

In high school, she drafted a bill after researching funding disparities on student transportation at Coachella Valley Unified School District, and so she's keen to return to her policy roots.

"I think it's very important that when you're serving in a government role, particularly one as high as the White House, all your goals lead back to home," she said. "Obviously, it's where I've grown up. It's where my siblings still go to school. It's where my parents teach (at PDHS). I like to dedicate everything that I am to (the Coachella Valley) and the public education system."

Mazet added: "There's also a lot of unrest amongst people. Whether that be antisemitism, Islamophobia or hatred of any group of people, now more than ever, it's time to fight the general hate that is going on in the United States," she said.

Right now, she's gearing up to resume her studies at Emory University later this month for the spring semester, and she's diving in with a course load of 18 credits this semester.

"The outlook that I have had is I'm going to embrace my California heritage and go back to school and chill for a bit," she said with a laugh. "At least until (the election in) 2024."

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert High alumna returns from a semester at the White House