Labor Profile: Paola Encarnacion, DC JWJ Intern

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

“Determination is my key to success,” declares D.C. Jobs with Justice intern Paola Encarnacion (below), “everyone tells me I am going to be just like (Supreme Court nominee) Sonia Sotomayor and make history.” The Dominican Republic native -- who’s lived in Washington for the past two years -- graduated this past year from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School where she actively participated after school in the District’s Department of Employment Services inter-school program. Through the D.O.E.S inter-school program, Encarnacion worked with many local non-profits, including the Latin American Youth Center, D.C. Access Language Coalition, and the Empower Youth Network, as well as connecting Encarnacion with her current internship with D.C. Jobs with Justice. “This summer, I have been assisting DC Jobs with Justice in organizing area day laborers,” says Encarnacion. “I have also been helping victims of wage theft and am generating turnout for local demonstrations and events.” This Fall, Encarnacion will attend Ohio Northern University where she plans on majoring in English, with a minor in Spanish. “I really enjoy helping people,” adds Encarnacion. – report/photo by Boaz Young-El, AFL-CIO Union Summer Intern