By Emma Lopez
If there is something that binds the Frontera Fellows interns, it is the love of the El Paso community.
This year’s cohort, which began the fellowship in May, works closely with Congresswoman Veronica Escobar’s campaign to learn about local and state government, regional history, and public service through meetings with community leaders and participation in hands-on civic engagement. The fellowship aims to build the next generation of leaders who are committed to uplifting the El Paso community.
Throughout the summer, these lessons were brought to life through a series of experiences that immersed the fellows in public service across the city. At one event, Texas state Rep. Mary González shared her experience going from education to politics and her current fight with local utility companies in the Texas Legislature.
Fellow Sophia Espinosa, a student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, was moved by her presentation and said, “I think her lesson on finding something that you’re excited about and passionate to change was important in understanding what drives people to make changes and continue the fight.”
On the local level, District 2 city Rep. Josh Acevedo offered an inside look at one of El Paso’s most debated issues, the proposed Meta data center, explaining how controversial decisions and differing perspectives can slow the policymaking process.
Fellows also heard from Socorro Independent School District Trustee Manny Rodriguez and El Paso ISD Trustee Mindy Sutton, who spoke about advocating for students and educators through public service. Drawing from her experience in public education, Sutton emphasized the importance of empathy when making decisions that affect the community.
For fellow Randall Barraza, those conversations taught him an important lesson. “It is not enough to simply understand policy. You also need to understand the people, their concerns, and the history of the community you serve,” he said.
Another fellow highlighted attending U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico’s town hall, where mentor Congresswoman Escobar introduced Talarico to the city of El Paso, as a major inspiration.
Fellow Paulina Ortega was moved by this moment, saying, “Hearing two amazing leaders speak about the future of Texas while sitting alongside other young people who want to make change reminded me why this work is so important and gave me hope for the future.”
These experiences provided fellows with a closer look at public service in action and inspired them to create solutions of their own within the El Paso community. As the culmination of the fellowship, fellows developed passion projects that address a range of community needs, from transportation accessibility and literacy to youth civic engagement and support for migrants and refugees.
They believe they can help improve the tapestry of Borderland community lives.
Project 1 – Annunciation House Community Drive
The Annunciation House Community Drive, led by Ortega with Daniela Avant-Mier, focuses on supporting the organization that works with migrants and immigrants by launching a community donation drive and placing collection boxes throughout El Paso.
This project addresses the need for continued support for organizations that provide essential services, like legal assistance, housing, and other resources for immigrant communities. Living in a border community, these fellows understand the importance of organizations like Annunciation House, Estrella del Paso, and Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center.
“We want to provide kindness and support to those vulnerable in the community and those dedicating their time to helping others. Success for us would mean making these organizations and their employees and volunteers feel appreciated and supported by their community,” Ortega said.
Community members can support the initiative by donating, volunteering, or learning more about the organizations that provide critical services to El Paso’s immigrant community.
Project 2 – Public Transportation Resource Guide
The Public Transportation Resource Guide, led by Kareena Ortiz with Pierro Aragones and Santiago Serrano, is a guide and presentation that explores El Paso’s public transportation system, identifies accessibility gaps, and offers recommendations to improve mobility, particularly in underserved and unincorporated areas.
Through maps, research, and community perspective, the project aims to inform residents about available transportation options and the level of impact by neighborhood. This project is a personal one, Ortiz said.
“We chose this project because of our own personal experiences with the local transportation system and navigating the city without a vehicle of our own. This includes the long wait times, limited access in certain areas, and the lack of convenience to move around the city,” she said.
Community members can support this initiative by exploring the resource guide, sharing feedback, and offering their own experiences with El Paso’s transportation system to help make the guide more inclusive.
Project 3 – 915 Reads
The 915 Reads project, led by Sophia Espinosa with YuHee Kim and Emma Lopez, is a community book drive benefiting local women’s and children’s organizations.
Along with collecting book donations, the fellows have created a resource guide, accessible through a QR code, that features public libraries, local bookstores, and El Paso authors to encourage reading and highlight local resources.
The fellows chose this project after hearing Rep. González share the impact of a reading challenge she organized for students in her district and the importance of addressing declining literacy rates.
“Our goal for this project would be to collect a number of books that could be given to a local child. Success could also look like creating a resource guide that creates a space for community members to find information about reading,” Espinosa said.
Community members can help this initiative by donating new or gently used books at collection boxes located at the El Paso Democratic Party Office, 1401 Montana Ave. Residents can also support the project by sharing the resource guide and continuing to support local bookstores, libraries, and authors throughout El Paso.
Project 4 – Youth Civic Engagement Initiative
The Youth Civic Engagement Initiative, led by Randall Barraza with Alina Varela, Sandra Lozano and Nathaly Riojas, is developing an Instagram page that will share local government and civic news in an accessible format for young people, while highlighting volunteer opportunities and community resources.
Through posts that break down important issues in an engaging, easy-to-understand format, the project aims to inform young El Pasoans while encouraging them to participate in their community through events, volunteer opportunities and local resources.
These fellows chose this project because they recognize that many young people care about issues affecting El Paso but may not always know where to find reliable information or how to get involved.
By using a platform many young people already inhabit, they hope to make civic participation feel more approachable.
“We want readers to know that youth engagement does not only mean voting. It can also mean attending a public meeting or simply learning who represents you,” Barraza said.
Community members can support this initiative by following @attentionandactepon on Instagram and sharing the page, as well as providing information about local events, volunteer opportunities, public meetings, and resources to help ensure the project reflects the needs of the El Paso community.
For more information on the Frontera Fellowship or how to apply for an internship, visit @veronicaescobartx on Instagram or https://escobar.house.gov/services/internships.htm.
Emma Lopez is an incoming political science student at The University of Texas at El Paso and was a Frontera Fellow for the 2026 cohort.
The post Opinion: Frontera Fellows turn public service lessons into projects for El Paso appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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