Richard Ming Zeng
Richard Zeng is a freshman at UC Berkeley, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Political Science. During high school, he graduated with academic honors as the top male student in his class. He demonstrated leadership by founding clubs that served suburban and rural communities, focusing...Read more about Richard Ming Zeng
Irene Sheen
Irene Sheen is a first-year student, intending to major in political science. Born and raised in Southern California to an immigrant mother, Irene fostered her interest in social activism and civic engagement during her early youth. Feeling particularly passionate about reproductive justice and...Read more about Irene Sheen
Lesly Silva Rosales
My name is Lesly Silva Rosales and I am a first generation Mexican American. I grew up in a low-income household and was instilled with the value of education and hard work from a young age. My immigrant parents always encouraged me to make a positive difference in people's lives and for that...Read more about Lesly Silva Rosales
Luis David Suarez
My name is Luis David Suarez Cabrera, and I am a first-year pre-law Business Administration and Public Policy student at the University of California, Berkeley. I was born and raised in Ecuador until the age of 12. Ecuador is a beautiful country that has seen many social, economic, and political...Read more about Luis David Suarez
Rebecca Banos Conde
Rebecca Banos Conde is a first-generation Peruvian-American with an intended major in Political Economy and a minor in Public Policy. Raised in Inglewood, California, neighboring the city of Los Angeles, and as the daughter of an undocumented, single mother, she witnessed firsthand the...Read more about Rebecca Banos Conde
Emely Abad Castillo
My hometown, South Central Los Angeles, faces institutional disparities impacting Black, Indigenous, People of color (BIPOC) communities. From an early age, I repeatedly witnessed challenges of living in a historically redlined community where many encounter hardships of criminalization, housing...Read more about Emely Abad Castillo
Harold Morales-Navas
Harold Morales-Navas (he/him)
As the child of immigrants from Central America, Harold Morales-Navas is a young and enthusiastic character who is currently a freshman at UC Berkeley. As a double major in media studies and sociology, Harold aims to pursue a...Read more about Harold Morales-Navas
Iris De Leon
Iris De Leon (she/her)
Iris De Leon is a first-generation student at UC Berkeley. As a first year with an intended political science major, she is determined to work for immigrant advocacy, and uplifting students’ voices. Being raised in Los Angeles, Iris has made it her...Read more about Iris De Leon
Aanya Mishra
Aanya Mishra, an immigrant who grew up in the Midwest, is currently a student at UC Berkeley, where she is pursuing a double major in Molecular Biology and Business. She is passionate about the intersection of public policy, science, and health equity and aspires to attend either law school or...Read more about Aanya Mishra
Lauren Francisco
Although born to Filipino immigrant nurses, Lauren’s professional interests could not be any more different. At a young age, she developed a passion for leadership, public speaking and public service, leading her to become an active member of her local LA community— spearheading an annual...Read more about Lauren Francisco
Guadalupe Garcia Lopez
Guadalupe Garcia Lopez (he/him) is a first-generation transfer student majoring in Political Science with a specialization in Empirical Analysis and Quantitative Methods, and minoring in Data Science. At UC Berkeley, he is a Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar and a Yardi Scholar, dedicated to...Read more about Guadalupe Garcia Lopez
Christian Dieguez
Christian Dieguez is an ambitious third year student studying Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. Being raised in Los Angeles, California, Christian has become passionate about creating solutions to immigration challenges, primarily in obtaining citizenship and keeping...Read more about Christian Dieguez
Christopher Blu Lopez
Christopher Blu is a first-generation transfer student from San Jose, CA. He is majoring in Political Science with a specialization in American Politics and minoring in Political Economy. Adopted at the age of 1 and raised primarily by his grandmother, his experiences of being a low-income and...Read more about Christopher Blu Lopez
Emily Chamale
Emily Yazury Chamale Hernandez (she/her)
Born in Guatemala and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Emily's experiences have shaped her into a driven and passionate advocate for positive change. She is a first-generation student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a double major...Read more about Emily Chamale
Lara Zangana
Lara Zangana (she/her)
Lara Zangana is a first-generation undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a double major in Society and Environment and Conservation and Resource Studies. With a strong passion for equitable business practices,...Read more about Lara Zangana
Ella Jaravata
Ella Jaravata is a third-year transfer student studying Political Science. From San Diego originally, she would like to pursue a public service career centered around advocating for environmental, labor and social justice policy. Her interest in politics was ignited in High School, creating a...Read more about Ella Jaravata
Esmeralda Mora
Esme Nuno Mora (she/her/ella) is a first-generation, low-income, third-year transfer student from Norco Community College, now studying Sociology at UC Berkeley.
As a youth advocate with John Burton Advocates for Youth, Esme works to create pathways to higher education for unaccompanied...Read more about Esmeralda Mora
Shakira Khonje
I grew up in Malawi, where education—especially for girls—is often seen as a privilege. My guardians valued education deeply, and my grandmother, despite being restricted by patriarchal traditions, attained the highest level of education available to her. This shaped my view of education as both...Read more about Shakira Khonje
Nirvana Hannah
Nirvana Hannah (She/Her)
Nirvana Hannah is a senior transfer student from Santa Ana, CA, majoring in political science and minoring in disability studies. As a disabled, low-income, queer woman raised in an underprivileged community, Nirvana is passionate about housing stability and...Read more about Nirvana Hannah
Natalia Rios
Hi, I’m Natalia Rios (she/her/ella). I’m a first-gen, low-income, third-year transfer student from Las Positas Community College, majoring in Sociology at Cal. I’m passionate about public service, education reform, and business development, with a focus on equity and systemic change. After...Read more about Natalia Rios
Marisol Medina
Marisol Medina, a child of Mexican immigrants, is a first-generation college student. She is a second-year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. She grew up in Inglewood, California, neighboring the city of Los Angeles, which inspired her to advocate for more...Read more about Marisol Medina
Marisa Buenrostro
Marisa comes from a Mexican-American background- grounded in the intersections of gratitude, pride, and community. She is motivated by those around her to pursue her passion of working for the betterment of public service by giving back to the people that gave so much to her including the...Read more about Marisa Buenrostro
Angie Castellon
Angie Castellon (she/her)
As an undocumented individual, growing up I faced a lot of struggles. I came to this country as a child, not knowing the obstacles that being undocumented would create for my future. After high school, there were not many options for me as I faced a...Read more about Angie Castellon
Marcus Chavez
Marcus Chavez is from the small city of Dinuba in California's Central Valley. He is a fourth-year transfer student studying at UC Berkeley. After getting his associate's degree from the College of Sequoias, he transferred to UC Berkeley to major in legal studies. From an early age, Marcus has...Read more about Marcus Chavez
Annmarie Le
Annmarie Le (she/her)
Annmarie Le was raised in a Southern California immigrant household by hardworking and resilient parents who started from scratch. She has always been passionate about learning and hopes to research foreign policy and international...Read more about Annmarie Le
Cristal Amezcua
Cristal Amezcua (she/her)
Cristal is a first-generation Latine student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Political Science. She was raised in the California Central Valley and attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California prior to transferring to Cal....Read more about Cristal Amezcua
Anahi Valverde
My name is Anahi Valverde, and I’m the proud daughter of undocumented immigrants who grew up in California’s Central Valley. My family’s sacrifices and resilience have shaped who I am and fueled my passion for advocating for immigrant rights and creating spaces where marginalized communities...Read more about Anahi Valverde
Alma Castillo
Alma Castillo is a first-generation, low-income, second-year student at UC Berkeley from South Central Los Angeles. At Cal, she is a part of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Disabled Students Program (DSP), and Biology Scholars Program (BSP). She also...Read more about Alma Castillo
Thin Rati Oo
As a recipient of the Generation Change Scholarship, Thin Rati Oo (she/her) is an incoming first-generation senior at the University of California-Berkeley, majoring in Public Health with a minor in Public Policy and an Asian American Community Health Certificate. Next semester, Thin will be...Read more about Thin Rati Oo
Erkki Forster
Erkki Forster (he/him)
Erkki Forster was born in Berlin, raised in Zurich and Tokyo, and moved to Los Angeles as a teenager in 2016. It was during this transformative journey that his insatiable curiosity for global affairs and politics drove him to immerse himself in...Read more about Erkki Forster
Star Avila
As a first-generation student coming from a low-income background, it has always been a goal of mine to give back to the community that raised me and taught me the values that I hold dear today. Growing up as a child of Mexican and Honduran parents, my identity has shaped how I value and...Read more about Star Avila
Aisha Elbgal
Aisha Elbgal is a first-generation Muslim Yemeni-American with an intended major in Social Welfare. She was born and raised in Oakland, California where she has witnessed a plethora of issues engulf her beloved city coupled with the lack of action at the hands of those in power. This...Read more about Aisha Elbgal
Jocelyn Alexander
Hi, I’m Jocelyn Alexander. I am a freshman, I will be majoring in Public Health at UC Berkeley. I’m a first-generation and low-income woman of color part of EOP, and NavCal. I am an intern for Health Career Pathways where I devised a project on helping the unemployed find jobs. I’m also an...Read more about Jocelyn Alexander
Mina Boukhris
Mina Boukhris (she/her)
My name is Mina Boukhris, and I am a second-year student at UC Berkeley majoring in legal studies with a minor in city planning. I am passionate about using city planning policy to create more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable built...Read more about Mina Boukhris
Angelo Raga
Angelo Raga (he/him)
Angelo Raga is an aspiring public servant and a fourth-year student majoring in political science. Growing up with friends disadvantaged by race and class and surrounded by talk of such increasingly prominent political issues as...Read more about Angelo Raga
Tonya DeGruy
Tonya DeGruy (she/her)
Tonya DeGruy is a non-traditional transfer student at the University of California, Berkeley in her second semester. Tonya was raised in the city of Los Angeles with a single mom. Being a non-traditional student returning to...Read more about Tonya DeGruy
Chelsea Kawamura
Chelsea Kawamura (she/her)
Chelsea hopes to ensure that every student, regardless of background, has an equal opportunity to thrive in a dynamic learning environment where technological advancements are seamlessly integrated into educational...Read more about Chelsea Kawamura
Angel Tlachi
Angel Tlachi (they/them)
Angel Tlachi is majoring in political science and Spanish, and is on the Pre-Law track, with an interest in immigration reform. Born in Oakland, and raised in an immigrant household, Angel was aware of the extensive and difficult process...Read more about Angel Tlachi
Jennifer Ramirez
Jennifer Ramirez is a first-generation Latina studying Economics and Public Policy at UC Berkeley from the Bay Area. Growing up in a mixed-status household, she experienced first-hand the hardships Latinx immigrant families faced, such as the struggle to...Read more about Jennifer Ramirez
Axel Contreras
Axel Contreras (he/him)
Axel Contreras is a current student in UC Berkeley hoping to obtain a degree in political science. He is a first-generation transfer student from Union City, CA. Growing up as the son of immigrant parents, he has witnessed how effects of decisions from...Read more about Axel Contreras
Christian Aleman
Christian Jared Aleman is a Bay Area native who grew up in San Francisco and the East Bay. With his various academic experiences, he is interested in the advancement of educational rights for historically marginalized students within California and beyond.
As a student...Read more about Christian Aleman
Elena Hsieh
Elena Hsieh (she/her)
Elena Hsieh is a third year from San Diego studying English and conservation & resource studies, with a minor in politics, philosophy, and law. Within these spheres of interest, she is most passionate about environmental litigation...Read more about Elena Hsieh
Jasmine Lozano
Jasmine Lozano (she/her)
Raised in the San Joaquin Central Valley, Jasmine is passionate about advocating for others, herself, and her community through academic, social, and legislative forums. She is a political science and ethnic studies double major with a...Read more about Jasmine Lozano
Juan Pablo Blanco
Raised in a modest family of five, Juan Pablo Blanco is passionate about some of the most pressing issues confronting working-class Californians. As a senior studying political science at UC Berkeley, Juan Pablo is mental health advocate who recognizes the importance of empowering...Read more about Juan Pablo Blanco
Jasmine Esquivel
Hello, my name is Jasmine Esquivel. I am a first-generation low-income student here at Cal. I am a sophomore majoring in Social Welfare and intending to minor in Ethnic Studies, and I am part of the EOP and DSP program. On campus, I am currently a NavCal mentor where I help other...Read more about Jasmine Esquivel
Leticia Reyes
Leticia Michelle Reyes Moreno (she/her)
My name is Leticia Michelle Reyes, and I am currently in my fourth year at Cal majoring in political science. I am a first-generation college student, come from a low-income background, and am the daughter of undocumented...Read more about Leticia Reyes
Martha Haddis
Martha Haddis (she/her)
My name is Martha Haddis I am a first-generation, African American, 4th year transfer student from San Jose, CA. I am majoring in political science with a public policy minor. During my time at Cal, I have continued to enhance my networking and...Read more about Martha Haddis
Sherwin Ho
Sherwin Ho (he/him)
My name is Sherwin Ho. I’m a senior double majoring in molecular cell biology and psychology. Slightly disillusioned with the content of my majors, I’m looking to explore as many career paths as possible, with my current interests...Read more about Sherwin Ho
Rosie Echeverria
Rosie Echeverria was born and raised in East Hollywood, Los Angeles in a Central American immigrant household and she is a first-generation...Read more about Rosie Echeverria
Gurleen Kaur
Gurleen Kaur is a third-year undergraduate transfer student double majoring in Psychology and Legal Studies.
...Read more about Gurleen KaurKatie DaQuino
Katie DaQuino is a fourth year student studying Political Science, with minors in Public Policy and Interdisciplinary Human Rights Studies. She is the president of Cal Habitat for Humanity, a community service club that aims to give students opportunities to volunteer in the local...Read more about Katie DaQuino
Angelica Aban
Angelica Aban is the oldest of three daughters from an immigrant family in Temecula, California. While at Berkeley, she became particularly interested in the role that the law, access to healthcare, and a high-quality education can play in expanding access and...Read more about Angelica Aban
Anna Maria Diaz
Anna is passionate about serving underserved communities through the lens of the law and legal system. As a Berkeley Peter E. Haas Public Service Leader, she worked for Bay Area JusticeCorps, where she helps self-represented litigants navigate the legal system by providing legal information...Read more about Anna Maria Diaz
Kate Inman
Kate Inman is a third-year transfer student studying Political Economy and Society & the Environment. As a local Bay Area native, she has grown up in a diverse community and found passion through service early on in her life. Motivated by strong women...Read more about Kate Inman
Robson Swift
Robson is a rising senior double majoring in Sociology and Political Science. He wants to
...Read more about Robson SwiftNatalie Gonzalez
Natalie Gonzalez is a first-generation undergraduate senior at UC Berkeley. Natalie is majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in Human Rights. She is currently working on her senior thesis through the Legal Studies Honors Program and working as a research assistant for a Postdoc at Brown...Read more about Natalie Gonzalez
Ivy (Jiayu) Fang
Jiayu Fang is a senior majoring in Sociology. She was born in China and moved to the U.S. with her mother and younger sister in 2017, after which she assumed the role of family translator and learned to navigate a foreign system with a language barrier. Hoping to get involved with local...Read more about Ivy (Jiayu) Fang
Peter Coe
Peter Coe is a third-year undergraduate studying Political Science and Public Policy at UC Berkeley. He is currently rebuilding the UC Berkeley SunRise Movement Club to leverage membership to motivate local and national politicians to champion environmental policies. The Sunrise movement is a "...Read more about Peter Coe
Randy Cantz
Randy Cantz is a senior at UC Berkeley pursuing a degree in History and a minor in Public Policy. He is focused on gaining critical insights into the measures necessary to institute salient and long-lasting policies at state and national levels. An active member of his school’s...Read more about Randy Cantz
Somdeng Danny Thongsy
My name is Somdeng Danny Thongsy, I am a 1st-gen, low-income, transfer student from Laney College. I am also a system-impacted community leader. I’m majoring in Sociology in my senior year. I'm a part of many communities on campus, such as Underground Scholar, Nav Cal, DSP, HOPE...Read more about Somdeng Danny Thongsy
Maxwell Stern
Maxwell is a sophomore student at UC Berkeley studying Political Economy. He has been interested in public service since serving as student body president in 8th grade. His history of public service and government includes YMCA Youth and Government, Alameda County District...Read more about Maxwell Stern
Kassandra Ruiz
My name is Kassandra Ruiz and I am a third year majoring in Media Studies. On campus, I am the Director of Finance for The Bearettes, a majorette style dance team, where I network with donors and fundraise for our team. I am also part of the Latino Business Student Association Internal...Read more about Kassandra Ruiz
Jessica Josette Lin Tupas
Growing up moving homes often, Jessica maintained her education regardless of the distance. She saw the importance her parents’ placed on quality education, translating their practices into her own beliefs, further confirmed during her time at high school. Through high school, she...Read more about Jessica Josette Lin Tupas
Hildeberto Venegas
Hildeberto Venegas is a fourth year transfer student majoring in Political Economy and minoring in Public Policy. He was born in Oaxaca, Mexico but grew up in Napa, California after his family decided to immigrate to the US in 2008. The hardships his family and community...Read more about Hildeberto Venegas
Ayline Ruelas
Ayline Ruelas is a 22-year-old first generation college student. She grew up watching both her parents having multiple jobs to make ends meet. It wasn’t until she decided to take advantage of her education at community college despite feeling uncertain and lost whether education was...Read more about Ayline Ruelas