Joanna Ugalde is a senior at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Sociology. She is a first-generation college student, who was born and raised in Southern California as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, who came to the United States seeking better opportunities for their children.
Joanna’s journey has been shaped by overcoming numerous challenges, including breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. As a student parent of four children, she has navigated the complexities of balancing family life with her academic ambitions. Her personal experiences have helped stem her resilience, determination, and commitment to pursuing a meaningful career in law, and have fueled her passion for social justice and advocacy.
Throughout her academic career, Joanna has sought out opportunities to serve and mentor others. She has worked as an advisor at Oakland International High School, where she mentored immigrant and refugee students. There, she fostered a sense of inclusion and equity among newcomer immigrant students. She helped them thrive academically and initiated a college mentorship program to help students navigate the UC application system while also providing personal academic career counseling. Additionally, she worked as a paralegal and translator for over a decade, helping members of the Hispanic community navigate the complexities of the legal system.
At UC Berkeley, Joanna has taken a leadership role in creating a more inclusive environment for non-traditional students. She led the initiative to enhance the Golden Bear Orientation experience, ensuring it was more accessible for student parents and students with disabilities. Additionally, she founded an informal mentorship program that connects incoming student parents with active students to share resources and build community. Joanna’s dedication to improving the academic experiences of non-traditional and system-impacted students has also led to her involvement as a Disabled Student Program Scholar and Underground Scholar. She is actively working with her peers to develop initiatives that support these student populations.
In recognition of her commitment to public service, Joanna was selected as a Coca-Cola Gold Scholar. Currently, she is participating in the Spring 2025 UCDC program, where she looks forward to gaining first-hand experience in policy-making and contributing to impactful social change. She looks forward to being at the heart of our democratic system and learning from our society’s talented professionals.
Throughout her journey, Joanna has remained committed to helping others and using her experiences to inspire and uplift her community. She is passionate about using education and advocacy to create meaningful change and is pursuing a law degree to one day serve as an attorney advocating for Latino families.
Major(s): Sociology