Cal-in-Sacramento

Alexis Aguilar

Class of 2022
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

My name is Alexis Aguilar, I am a fourth studying Conservation and Resource studies. At the age of seven years old, my mother and I fled our hometown in Michoacán, Mexico, escaping a life flustered by organized crime and violence. Throughout the course of my life, I’ve used these experiences to frame the mantra I live by; no matter what happens, never let it affect your education. As I navigate my undergraduate career at UC Berkeley, I proceed to valorize this notion while I forge my own path...

Matthew Aini

Class of 2025
2024 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Matt Aini is a campus junior pursuing a BA in Political Science and a BS in Business Administration. A lifelong resident of the East Bay city of Dublin, CA, Matt was curious at a young age about how fast-growing cities like Dublin managed their growth and used community development to improve the quality of life for community members. Borne out of this curiosity has been a mission to advance responsible land use to make communities more sustainable, affordable, and connected. Matt has been proudly serving his community as a member of the Dublin Planning Commission since 2022, where...

Deborah Adepeju Alagbada

Class of 2024
2024 Democracy Camp in DC
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Golden State Fellow

Deborah Alagbada is a first-generation Nigerian-American majoring in Legal Studies and Sociology with a minor in Ethnic Studies. She was raised by her immigrant parents in Watts, a low-income neighborhood primarily occupied by Black and Latinx communities. Growing up, she witnessed a lot of inequalities streaming from a lack of resources and inadequate funding. Deborah hopes to use her degree to help amplify the voices of those who have been silenced for too long. By continuing the fight against injustice for everyone facing inequalities and...

Andrea Anahi Ayala

Class of 2024
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento

Andrea Ayala is a first-generation Mexican-American student at UC Berkeley studying Rhetoric. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to go to law school. Ayala's interest in public service was sparked by her experience working in student government at her previous community college and completing a fellowship with the ACLU of Northern California.

Ayala is motivated to help improve the lives of her community members that are often underrepresented and overlooked. During her time in the Cal-in-Sac program, Ayala hopes to gain additional first-hand...

Shaily Bajracharya

Class of 2023
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

My name is Shaily Bajracharya. I am a third year student studying Psychology, Data Science and minoring in Education. I was born in Nepal and lived there for 14 years. I moved to the US in 2016 and faced multiple challenges transitioning to the US high school system. It was especially challenging to navigate the US college application system as a first generation, low income student of color. My experiences in my schools here and in Nepal made me inspired to work in the field of education to...

Juan Pablo Blanco

Class of 2024
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2024 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

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 communities for students in college. At UC Berkeley, Juan Pablo founded Unbox’d, a mental health awareness organization that offers students mindfulness resources.

Juan Pablo plans to attend law school, work in-house counsel, and start an immigration law firm. Coming from an immigrant...

Daniel Bui

Class of 2023
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento

Daniel Bui is currently a fourth year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. Born in Oakland to two Vietnamese refugees, he has experienced hardships faced by working-class households, communities of color and refugees in the area. With so many aspects of his life being shaped by government programs and initiatives, he holds a deep passion for exploring public policy and governance—particularly in areas regarding affordable housing, education equity, and socioeconomic mobility. Daniel hopes to one day serve and connect marginalized communities with...

Sidney Carrigan

Class of 2023
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

Sidney Carrigan is a third year student completing her B.A. in Legal Studies along with minors in Disability Studies and Public Policy. Throughout her life, she has witnessed her mother struggle to comprehend the intricate legal system that governs her autistic brother’s life. Her early experiences with disability rights law and advocacy developed into a passion for alleviating the burdens of others, specifically by means of legal support. Through an internship with Harvard Law School’s Legal...

Jasmine Lozano Castillo

Class of 2024
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
2024 Jo Freeman Women in Politics Fellow

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 race and the law minor, which have catered to and refined her passions for social justice, advocacy, community development, civic engagement, intellectual evolution, and educational and professional prosperity.

As her passion for social justice and public service is strongly embedded in her professional and personal goals, during...

Lesly Castro

Class of 2023
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

Lesly Castro is currently a student at UC Berkeley hoping to receive a degree in Legal Studies with a minor in Public Policy. She is a first-generation college student from Salinas, CA. As someone who is the daughter of immigrant parents, and as a person who has first-hand witnessed the hardships of her family and community, she feels it is important to address and bring awareness to the necessities of underrepresented communities. Lesly is most passionate about immigration, education...