Cal-in-Sacramento

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...

Paola Castellanos Martinez

Class of 2025
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Paola Castellanos Martinez (She/Her)

Paola Castellanos Martinez is a first-generation Latina student at UC Berkeley majoring in Political Science and Chicanx Latinx Studies. Raised in the San Gabriel Valley and daughter of two working-class parents, she is motivated by her experiences of growing up in an underfunded community to address issues surrounding prison, housing, labor, and immigration reform.

In her last year at UC Berkeley, she focused her thesis on studying the relationship between being an undocumented student to...

Angie Castellon

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley Student Director
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Golden State Fellow
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

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 new life as a single, undocumented mom at the age of 17 years old. Since then, I worked various jobs in which I often saw people of my community get taken advantage of due to their undocumented status by the employers, as well as by our criminal and immigration systems. I often felt frustration more...

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...

Emily Chamale

Class of 2026
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

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 in political science and ethnic studies. Growing up in South LA, she observed the inadequate resources her community received. During her freshman year of high school, an Ethnic Studies class deepened Emily's connection with her history and identity, revealing a global cycle of enduring injustices...

Naydelin Chimil

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in DC Student Director
2025 Democracy Camp in DC
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2024 Democracy Camp in DC

Naydelin Chimil (she/her)

Passionate about the intersection of environmental and social justice, Naydelin Chimil, an indigenous woman majoring in society and environment, is a recent transfer student. Fueled by firsthand experiences of environmental and social injustice in her community, she actively advocates against systemic racism. With a relentless curiosity and commitment to public service, Naydelin contributes a unique perspective to public policy. As a former Youth City Council Member for City District 1 of Los Angeles, she brings a passion for further learning about...

Isabel Cholbi

Class of 2022
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

Isabel Cholbi is a UC Berkeley senior studying Political Economy. Her interests mainly lie in labor law and policy. She would like to pursue a career in public service where she can advocate for the rights of American workers and fight to address the injustices of the US labor system. In fall 2021, Isabel spent a term abroad at the University of Barcelona, which has given her an international perspective on government and society.

Isabel has previously interned with government offices and...

Joselen Contreras

Class of 2027
2025 Percy Undergraduate Grant
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
2024 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Joselen Contreras is an ambitious and determined individual who has recently started her freshman year at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been awarded the highly coveted Regents' and Chancellor Scholarship, which reflects her commitment to academic excellence. Majoring in public health, she is eager to make a significant impact on healthcare and community well-being.

Despite coming from humble beginnings, Joselen's upbringing instilled in her a sense of purpose and a strong drive to improve the lives of those who are often overlooked and...

Kristel Cosio

Class of 2023
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Kristel’s interest in medicine began as a child when her father's rare genetic disease caused blindness. His diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) ignited her passion for understanding the unseen world, how small life forms impact our daily lives. At UC Berkeley’s Herbert Wertheim’s School of Optometry and Vision Science Kristel is able to work at the Puthussery & Taylor Lab where she is a research assistant on leading therapeutics for RP.

As a senior she helps run the Outreach Taskforce, an umbrella under UC Berkeley’s Suitcase Clinic that provides resources for...