Democracy Camp in Berkeley

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 a powerful tool and a rare opportunity.

As a dyslexic student in a system that wasn’t designed to accommodate learning differences, I faced unique challenges. I developed my own learning methods, which taught me the importance of research, resilience, and learning from failure. These...

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 opened her eyes to a multitude of the vast global issues that seem impossible to solve. The destruction of the environment and social injustice especially concerned Jessica, inspiring a drive to support social welfare and the conservation of nature. She hopes to explore how education, housing, public...

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 former foster youth have encouraged him to uplift communities, emphasizing the importance of equal opportunity and visibility.
Before transferring, he attended De Anza College. During his time, he was a senator for his student government, lobbied with assembly members and legislators in...

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 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...