Democracy Camp in DC

Sayeda Kulsoom Hasan

2023 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2023

Kulsoom Hasan is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing studies within the Travers Department of Political Science and the Goldman School of Public Policy. Her passion for public service was initially forged through community engagement at the local governmental level as a voter drive organizer and grassroots campaign canvasser. From there, her foray into legislative research and policy advocacy expanded as she further explored the interdisciplinary nature of politics and government through hands-on experience.

Her...

John Lam

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow & 2023 Democracy Camp DC Student Director
Class of 2023

John Lam is a first-generation transfer/reentry student at the University of California, Berkeley studying political science. He was born and raised in South Sacramento, CA to Vietnamese political refugees. Growing up in an under-resourced and underprivileged neighborhood made it difficult for him to imagine life out of poverty.

At the age of 17 he experienced the school-to-prison pipeline first hand. He found his political consciousness and passion rooted in the story and lives of those who are incarcerated and want to work toward criminal justice
...

Nouhamin Leoulekal

Class of 2025
2024 Democracy Camp in DC Student Director
2023 Democracy Camp in DC
Nouhamin Leoulekal is a first-generation college student, a child of immigrant parents, raised in the East Bay Area, California. She is a rising junior double majoring in Legal Studies and African-American Studies. Nouhamin’s research interests range from prison surveillance, data usage, femtorship, financial literacy, and much more. Her time at UC Berkeley has been invaluable, as she’s had the opportunity to research a few of her interests. She hopes to continue her journey with education upon graduation, to pursue her Juris Doctorate Degree, eventually working to serve...

Karen Esparza Lopez

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2023

Karen Esparza Lopez is first-generation Mexican Immigrant and former foster youth studying Political Science. During her time in foster care, she witnessed extreme injustices that many foster youth face in the child welfare system. She has seen the ways in which local and federal governments have both failed at meeting the needs of their underrepresented community members in the foster care system. She hopes to resolve these issues through a career in public service. She is most passionate about resolving issues regarding child welfare, social welfare,...

Fiza Mehmood

2023 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2023

As a first-generation student, I am committed to amplifying the voices of those who are not heard. I have spent my life on labels that the government often overlooks, such as low-income or people of color. I have completed research and interned for the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Mayor’s Office, and Sacramento’s District 3 Office. It was vital for me to have my voice heard and speak about issues the government was not interested in. During my time, I aided the Council in passing a legislative bill regarding plastic pollution. While working with City Hall, I realized how...

Ibrahim Mohyuddin

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2022

Ibrahim Abdul-Aziz Mohyuddin is a college senior studying Legal Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He grew up in a very tight-knit immigrant Muslim community in Tennessee where he had gotten to experience first hand the ways that ethnic immigrants and Muslims were treated in a southern, conservative state post-9/11. He has seen first hand how the government can be used to target minority communities; the Tennessee State Legislature being one of the few legislative bodies in the United States to not only introduce, but also pass an “Anti-Sharia...

Anthony Mondragon

2023 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2024

Raised by a single mother in a household of six siblings in Southern California, Anthony is passionate about creating solutions for formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, and marginalized communities. At an early age, Anthony was abandoned by his father and was forced to live in a heavily gang-infested area which led him to be incarcerated at a young age. Through this experience, he became acutely aware of policies that affect youth at a young age due to being forced to live in low-income communities with high crime rates. At UC Berkeley, Anthony, the first in his family to...

Yessica Mox

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2022

Yessica Mox is a Political Science major from Riverside, CA. She comes from a low-income community and has lived experiences that have shaped the type of work she would like to do in the future. She hopes to work in the public service sector and would like to one day attend law school. In the past, she has interned for a local nonprofit, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. She was part of the board of directors for Inside the Living Room, a student-led organization that helps students connect with internships at East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). In...

Daniel Munoz

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2023

Danny is a transfer student who identifies as re-entry, first-generation, and formerly incarcerated, among other marginalized populations. Raised in Oakland and San Leandro, California, a disadvantaged family dynamic has caused him a great deal of adversity. After decades of going back and forth to jail and a violent lifestyle, in 2016, Danny was shot five times. In 2018, Danny made the decision to pursue higher education, with goals of giving back to his community.

Now, as a Sociology Major and Public Policy Minor at UC Berkeley, Danny aspires to not
...

Bianca Torres Murray

2022 Democracy Camp DC Fellow
Class of 2024

Bianca is a proud Mexican-American from Echo Park, Los Angeles. Her ancestors’ grit and determination greatly inspire her. Also, Bianca is a second-year Ethnic Studies major who’s passionate about social justice and community engagement. Specifically, she’s interested in the intersections between race and public policy and how policy impacts peoples’ lives. Bianca has had many experiences working to change policies for the better. As a high schooler, after being denied the opportunity to run for a board seat on her local neighborhood council due to her...