Schaeffer Fellowship

Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service

Danielle Mitchell

Class of 2027
2026 Democracy Camp Student Director
2026 Matsui Center Student Director
2026 Schaeffer Fellowship
2026 Democracy Camp in DC
2025 Democracy Camp in DC

Danielle Mitchell (she/her)

Danielle Mitchell is a Fiat Lux scholar at the University of California, Berkeley studying Political Science. Coming from a first-generation background in Los Angeles, she developed an early interest in public policy and how national decisions shape the experiences of local communities.

Danielle is dedicated to building community and expanding access for Black students on campus. She serves as the President of the Black Pre-Law Association, where she leads initiatives focused on mentorship, professional development, and...

Amelia Monsour

Class of 2026
2026 John Gardner Fellowship
2025 Schaeffer Fellowship
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
2024 Jo Freeman Women in Politics Fellow
2023 Democracy Camp Berkeley Fellow

Amelia Monsour is a senior majoring in political science and sociology with a minor in public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. A proud graduate of Los Angeles public schools, Amelia is passionate about addressing inequities in education and supporting California’s public school system. She is also passionate about addressing economic inequality and hopes to pursue a career in public service and law to advocate for economic justice and educational equity.

Throughout her time at UC Berkeley, Amelia has continued to develop her interest in public...

Yessica Mox

Class of 2022
2022 Democracy Camp in DC
2021 Schaeffer Fellowship
2021 Matsui Local Government Fellowship

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...

Jaden Nguyen

Class of 2027
2026 Schaeffer Fellowship

Jaden Nguyen is a third-year transfer student at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Political Science. Raised in a Vietnamese immigrant family in the Inland Empire, his early interactions with government services shaped a commitment to building public services that are accessible, fair, and responsive to the communities they serve.

He currently serves as a Communications Intern in the Office of California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, conducting research on higher education, equitable policy, international relations, and environmental protections that...

Chloe Park

2023 Schaeffer Fellowship

Having grown up in the Albany-Berkeley area her whole life, Chloe is passionate and fond of the Bay Area’s urban spaces—the bustling culture, events, and diversity. However, along with urbanism often comes a heap of social issues—including discrimination, poverty, and housing crises—that have severely impacted the Bay Area’s vulnerable communities. As a result of her close proximity to these issues, Chloe is striving to learn about the complexities and causes of these urban issues, as well as discover the ways that policy, city planning, and data analysis can address them. At UC Berkeley,...

Janet Mendoza-Partida

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp Student Director
2025 Democracy Camp in DC
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Ken Burt Fellow
2024 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Democracy Camp in DC

Janet Mendoza-Partida (She/They)

Janet Mendoza-Partida is a rising senior at the University of California, Berkeley studying Legal Studies and Chicanx/Latinx studies. She was born and raised in Watsonville, California by Mexican migrant agricultural workers. While in high school she volunteered at multiple elementary and middle schools around her community, leading her to understand the many disparities predominantly impacting students of color. Working with students in her community she realized the barriers in accessing adequate...

Valeria Pasillas

Class of 2026
2025 Schaeffer Fellowship
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento

Valeria is a first-generation Mexican-American student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Political Science with a double minor in Education and Public Policy. Proudly raised in Fresno, California, in the heart of the Central Valley, she is the eldest of five children and the daughter of immigrant farmworkers. Valeria’s passion lies at the intersection of politics, education, and advocating for young, low-income students.

During the summer of 2024, Valeria interned at Bay Area Legal Aid in Richmond, where she served as a paralegal student intern. Bay Area Legal Aid provides critical
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Kiara Price

Class of 2027
2026 Schaeffer Fellowship

Kiara Price is a pre-law student pursuing a double major in both Political Science and African American Studies with an emphasis on prison reform. Growing up in a systems-impacted household in Orange, California, she quickly developed a deep passion for engaging with her community in meaningful and tangible ways.

At UC Berkeley, Kiara has found herself constantly drawn to leadership, research, and advocacy at the intersection of law and social change. She has held key roles within ASUC Student Government, serving as Co-Deputy Executive and Chief of Staff, where she worked to support...

Karla Vicencio Ramirez

Class of 2026
2026 Percy Undergraduate Grant
2026 Schaeffer Fellowship
2025 Democracy Camp in DC
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Karla Vicencio Ramirez (she/her)

Karla Vicencio Ramirez is a first generation Latina, double majoring in Legal Studies and Sociology. Born and raised in the Inland Empire city of San Bernardino to Mexican immigrant parents, she has witnessed firsthand seeing her parents and community members often struggle due to underrepresentation at the city and state level. Through these experiences and observations, she developed an interest in ways to advocate for her community and become involved in addressing issues such as educational inequality and economic disparities. Karla...

Brayan Ramos

2023 Schaeffer Fellowship

Brayan is a first-generation Mexican 3rd-year college student at UC Berkeley, the son of a migrant field worker and construction worker, from South Sacramento, California. Proudly of Michoacán diaspora, Brayan is committed to working to empower working-class, immigrant communities.


In South Sacramento, Brayan has worked on various community-oriented projects centered around equity including as a member of the Grants Advisory Board for the Youth (GABY) in partnership with the City of Sacramento. GABY has worked historically in the South Sacramento area to
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