Growing up in the Sacramento area, Alejandro experienced the effects of prolonged droughts and wildfires. In his neighborhood outdoor space, Alejandro noticed that the droughts had dried out the seasonal creek bed and the “green” outdoor area became more of a prolonged “yellow” space. In response, his family increasingly became concerned with limiting their resource consumption and electrifying their home. Although these experiences were not unique to him, Alejandro...
Placement:UC Federal Government Relations (Legislative Internship)Placement Location: Washington, DC
Yajaira Arroyo is a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture. As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants and a native of Oxnard, California, growing up in a mixed-legal status household has shaped her passion for public service, particularly in pathways to higher education and immigration reform.
Placement: USAID’s Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs Placement Location: Washington, D.C.
Naz Balkam is a first-generation Ethiopian-American studying Political Science at UC Berkeley. As a life-long Oakland resident and the daughter of two working-class Ethiopian immigrants, she has seen the ways in which the government has both failed and succeeded in addressing the socio-economic issues impacting low-income communities and communities of color. Her upbringing has guided her towards a career in serving these communities. Throughout her time at UC...
Placement: Rep. Adam Schiff - Burbank District Office Mentor: Colleen Oinuma
Rosie Echeverria was born and raised in East Hollywood, Los Angeles in a Central American immigrant household and she is a first-generation, low-income, EOP, DSP, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ student at UC Berkeley. She went to Santa Monica College (SMC) for about two and a half years then transferred and moved to UC Berkeley in Fall 2020, toward the beginning of the covid pandemic. She is a Political Science major with a minor in Public Policy and Education.
Nathan Jauregui has always had an interest in justice, the law, and policy, and turned those interests into passions at UC Berkeley. As a nontraditional transfer and deferred student, finding opportunities that pertained to these interests and could serve his communities was a top priority. During his first semester at UC Berkeley, Nathan served in the ASUC as an intern of the Policy and Legislation Department before being promoted to...
Placement:Office of Representative Dan Goldman, U.S. House of Representatives Placement Location: Washington, D.C. Arianna Valentina Laolagi, a first-generation Latine student at UC Berkeley, is a dedicated leader and change-maker for her communities. Born and raised in an Immigrant household in Burbank, California, the issues that she has grown most passionate about are the ones that have directly affected her family. After graduation, Arianna is committed to reforming the Housing Crisis and Immigration Policy, and she plans to do so through...
Devyn Lopez is a third-year student at UC Berkeley. She is pursuing a major in Social Welfare and a Spanish minor. Devyn was raised in the Bay Area most of her life and discovered how crucial it is to give back to her community when she moved to East San Jose. Devyn is committed to assisting communities of color and under-served populations through direct legal, educational, or social services aimed to help individuals build a sense of agency. She is genuinely passionate about ending gender-based violence and one of her ultimate aspirations is to advocate on behalf of survivors of...
As a first generation student, Luis majored in Political Science at the University of California Berkeley. Raised in the small City of Vista, he was exposed to the every day struggles immigrant families faces in southern California, from unfair treatment by the justice system to blocked access to basic social programs. This put him on a career path in Law and is planning to attend law school after he graduates spring 2023. Eager to involve himself in the law field, Luis...
Placement:Office of Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. SenatePlacement Location: Washington, D.C.
Motivated by a desire to educate herself to help those who do not have the resources to better themselves and their communities, Sarah has always been interested in helping marginalized areas like the her own: East Los Angeles. The severe juxtaposition between her hometown and the upbringing of a large percentage of UC Berkeley students was evidence that reforms were mandatory to compensate for the welfare of systemically...
Placement:Committee on Rules, U.S. House of RepresentativesPlacement Location: Washington, D.C.
Ali has been a lifelong advocate of social justice. Having experienced years of childhood homelessness, she intimately grasps the influence of money on human life. By elementary school, Ali was able to recognize the evilness of capitalism and aspired to dismantle it. Now, as a young adult, she has completed her requirements for a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Race and Law,...
