Washington Fellows

Rozette De Castro

Class of 2018
2018 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: University of California Federal Governmental Relations Major: Political Science Rozette De Castro is a graduating senior at UC Berkeley, pursuing a major in Political Science. She is a first generation immigrant and college student. She was born and raised in Bacolod, Philippines but for the past 6 years has identified more with the Bay Area. While at UC Berkeley, Rozette was able to find her passion in policy making specifically the accessibility of higher education. And because of that same passion she has created recruitment and retention programs for...

Shaina Desai

Class of 2020
2020 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: National Center for Health Research

Shaina is a graduating senior at the University of California, Berkeley from Kansas City studying Public Health. While at Berkeley, she has dedicated her time to helping children through volunteering, public service, nonprofit organizations, and research. In addition, she has served as an Undergraduate Student Instructor for a public health and sustainability course and has conducted epidemiology research at multiple public health labs across the country. Shaina hopes to strengthen her public health background as a Research and...

Christian Dieguez

Class of 2026
2026 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Washington Fellowship - Fall
2024 Democracy Camp Student Director
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Christian is a driven, first-generation student at UC Berkeley majoring in political science with a minor in public policy. Being raised in Los Angeles, California, Christian has become passionate about addressing the historically discriminatory systems that shape the access to opportunities and resources for many individuals. He is particularly interested in creating immigration reform and keeping families together, strengthening our human rights, and investing in early education.

During his time at UC Berkeley, Christian has been an active member in the Berkeley community by...

Rosie Echeverria

Class of 2023
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Schaeffer Fellowship
2022 Washington Fellowship - Spring
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.

Her...

Socorro Galindo-Hernandez

Class of 2021
2021 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: EEOC under Chief Judge Emily MacMillian Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Socorro Galindo-Hernandez is a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Legal Studies. Before coming to UC Berkeley, I was interested in public service because I understood the need of helping communities flourish and develop. Growing up in Los Angeles, specifically, the Westlake/MacArthur Park area I was able to experience many impactful encounters because of the spread in homelessness and poverty. Currently I intern at the San Francisco Superior Court’s...

Nathan Jauregui

Class of 2023
2023 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: American Enterprise Institute Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

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...

Kalie Jimenez

Class of 2027
2026 Washington Fellowship - Spring

Kalie is a first-generation Latinx student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Public Policy. Born and raised in Northeast Los Angeles, she witnessed firsthand how immigrant communities are shaped by cultural and political life. Her grandfather, who migrated from Mexico at a young age, was an entrepreneur who achieved the “American Dream.” His experience was partnered with discrimination, economic hardship, and legal barriers. As the child of working-class parents, she understands the difficulty of navigating our complex legal system due to technological...

Courtney Kirkland

Class of 2020
2020 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: USAID's Bureau for Africa

Courtney is a graduating senior originally from Colfax, CA double majoring in Sociology and Society and Environment with a concentration in Global Policy. While studying abroad at the University of Ghana, she was inspired by the country’s resilience and passion for liberation and has become fascinated with how foreign policy has the power to both preserve geopolitical oppression and institutionalize peace and prosperity. Wanting to learn how policies are made and who makes them, Courtney has conducted research at Berkeley’s Center for...

Queenie Lam

Class of 2021
2020 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Congressional Intern with Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA-7) at the U.S. House of Representatives Placement Location: Washington, D.C. Major: Political Science and Media Studies

Queenie Lam is a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley, double-majoring in Political Science and Media Studies. Her main interests lie between the intersection of politics, public policy, and marketing in how it affects the legislative process and campaign cycle. Her previous experience includes working the Secretary of State to advocate for voter education and...

Arianna Laolagi

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Spring
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...