05/05/2021
My time with UCDC was a brand new life experience. With a pandemic going on, I could not spend time in Washington D.C. and meet in person with classmates and colleagues. However, the virtual setting did not stop me from having a fruitful experience. Over the first couple of weeks, it was difficult...
10/08/2020
My UCDC experience is one I will never forget. Although the semester was online, my professors and the events held by the UCDC program coordinators made me feel as if there was no difference. My class, “The US Supreme Court,” taught me about important cases in the Supreme Court, and I got to meet...
09/12/2020
I never expected to be experiencing DC from California during a pandemic coinciding with an election year. Still, I'm forever grateful for this experience, which only solidified my interest in pursuing International Development. I had the most amazing professors as a part of the UCDC program, which...
08/07/2020
Ever since I visited DC in eighth grade as the big, end-of-the-year school field trip, I knew instantly that I wanted to move back. Despite my semester being cut short due to COVID-19, I am so grateful for having experienced UCDC. Through the program, I’ve made close friends from all different...
07/13/2020
On a cold Saturday in February, I visited the city of Philadelphia, PA. As a native Californian, my first discovery in the city was the bitter chill of a sunny winter day. Next, I learned that Philadelphia is a timeless, historically rich city. This I learned when I toured Independence Hall, the...
06/16/2020
Although my time in Washington D.C. was cut short due to coronavirus, the ten weeks I spent there allowed me to grow academically, professionally, and socially. At the National Center for Health Research, I was exposed to research on topics such as medical device and pharmaceutical drug safety in...
05/18/2020
Participating in UCDC as a Matsui Washington Fellow gave me my second opportunity to intern in Washington, DC. I spent my first internship at the U.S. Department of State in Summer 2019 and my second internship at the U.S. Agency for International Development in Spring 2020. In both roles, I was...
02/26/2020
As a Berkeley senior, I spent my last semester in DC as a Matsui Fellow. This experience has truly helped me jumpstart my professional career in the museum field. I interned with the National Collections Program (NCP) within the Smithsonian Institution during the UCDC program, and was asked to stay...
02/10/2020
Within a short 16 weeks in Washington, D.C., my inspiration to pursue a career in international relations was strengthened. Meeting former US Ambassadors to the UN Susan Rice and Samantha Power, former first female Secretary of State and US Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright, and even...
05/07/2018
My time in DC absolutely flew by! Having been back in California for a little over two weeks, I already miss the DC Spring weather, my UCDC friends, and my internship. The remainder of my semester was jam-packed with events, ranging from touring the Capitol Building to attending the Cherry Blossom...