Democracy Camp Berkeley

Marcus Chavez

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Marcus Chavez is from the small city of Dinuba in California's Central Valley. He is a fourth-year transfer student studying at UC Berkeley. After getting his associate's degree from the College of Sequoias, he transferred to UC Berkeley to major in legal studies. From an early age, Marcus has been interested in pursuing a career in the legal field. His interest started as a simple curiosity and soon developed into a deep desire to use the law to protect the rights of people. Being Mexican American and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he witnessed the ways the law can be weaponized...

Christopher Blu Lopez

Class of 2026
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Christopher Blu is a first-generation transfer student from San Jose, CA. He is majoring in Political Science with a specialization in American Politics and minoring in Political Economy. Adopted at the age of 1 and raised primarily by his grandmother, his experiences of being a low-income and former foster youth have encouraged him to uplift communities, emphasizing the importance of equal opportunity and visibility.
Before transferring, he attended De Anza College. During his time, he was a senator for his student government, lobbied with assembly members and legislators in...

Rebecca Banos Conde

Class of 2027
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Rebecca Banos Conde is a first-generation Peruvian-American with an intended major in Political Economy and a minor in Public Policy. Raised in Inglewood, California, neighboring the city of Los Angeles, and as the daughter of an undocumented, single mother, she witnessed firsthand the resilience required to overcome barriers to education, healthcare, and legal support. These experiences cemented her commitment for advocating for gender equity, community development, and access to critical resources for underserved populations.

Rebecca’s journey began at Los Angeles-based Saint...

Irene Sheen

Class of 2028
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Irene Sheen is a first-year student, intending to major in political science. Born and raised in Southern California to an immigrant mother, Irene fostered her interest in social activism and civic engagement during her early youth. Feeling particularly passionate about reproductive justice and the ramifications of restricting the right of choice, she hopes to explore the intersections between public policy, reproductive healthcare, racial/ethnic background, class distinctions, and gender/sexual identity.

Given the social, financial, and linguistic barriers of her upbringing, Irene...

Guadalupe Garcia Lopez

Class of 2026
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Guadalupe Garcia Lopez (he/him) is a first-generation transfer student majoring in Political Science with a specialization in Empirical Analysis and Quantitative Methods, and minoring in Data Science. At UC Berkeley, he is a Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholar and a Yardi Scholar, dedicated to merging his interests in policy and technology to drive social change and create a more equitable society. Growing up in a mixed-status family, Guadalupe witnessed the constant struggles of his undocumented community. This experience shaped his passion for addressing systemic inequities affecting his...

Natalia Rios

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Hi, I’m Natalia Rios (she/her/ella). I’m a first-gen, low-income, third-year transfer student from Las Positas Community College, majoring in Sociology at Cal. I’m passionate about public service, education reform, and business development, with a focus on equity and systemic change. After graduation, I plan to pursue a master’s in public policy to deepen my understanding of social systems and advance impactful changes in education and community development.
As the eldest daughter of immigrant parents, their resilience and work ethic inspire my drive to serve others and contribute to my...

Luis David Suarez

Class of 2027
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

My name is Luis David Suarez Cabrera, and I am a first-year pre-law Business Administration and Public Policy student at the University of California, Berkeley. I was born and raised in Ecuador until the age of 12. Ecuador is a beautiful country that has seen many social, economic, and political problems throughout its history. Seeing the misuse of government power and resources was personal, especially when business regulations constantly burdened my family’s shop, preventing it from thriving while larger chains enjoyed more economic freedom. Now, as an immigrant in the United States, I...

Nirvana Hannah

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Nirvana Hannah (She/Her)
Nirvana Hannah is a senior transfer student from Santa Ana, CA, majoring in political science and minoring in disability studies. As a disabled, low-income, queer woman raised in an underprivileged community, Nirvana is passionate about housing stability and disability justice. Her ultimate goal is to pursue a PhD in American Politics.

Lara Zangana

Class of 2026
2025 Cal-in-Sacramento
2025 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Lara Zangana (she/her)

Richard Ming Zeng

Class of 2028
2025 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Richard Zeng is a freshman at UC Berkeley, pursuing a double major in Neuroscience and Political Science. During high school, he graduated with academic honors as the top male student in his class. He demonstrated leadership by founding clubs that served suburban and rural communities, focusing on providing mental health resources, career path insights, and platforms to amplify student voices. At UC Berkeley, Richard is actively involved with the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) and the Student Policy Institute. Through these organizations, he conducts research...