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...
Noel Arikew is a first-generation, low-income, transfer student double majoring in political economy and legal studies as well as minoring in public policy. At Berkeley, he is a Miller Scholar, and is currently working on his research on anti-Blackness in the immigration system, and possible policy recommendations to humanize the US immigration system. His research aims to shed light on the often overshadowed aspects of systemic injustice, particularly as they pertain to Black immigrants. Through his research endeavors, Noel aspires to be a catalyst for...
Laila Hamidi is a fourth year at UC Berkeley pursuing a simultaneous degree in environmental economics and Policy, and geography, with a minor in public policy. Growing up in a suburb in Orange, CA gave her personal experience with the crises of housing affordability and car dependence that threaten the future of our state. As an intern at the Orange County Transportation Authority, Laila worked hard to expand funding for rail transit infrastructure threatened by climate change in Southern California.
As a Cal-in-Sacramento Fellow, she hopes to gain more...
The John Gardner Fellowship selects six outstanding seniors each spring from UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Each Fellow receives a $52,000 stipend to work for ten months in a nonprofit or government organization aligned with their public service interests. As a part of the program, each fellow writes a blog reflecting on their experience at their placement.
Placement: California Health & Human Services Agency Placement Location: Sacramento, California
Raised in an immigrant household in Southern California, Allyson is passionate about creating solutions to health care challenges marginalized communities face. At an early age, Allyson’s father was diagnosed with a chronic health condition that required frequent interactions with the health care system. Through this experience, she became acutely aware of the high cost of health care and its disproportionate impact on BIPOC and low-income families....
Tatiana Butte, a Geography Major with a Minor in Public Policy, is dedicated to empowering individuals and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities in environmental justice. A first-generation Afro-Latina, Tatiana grew up in Southeast San Diego in a single-parent, Caribbean-immigrant household under challenging circumstances. Throughout her life, Tatiana has shown her exemplary leadership talents: from heading her high school JROTC battalion to advocating for outdoor equity and environmental education programs for Black and Brown youth to being a student leader...
Nouhamin Leoulekal, the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, is a passionate advocate for criminal justice reform, aiming to reshape the system to better serve those historically marginalized and excluded from legal relief. She is dedicated to dismantling systemic barriers at the intersection of criminal justice and immigration, with a particular focus on expanding access to post-conviction remedies for Black and Brown communities.
At UC Berkeley, Nouhamin majored in Legal Studies with a minor in African American Studies. As a Legal Studies Honors...
The John Gardner Public Service Fellowship Program
The John Gardner Fellowship selects six outstanding seniors each spring from UC Berkeley and Stanford University. Each Fellow receives a $52,000 stipend to work for ten months in a nonprofit or government organization aligned with their public service interests.
Fellows have previously been placed at high-impact institutions such as:
The Matsui Center Washington Fellowship offers financial support for Cal undergraduate students participating in the UC Berkeley Washington Program(link is external) (UCDC). The fellowship provides a $1,000 stipend to help defray the costs of spending a semester in Washington, DC. As a part of the program, each fellow writes a blog reflecting on their experience at...
