Matsui Center Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows

About the Program

The Cal-in-Sacramento Fellowship is designed to train the next generation of public service leaders through a highly supportive and comprehensive approach to experiential learning.

Fellows develop critical skills and engage thoughtfully with key policy issues using a 3-pillar model, combining coursework, research training, and professional development. These components provide the foundation for the Cal-in-Sacramento capstone: the summer public service internship.

Student FAQ

Have a question about the Matsui Center or IGS? Here are some common questions we receive from students.

Don't see the question you're looking for? Reach out to igs@berkeley.edu or matsuicenter@berkeley.edu.

2023 Diversity and Entrepreneurship Research Symposium

October 6, 2023 12:00pm - 2:30pm

In Spring of 2021, the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded a grant of more than $333,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to launch a two-year Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program. The new initiative expands Berkeley undergraduate research, advocacy and internship experiences that focus on how small businesses, especially those that are POC (People of Color)- and women-owned, are faring across California and what can be done to strengthen them. IGS’s Diversity and...

IGS Diversity and Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Initiative

The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Initiative expands Berkeley undergraduate research, advocacy and experiential learning focused on the political and economic challenges faced by diverse entrepreneurs in California.

About the Fellowship

The Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship supports rigorous undergraduate research on topics related to POC- and women-owned small businesses in California. Each year, the Matsui Center selects up to 10 students from the incoming...

2024 Cal-in-Sacramento and Schaeffer Fellows Info Session

September 18, 2023 6:30pm - 8:00pm Interested in public service? Apply for one of our internship programs today!

Information Session: Cal-in-Sacramento Fellowship & Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service | September 18 | 6:30-8 p.m. | 119 Philosophy Hall

Speaker: Megan Collins, Institute of Governmental Studies

Sponsor: Institute of Governmental...

2022 Diversity and Entrepreneurship Research Symposium

September 30, 2022 9:30am - 4:00pm

In Spring of 2021, the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded a grant of more than $333,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation to launch a two-year Diversity and Entrepreneurship Fellowship Program. The new initiative expands Berkeley undergraduate research, advocacy and internship experiences that focus on how small businesses, especially those that are POC (People of Color)- and women-owned, are faring across California and what can be done to strengthen them. IGS’s Diversity and...

2023 Cal-in-Sacramento and Schaeffer Fellows Info Session

September 22, 2022 6:30pm - 8:00pm Interested in public service? Apply for one of our internship programs today!

Information Session: Cal-in-Sacramento Fellowship & Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service | September 22 | 6:30-8 p.m. | 119 Moses Hall

Speaker: Megan Collins, Institute of Governmental Studies

Sponsor: Institute of Governmental Studies...

Allyson Velez

Class of 2022
2022 John Gardner Fellowship
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento Student Director
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2021 Cal-in-Sacramento
2021 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
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....

Beck Tran

Class of 2024
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento Student Director
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Beck Tran is a second-generation Vietnamese Taiwanese American. They grew up with two immigrant parents, one of whom was a refugee from Vietnam, resulting in their early exposure to issues regarding immigration, language barriers, and racial discrimination. As an aspiring attorney who is studying Legal Studies and Asian American Studies in their undergraduate education, they are especially driven to improve issues regarding diverse representation in positions of power, social equity for ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ communities, and diversity in business.

They are the 2022...

Yvette Hernandez

Class of 2024
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

Yvette Hernandez is a first-generation Chicana student majoring in Public Health and minoring in Public Policy. Yvette is passionate about making higher education and healthcare affordable for working-class families.

Yvette’s interest in improving the healthcare system began during her internship at a family medical clinic, where she experienced working with patients and saw firsthand the flaws in the system. The lack of diversity, the need for preventive care, and the growing number of...