Matsui Center Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows

2024 Cal-in-Sac Fellows

Phoebe Truong

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Phoebe is a recent transfer in her third year at UC Berkeley, majoring in society and environment with a minor in public policy. She is interested in equity in higher education, sustainability through solutions such as walkable neighborhoods and public transportation, public service, and more! She became interested in public service at her community college, where she was a student trustee for the San Diego Community College district. She also had the opportunity to intern with Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, and learned a lot from this great experience. Phoebe is passionate about advocacy and...

Lauren Ashley Gonzalez

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

As the daughter of an immigrant father, Lauren is passionate about utilizing public service to fill in the gaps of unjust systems. Her background also includes family members exposed to environmental pollutants that had unjustly contributed to severe health problems. Due to her background, Lauren is focused on environmental justice and empowering disadvantaged communities. Currently, Lauren is majoring in environmental science and public health.

Previously, Lauren has worked in the ASUC Student Advocate’s Office as both a Financial Aid Caseworker and Director for...

Laila Hawa Hamidi

Class of 2026
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Laila Hamidi is a second 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...

Justin Toshima

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Arriving at UC Berkeley as a junior transfer student, Justin is a driven political science major focused on applying political theories of ethics towards developing just public policy. During his time at community college, Justin was an active member of multiple student government committees within the Associated Students of Pasadena City College. He applied his passion for political science towards creating a more inclusive student environment through assisting in the coordination of on-campus events, and modifying the college’s constitution and by-laws to better represent the needs...

Jonathan Gutierrez

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Jonathan Gutierrez-Lomelí is a first-generation Mexican-American from Long Beach, California. As the son of immigrant parents, Jonathan faced early on the trials and tribulations of community violence, machismo culture, and financial hardships. Because of his upbringing, he desires to become a beacon of representation for the Latino community in a white dominated political arena.

On campus, Jonathan is an HSF Scholar and a proud Hermano of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated. In developing his professional character, he has worked on...

Irene Fernandez

Class of 2026
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Irene Fernandez is a second-year double majoring in political science and psychology. Growing up in an immigrant household in Orange County, she witnessed first-hand the challenges underrepresented communities face. Coming from a predominantly Latine community shaped her interest in public policy and desire to serve others through public service. Her main policy interests include immigration rights, environmental justice, and criminal justice. On campus, she is an active member of ACLU, serving on the Racial Justice Committee. Being in the ACLU has...

Idyl Farah

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

My name is Idyl Farah, I am currently a junior double majoring in political science and political economy! I am very interested to being part of this years’ Cal-In-Sacramento Fellows, in which I hope to secure an internship with Governmental Relations and Legislative Office.

Eamon Jahouach

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Eamon Jahouach is a third-year student majoring in environmental economics and global studies. His main interests lie in transportation and climate policy. He hopes to work towards solutions for the climate crisis that promote equity and support the development of livable communities. He is interested in finding ways to improve government function to help deliver benefits to underserved communities with fewer delays and cost overruns.

He is currently an intern serving the people of his hometown at the Oakland Department of Transportation. He supports the department’s...

Trevor Messerly

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Trevor is a junior transfer at Berkeley, majoring in political science with a minor in public policy. Trevor became interested in public service through family ties. Trevor is from a household of educators; with his mother being a former teacher, his brother being a public-school teacher, and his oldest sister being a public-school psychologist. Trevor has been practicing advocacy in the healthcare sector since high school, fighting for increased access to care for the bleeding disorder community which he is a part of. Trevor is interested in workers’ rights, healthcare,...