Matsui Center Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows

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,...

Zoe Herrera

Class of 2024
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Growing up in severe poverty, Zoe was determined to build a better life for herself. Born in California but raised in Mexico, she did not have the privilege of attending school after the 4th grade. Thankfully, Zoe's perseverance led her to find a way back to the states, where she attended a continuation school at the age of 16. In just two years, she was able to graduate high school and obtain a scholarship for a local community college in the Central Valley.

Zoe's own struggles with education have not only resulted in an immense appreciation for it, but have inspired her to...

Amy Lee

Class of 2025
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento

Amy Lee is a current second-year majoring in Legal Studies with minors in Asian American & Asian diaspora studies and education. She hopes to attend law school with an aspiration to work as a public defender in the future. While always having an innate interest in the legal field, her specific passion for criminal justice and public defense began after being exposed to the harsh realities and inequalities of the criminal justice system and the carceral state through classes, extracurriculars, and the media. She hopes to represent or assist those who do not have access to legal...

Maissa Trujillo

Class of 2025
2024 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento

Maissa is a third year political science major, also minoring in political economy, at the University of California, Berkeley. She is a first-generation college student from San Bernardino, where her upbringing sparked her passion for public service and how policy can impact communities like hers. Maissa has had the privilege of participating in the Cal-In-Sacramento Fellowship, as well as interning with the Bay Area JusticeCorps program. These extracurriculars, along with others, have allowed her to explore her passions concerning criminal justice and immigration reform, breaking...

Anna Maria Diaz

Class of 2023
2024 Percy Undergraduate Grant
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Anna is passionate about serving underserved communities through the lens of the law and legal system. As a Berkeley Peter E. Haas Public Service Leader, she worked for Bay Area JusticeCorps, where she helps self-represented litigants navigate the legal system by providing legal information under the supervision of attorneys. Now, with the Public Service Center’s support she works an as Undergraduate Intern at Marin County Public Defender’s Office. She also is a Student Researcher at the Human Rights Center Investigations Lab at Berkeley Law. Currently, Anna also works as a Law Clerk at a...

Helen Pei Phun

Class of 2024
2024 Democracy Camp in DC
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento

Helen Phun is a junior from Sacramento, CA, majoring in Media Studies and minoring in Political Economy. She is a first-generation Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant from China and the first in her family to attend college. Growing up in an immigrant household in a low-income and diverse neighborhood guides her values and advocacy. Helen is interested in increasing equity within socio-economically disadvantaged communities. She is most passionate about issues of education, accessible transportation, increasing social welfare, and immigration.

Before transferring to Cal, Helen...

Daniel Bui

Class of 2023
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento

Daniel Bui is currently a fourth year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. Born in Oakland to two Vietnamese refugees, he has experienced hardships faced by working-class households, communities of color and refugees in the area. With so many aspects of his life being shaped by government programs and initiatives, he holds a deep passion for exploring public policy and governance—particularly in areas regarding affordable housing, education equity, and socioeconomic mobility. Daniel hopes to one day serve and connect marginalized communities with...

2022 Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows

2023 Cal-in-Sacramento Fellows

Jocelyn Villalobos

Class of 2022
2022 Cal-in-Sacramento
Placement: Placement Location: Sacramento, California

Jocelyn Villalobos is a first-generation senior majoring in Social Welfare and minoring in Education. Prior to transferring to UC Berkeley, Jocelyn was the Student Trustee of the Contra Costa Community College District and a student intern for the City of Pittsburg Digital Office for New Americans. She collaborated with the City’s Mayor and staff to create a website for the new program and fabricated a legal resource list for undocumented residents.

At Berkeley, she was...