Jennifer Tran (she/her) is a rising junior at UC Berkeley, studying education sciences and political science. As a first-generation student coming from a low-income, majority-minority community, Tran is passionate about rectifying the inequities of the education system. Her experiences in education inform all areas of her work–past, present, and future. In high school, Tran served as the Student Board Member for the Garden Grove Unified School District during the 2021-2022 school year, representing more than 40,000 students in Orange County, California, after creating the position in...
Hanan Coronado, a first-generation college student from East Los Angeles, is currently a junior transfer at UC Berkeley, majoring in cultural anthropology with a minor in human rights. Her academic journey centers around unraveling the complex relationships between power, culture, and global human rights issues. Hanan is particularly passionate about addressing pressing challenges such as refugee crises, sexual violence, and human trafficking, with a focus on Latin America and conflict-affected regions.
During her internship at the United States Agency for...
Mariana Martinez was born and raised in the Central Valley, and is a first-generation student at UC Berkeley studying political science and public policy. She was raised by immigrant parents who have instilled in her the values of hard work and determination, and she was raised in a Hispanic community that was heavily affected by the immigration system. Having family members directly impacted by the long history of the United States' border security and immigration policies has led to her passion for advocacy regarding immigrant communities, predominantly in low-income areas....
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...
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...
Having grown up in the Albany-Berkeley area her whole life, Chloe is passionate and fond of the Bay Area’s urban spaces—the bustling culture, events, and diversity. However, along with urbanism often comes a heap of social issues—including discrimination, poverty, and housing crises—that have severely impacted the Bay Area’s vulnerable communities. As a result of her close proximity to these issues, Chloe is striving to learn about the complexities and causes of these urban issues, as well as discover the ways that policy, city planning, and data analysis can address them. At UC Berkeley,...
Placement: Special Assistant to Mayor Libby Schaaf Placement Location:
Gélser Zavala is a rising senior majoring in Legal Studies after transferring from Laney College with a AA in Paralegal Studies and Social Sciences. He is an East Oakland born and raised native, the son of war refugees from El Salvador who migrated to California in the late 1980s. Growing up in a working class family, Gélser endured challenges in his public education with insidious systems of underfunded policies for school, gang-violence, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of...
Placement: Bay Area Air Quality Management District Placement Location: San Francisco, California
Robson is a rising senior double majoring in Sociology and Political Science. He wants to either become a lawyer or work in government, but in any career path Robson hopes to participate in public service and improve the community around him. Robson' s passion for public service began in high school when he ran anti-LGBT bullying workshops at his high school. That experience lead him to advocate for student voice in his district...
