Matsui Center Schaeffer Government Fellows

Kaila DuFour

Class of 2026
2025 Schaeffer Fellowship

Kaila DuFour is a third-year student majoring in Legal Studies with a minor in Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Recently, they served as a Law Clerk in the Special Prosecutions Section of the Attorney General's Office in Los Angeles, where they gained insight into complex legal processes and the pursuit of justice on behalf of the public.

On campus, Kaila is a senator for the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC). As a senator, they have dedicated themselves to expanding outreach, promoting inclusive...

Megan Chan

Class of 2026
2025 Schaeffer Fellowship

Megan Chan is a third-year student at UC Berkeley studying Political Science with double minors in Public Policy and Conservation & Resource Studies. Her passions consist of education and environmental policy. Megan’s passions for these fields stem from her upbringing, as she witnessed early on the power of education to uplift and unify communities. Since arriving in Berkeley, she has delved deeper into climate spaces as well, recognizing that both subjects are heavily connected. Through her work and advocacy, she hopes to engage in work within the public sector that...

León Felix Gutierrez

Class of 2026
2025 Schaeffer Fellowship

León Felix Gutierrez was born and raised in Fresno, CA, son to immigrant parents. He is a first-generation student studying legal studies and public policy. From early on in his childhood, he was surrounded by a vibrant working community where he learned endless perseverance and diligence. He is very grateful for the support he has received from his family and friends on his academic and professional journey.

León is involved in numerous community-based organizations where he has deepened his passion for the intersections of law and public...

Sofia Marie Greenwald

Class of 2024
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship

As the daughter of an immigrant mother and growing up 15 minutes away from the Southern border, Sofia’s upbringing included two very different languages and cultures. It is because of those unique experiences and interactions that she has always had a deep interest and understanding in the uplifting of her Latine community through policy and the field of law. Her personal experiences with challenges accessing professional opportunities and facing workplace discrimination, due to her background, further inform and inspire her undergraduate efforts. She works to increase access to...

Matthew Aini

Class of 2025
2024 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Diversity & Entrepreneurship Fellow

Matt Aini is a campus junior pursuing a BA in Political Science and a BS in Business Administration. A lifelong resident of the East Bay city of Dublin, CA, Matt was curious at a young age about how fast-growing cities like Dublin managed their growth and used community development to improve the quality of life for community members. Borne out of this curiosity has been a mission to advance responsible land use to make communities more sustainable, affordable, and connected. Matt has been proudly serving his community as a member of the Dublin Planning Commission since 2022, where...

Yessica Mox

Class of 2022
2022 Democracy Camp in DC
2021 Schaeffer Fellowship

Yessica Mox is a Political Science major from Riverside, CA. She comes from a low-income community and has lived experiences that have shaped the type of work she would like to do in the future. She hopes to work in the public service sector and would like to one day attend law school. In the past, she has interned for a local nonprofit, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. She was part of the board of directors for Inside the Living Room, a student-led organization that helps students connect with internships at East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). In...

Kulsoom Hasan

Class of 2023
2023 Democracy Camp in DC
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship

Kulsoom Hasan is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing studies within the Travers Department of Political Science and the Goldman School of Public Policy. Her passion for public service was initially forged through community engagement at the local governmental level as a voter drive organizer and grassroots campaign canvasser. From there, her foray into legislative research and policy advocacy expanded as she further explored the interdisciplinary nature of politics and government through hands-on experience.


Her passion for comparative
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Ariana Kretz

Class of 2024
2024 John Gardner Fellowship
2023 Schaeffer Fellowship
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

As a queer and disabled woman, Ariana Kretz hopes that by pursuing a placement in environmental justice, she can create systems that better uplift those of marginalized identities while protecting the planet. Her particular policy interests include public transit and the intersection between Indigenous sovereignty and environmental issues.

At UC Berkeley, she majored in History with double minors in Public Policy and Conservation and Resource Studies. Her honor’s thesis focused on how Native American parents advocated for their children who...

Daira Rivera

Class of 2024
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley Student Director
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2022 Schaeffer Fellowship
2022 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
Placement: Placement Location:

Daira grew up in Hayward California and her parents are from Nayarit Mexico. She is currently a senior attending UC Berkeley majoring in Political Science with a minor in public policy. Her career is geared towards being a civil rights attorney and one day working in public policy. Throughout her upbringing, she became aware of the systematic failures that affect low-income POC and wants to dedicate her career to aid the effort in changing them. She ultimately wants a career in public service that will fulfill her...