Matsui Center Washington Fellows

UCDC Spring 2024: From Campus to Capitol: An Intern's Odyssey Across the Nation

March 7, 2024
Sarah Marin

Interning for Senator Padilla’s office has been incredibly surreal and undoubtedly the highlight of my college journey. This marks my second visit to the East Coast, where I’ve not only adapted to the chilly weather, but also gained newfound confidence in making professional decisions. I have quickly fallen in love with the vibrant and driven culture of Capitol Hill, and I have come to appreciate the importance of networking and relationship building. Just last week, I had the privilege of engaging in four consecutive 30-minute coffee chats, reinforcing the importance of...

UCDC Spring 2024: How I Turned Into a Morning Person

March 11, 2024
Arianna Laolagi

I never thought I’d ever be a morning person. Being awake at 5 AM was only a product of late-night study sessions, cramming for a midterm or yapping on the phone with my long-distance friends back at home. But now, being awake at 5 AM is a product of a newfound discipline, only made possible by the distance UCDC gifted me. Distance from distraction, stress, and more has been healing.

Why 5 AM? As a Digital Communications Intern for Congressman Dan Goldman, the representative for New York’s 10th District, I am responsible for ensuring that he is...

UCDC Spring 2024: Dear First-Generation Girl: Get Out of Your Head

April 10, 2024
Ali Marvin

The Work

My time in Washington, D.C. has been interesting thus far. I've had a varied range of experiences and emotions working as an intern with the House of Representatives Committee on Rules in the Capitol Building. The Committee controls which proposals advance to the House Floor, the guidelines that will govern how bills are presented, and the conditions under which the debate will proceed.

For our ranking member, U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, the House Rules Committee office acts as a communication...

Ali Marvin

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Committee on Rules, U.S. House of Representatives Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Ali has been a lifelong advocate of social justice. Having experienced years of childhood homelessness, she intimately grasps the influence of money on human life. By elementary school, Ali was able to recognize the evilness of capitalism and aspired to dismantle it. Now, as a young adult, she has completed her requirements for a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Race and Law,...

Matsui Center Washington Fellowship

The Matsui Center Washington Fellowship offers financial support for Cal undergraduate students participating in the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC). The fellowship provides a $1,000 stipend to help defray the costs of spending a semester in Washington, DC.

Eligibility

This program is only open to students already admitted to the UC Berkeley Washington (UCDC) program. Interested students should...

Sarah Marin

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Office of Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Senate Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Motivated by a desire to educate herself to help those who do not have the resources to better themselves and their communities, Sarah has always been interested in helping marginalized areas like the her own: East Los Angeles. The severe juxtaposition between her hometown and the upbringing of a large percentage of UC Berkeley students was evidence that reforms were mandatory to compensate for the welfare of systemically...

Arely Valencia

Class of 2024
2023 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: Office of Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Senate Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Being raised in an immigrant household in Los Angeles, Arely witnessed her parents and community struggle to obtain basic needs, financial stability, and be misrepresented in many aspects of the law. Through these experiences, she grew a great passion for law and advocacy. As a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley, Arely is studying Legal Studies, with a minor in Public Policy. Academically, she is interested in social justice, minority...

Washington Fellows & Alumni

Ali Marvin

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Committee on Rules, U.S. House of Representatives Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Ali has been a lifelong advocate of social justice. Having experienced years of childhood homelessness, she intimately grasps the influence of money on human life. By elementary school, Ali was able to recognize the evilness of capitalism and aspired to dismantle it. Now, as a young adult, she has completed her requirements for a major in Legal Studies and a minor in Race and Law, reflecting her passion...

Arianna Laolagi

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Office of Representative Dan Goldman, U.S. House of Representatives Placement Location: Washington, D.C. Arianna Valentina Laolagi, a first-generation Latine student at UC Berkeley, is a dedicated leader and change-maker for her communities. Born and raised in an Immigrant household in Burbank, California, the issues that she has grown most passionate about are the ones that have directly affected her family. After graduation, Arianna is committed to reforming the Housing Crisis and Immigration Policy, and she plans to do so through...