Matsui Center Washington Fellows

Jennifer Ramirez

Class of 2024
2024 Percy Undergraduate Grant
2023 Kenneth Burt Fellow
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2022 Washington Fellowship - Fall
2022 Democracy Camp Student Director
2022 Democracy Camp in DC
2022 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Jennifer Ramirez is a first-generation Latina studying Economics and Public Policy at UC Berkeley from the Bay Area. Growing up in a mixed-status household, she experienced first-hand the hardships Latinx immigrant families faced, such as the struggle to assimilate, obtain basic needs, and become financially stable. The systematic barriers that limit the upward mobility of historically marginalized communities propelled her to become an advocate in her local community, and pursue a career in public service. After being selected to attend Harvard Kennedy...

Christian Dieguez

Class of 2026
2026 Cal-in-Sacramento
2026 Kenneth Burt Fellow
2025 Washington Fellowship - Fall
2024 Democracy Camp Student Director
2024 Democracy Camp in Berkeley
2023 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Christian is a driven, first-generation student at UC Berkeley majoring in political science with a minor in public policy. Being raised in Los Angeles, California, Christian has become passionate about addressing the historically discriminatory systems that shape the access to opportunities and resources for many individuals. He is particularly interested in creating immigration reform and keeping families together, strengthening our human rights, and investing in early education.

During his time at UC Berkeley, Christian has been an active member in the Berkeley community by...

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. Fellows are asked to write two blog posts while in Washington to document their experiences.

Eligibility

This Fellowship is only open to UC Berkeley students who have already been accepted to the UC...

UCDC Spring 2026: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome in the Heart of the Nation

April 16, 2026
Monserrat Patino Real

Hi everyone,

My internship on the Field and Constituencies team at the National Immigration Forum involves varied daily tasks, primarily supporting the Badges and Faith branches of the organization. For the Badges program, I research law enforcement, gather newsclips for the newsletter, and analyze website metrics. My work within the Faith branch centers on promoting immigration dialogue within faith communities. Specifically, I concentrate on programs such as Students of Welcome, Women of Welcome, and We Choose Welcome, all of which aim to...

UCDC Spring 2026: Finding Connections and Community in D.C.

April 16, 2026
Mohammad Nasrat

Greetings from D.C.

As a congressional intern at the United States House of Representatives, my day-to-day responsibilities vary. They include providing support to staff members, assisting constituents with their issues, logging concerns into the House of Representatives platform, answering phones, providing tours, and performing various administrative tasks. I also attend briefings on critical issues—including agriculture, military modernization, and the armed forces—and draft memos and emails for senior staff.

...

UCDC Spring 2026: My “Magnum Opus”: Using Code for Creative Problem-Solving

April 16, 2026
Lucas Maldonado

Greetings from DC!

I’m currently a Membership Intern at the World Affairs Councils of America, which is a non-profit that does global affairs education through its network of 90 councils across the country. On a day-to-day basis, I keep track of emails from our general inbox, upkeep tables with different information on council events, and supervise our membership database.

Speaking of which, these past few weeks my “Magnum Opus” of sorts has been cleaning our members’ database. It suffered from having hundreds of “...

UCDC Spring 2026: “Do it Afraid”: Becoming a Changemaker by Mobilizing Neighboring Communities

April 16, 2026
Kalie Jimenez

Greetings from DC:

My time in D.C. has been a one-of-a-kind experience that I am thrilled to share with my peers. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be spending my Spring semester interning for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC). As a Chamber Relations Intern, I support the department in strengthening engagement with USHCC’s national network of local Hispanic Chambers. Day-to-day, I assist with the development and execution of chamber programming for the USHCC National Events, research Hispanic...

UCDC Fall 2025: The Sense of Purpose That Came with Each Day

April 16, 2026
Christian Dieguez

As I left the Rayburn House Office Building for the last time, I walked to the front of the Capitol and took a moment to pause. It truly felt surreal knowing that my internship has come to an end. Watching political events unfold and seeing these historic buildings on the news is one thing, but actually being here, walking these halls, and participating in this work is something entirely different.

Spending a semester in D.C. was truly a dream come true. One of the things I enjoyed most about my here was the sense of purpose that came with...

UCDC Fall 2025: A Tight-Knit City Full of Policy, Statecraft, and Competing Ideas

April 16, 2026
Lizzie Ong

To preface, this blog post was created for a university audience and captures some of my personal experiences in Washington, D.C. as a Matsui Center Washington Fellow of the Fall 2025 UCDC Cohort.

In Washington D.C., I met peers who inspired me, professionals who motivated me, and had brief passing moments with some interesting people on Embassy Row. On the last day of my internship, I was walking back to the UCDC Center and feeling sentimental about my time as an intern ending when I was stopped by a group of warm but serious-looking...

UCDC Fall 2025: A Symbol of D.C.: Turning an Intimidating Environment into a Beautiful Experience

April 16, 2026
Gwen Tam

I spent my last day in D.C. at my cousin’s house on the outskirts of Georgetown. I slept on the couch, and the blinds had been left open overnight, so when the morning sun made its way across the wooden floors to wake me from my slumber, the first thing I saw on my final day was snow, drifting to the ground like dandelion seeds.

It felt like the universe’s gift to me on my last day. I remember when I first landed in D.C., the humidity was instantly overbearing, all-encompassing, and almost suffocating. This tranquil sendoff felt like the...