Matsui Center Washington Fellows

Devyn Lopez

Class of 2023
2022 Washington Fellowship - Spring

Devyn Lopez is a third-year student at UC Berkeley. She is pursuing a major in Social Welfare and a Spanish minor. Devyn was raised in the Bay Area most of her life and discovered how crucial it is to give back to her community when she moved to East San Jose. Devyn is committed to assisting communities of color and under-served populations through direct legal, educational, or social services aimed to help individuals build a sense of agency. She is genuinely passionate about ending gender-based violence and one of her ultimate aspirations is to advocate on behalf of survivors of...

Katrina Villacisneros

Class of 2020
2020 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: U.S. Department of State

Katrina is a fourth-year transfer student at the University of California, Berkeley studying Global Studies with a concentration in Peace and Conflict. While at Berkeley, she served as an open source investigator at the Berkeley Law Human Rights Center, a teaching assistant for Beginning and Intermediate Filipino classes, and a mentor within the Pilipinx community. She received the Summer 2018 Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship where she studied Advanced Filipino with a focus on cultural indigenous elements on Northern...

Heidi Mendiola

Class of 2022
2022 Washington Fellowship - Spring

Washington Fellows & Alumni

Maggie Tsao

Class of 2022
2022 Washington Fellowship - Spring

Phoebe Pham

Class of 2021
2021 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: Political Violence Lab Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Phoebe Pham is an Indo-Chinese-Vietnamese-Japanese American studying Political Science and Legal Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Growing up overseas on a military base, Phoebe was constantly surrounded by a community that always emphasized a higher calling to public service. She is dedicated to serving the communities she has been fortunate to be a part of, ranging from her time as a transfer student at Ohlone College, where she worked extensively in public policy and...

Lakhvir Singh

Class of 2021
2021 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: Georgetown Law Criminal Justice Clinic Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

Lakhvir Singh is a student at University of California, Berkeley majoring in Political Science. I am currently in the US Army and a first-generation college student. I was born in Punjab, India, and immigrated to the United States of America at age of 18. I want to pursue a career in Law and work in the Department of Justice.

Luis Lopez

Class of 2023
2023 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Placement Location: Washington, D.C.

As a first generation student, Luis majored in Political Science at the University of California Berkeley. Raised in the small City of Vista, he was exposed to the every day struggles immigrant families faces in southern California, from unfair treatment by the justice system to blocked access to basic social programs. This put him on a career path in Law and is planning to attend law school after he graduates spring 2023. Eager to involve himself in the law field, Luis...

Bailey Maher

Class of 2019
2018 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: Keith Watters and Associates Major: Public Policy I am currently a third-year majoring in Sociology, with a minor in Public Policy. I am extremely excited to announce that I have been hired as a legal intern at Keith Watters and Associates, a small law firm in Washington DC for the Spring Semester. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to attend trials and develop my legal skills. I plan on applying to law school next fall, and aspire to be an attorney working in the public interest sector, specifically with foster youth and underprivileged communities.

Cheyenne Laux

Class of 2020
2020 Washington Fellowship - Spring
Placement: National Collections, Smithsonian Institution

Cheyenne Laux is a graduating senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Anthropology. As a junior, she transferred to Berkeley from Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz. Cheyenne's main interests within anthropology are archaeology and museum studies, with a focus in collections management and the stewardship aspect of museum collections. In the future, she plans to pursue a Master's in Museum Studies, and advocate the importance of public engagement with anthropology.