Cristal Amezcua

Cristal Amezcua (she/her)

Cristal is a first-generation Latine student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Political Science. She was raised in the California Central Valley and attended College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California prior to transferring to Cal. She is the daughter of Mexican immigrants from the states of Michoacan and Zacatecas. Her identity of being a Latina and an unconventional college student is what makes her passionate about advocating for educational equity and immigration reform policy.

In Summer 2024, Cristal had the opportunity to intern for the Office of the White House Liason and the US Department of Education in Washington, DC. She specialized in the Communication and Outreach team for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics, where she tracked media responses to educational policy that primarily impacted the Latine community.

Cristal hopes to complete original research centered around Latines in higher education, especially California Community College transfer students and their transition to acclimate into four-year institutions. She looks forward to being mentored and making connections with people in the community.