Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Aisha Elbgal is a first-generation Muslim Yemeni-American with an intended major in Social Welfare. She was born and raised in Oakland, California where she has witnessed a plethora of issues engulf her beloved city coupled with the lack of action at the hands of those in power. This sparked a passion in Aisha from a young age when she gave a speech at her middle school about the early rise of gentrification and displacement in what was once a beautiful and diverse Oakland. She is now working to address issues such as educational inequity, public health and safety, homelessness...

Jiayu Fang is a senior majoring in Sociology. She was born in China and moved to the U.S. with her mother and younger sister in 2017, after which she assumed the role of family translator and learned to navigate a foreign system with a language barrier. Hoping to get involved with local communities, she started to do volunteer work and found her passion in public services. Due to the experience of herself and those around her, she is particularly interested in issues related to mental health, children’s rights, gender and sexuality, and immigration. Jiayu has been part of the Chief...

Although born to Filipino immigrant nurses, Lauren’s professional interests could not be any more different. At a young age, she developed a passion for leadership, public speaking and public service, leading her to become an active member of her local LA community— spearheading an annual community Sock Drive amongst other passion projects. Curious about society’s relationship with the government, Lauren began exploring her interests as an intern for Speaker Anthony Rendon’s district office, where she took part in organizing a Youth Leadership program focusing on educating the youth...

Natalie Gonzalez is a first-generation undergraduate senior at UC Berkeley. Natalie is majoring in Legal Studies and minoring in Human Rights. She is currently working on her senior thesis through the Legal Studies Honors Program and working as a research assistant for a Postdoc at Brown University. She is passionate about public service and issues regarding child welfare. She also believes deeply in the importance of using data to discover the truth behind systemic and structural problems within our institutions to more effectively advocate for change and develop sustainable solutions.