Democracy Camp in DC

Eshal Syeda Naqvi

Class of 2027
2025 Democracy Camp in DC

Eshal Syeda Naqvi (she/her)

Eshal Naqvi is a South Asian Muslim Immigrant and a dedicated student majoring in Political Science and Ethnic Studies. Born in Pakistan and raised in Southern California, Eshal’s experiences have fueled her unwavering commitment to civil rights, social justice, and advocacy for marginalized communities in the United States. Deeply passionate about addressing inequities in education, economic opportunities, and gender equity, Eshal cares to uplift and protect girls, ensuring their safety and empowering them to succeed.

As a...

Mansour Taleb-Ahmed

Class of 2024
2024 William K. (Sandy) Muir, Jr. Leadership Award
2024 Democracy Camp in DC

Mansour Taleb-Ahmed (he/him)

Mansour’s journey began in a high school where whispers of "far-fetched" threatened his Berkeley dream. Extraordinary challenges marked his undergraduate journey. Arriving in the US in January 2020, he faced the pandemic in absolute isolation, knowing no one in the country and having no access to see his family back home. In community college, he also questioned his place in academia as he didn’t see many people who looked like him in his classes. Yet, fueled by a desire for representation, he turned his ambition into action; as a Campus Ambassador and...

Dilraj Singh Thandi

Class of 2026
2025 Democracy Camp in DC

Dilraj Singh Thandi (he/him)

Dilraj Thandi is a junior at the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in political science. Immigrating to the United States in 2022, Dilraj views the law as a powerful tool for driving meaningful change. Guided by this belief, he served as an immigration fellow, assisting with DACA applications to support undocumented youth. His commitment to public service deepened during his time at the Fresno District Attorney's Office, where he gained valuable experience in the legal field.
Dilraj sees the federal government as a vital...

Rungsiri Upradit

Class of 2024
2024 Democracy Camp in DC

Rungsiri Upradit (she/her)

Rungsiri Upradit was born in Thailand and immigrated to the United States at the age of five. She is passionate about doing work that will uplift and empower the community in the areas of housing sustainability, the environment, and public health. She participated in the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship at the Goldman School of Public Policy, where she engaged in intensive coursework covering topics such as Inequality & Economics, Policy Analysis, Quantitative Methods, and Law. As a fellow, she had the...

Melanie Urbina

Class of 2025
2025 Democracy Camp in DC

Melanie Urbina (she/her)

Melanie Urbina is a fourth-year student from Los Angeles majoring in Global Studies with a concentration in global development and minoring in public policy and human rights. Her academic and professional experiences reflect her commitment to uplifting and empowering communities and advocating for systemic change. Her passion lies in working toward a world where everyone, regardless of background, has access to justice and equal opportunities. On campus, she is a co-founder and director of the Global Studies Student...

Salvador Uribe

Class of 2023
2023 Democracy Camp in DC

Salvador Uribe is a non-traditional student obtaining his undergraduate degree as an older student at UC Berkeley. Salvador immigrated to the United States at a very young age, along with his two parents and older brother. For someone like Salvador and his background, a first-generation, low-income, transfer, re-entry, disabled student navigating higher education, the terrain is uneven, which places him at a disadvantage among many of his peers that grew up with the privileges of generational knowledge. Salvador is passionate about the law and will pursue a J.D. after...

Jovanni J. Vazquez Rangel

Class of 2025
2024 Democracy Camp in DC

Jovanni J. Vazquez Rangel (he/him)

Jovanni is dedicated to addressing the ongoing challenges of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and marginalized communities. At the age of eighteen, Jovanni found out that he was not a U.S. citizen; however, Jovanni was fortunate to qualify for the DACA program and is now protected from deportation. Through this experience, he became aware of the immigration issues and the profound impact on Dreamers. As a first-generation student attending UC Berkeley, Jovanni is dedicating his focus to legal studies with a...

Jacqueline Zuno

Class of 2024
2024 Democracy Camp in DC

Jacqueline Zuno (she/her)

Jacqueline Zuno is a first-generation Latina, majoring in Legal Studies and Political Economy. Her academic focus centers on the development of Latin America, shaped by her upbringing in the border between San Diego and Tijuana. Having navigated life and education in both regions, she brings a nuanced perspective to her studies.

Outside the classroom, Jacky is deeply passionate about empowering underrepresented communities. Over the past three years of her undergraduate journey, she has been actively involved with the Raíces Recruitment...

Marlyn Suhey Zuno

Class of 2023
2023 Democracy Camp in DC

Marlyn is a first-generation college student who will be graduating in May 2023 from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Science and Comparative Ethnic Studies. She was born in San Diego but grew up living in both San Diego and Tijuana. As part of a mixed-status family, she learned first-hand how complicated and overwhelming immigration legal processes are in our country. Living in a border site, the movement of people, particularly of refugees and asylum seekers, was highly visible throughout her life. These lived experiences have motivated her work throughout undergrad and...