Democracy Camp

Karen Esparza Lopez

Class of 2023
2022 Democracy Camp in DC

Karen Esparza Lopez is first-generation Mexican Immigrant and former foster youth studying Political Science. During her time in foster care, she witnessed extreme injustices that many foster youth face in the child welfare system. She has seen the ways in which local and federal governments have both failed at meeting the needs of their underrepresented community members in the foster care system. She hopes to resolve these issues through a career in public service. She is most passionate about resolving issues regarding child welfare, social welfare,...

Rocio Lopez Martinez

2020 Democracy Camp Berkeley Fellow
Class of 2021

Mayra Lua Reyes

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

Mayra Lua Reyes (she/her)

Mayra Lua Reyes ('24) is a first-generation student earning a double major in Political Science and Legal Studies and a minor in Public Policy. She was born and raised in the Central Valley (Merced, CA) and is the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents.

Mayra’s lived experiences and the knowledge she has gained at UC Berkeley have shaped her career aspirations and her interests in public service. For Mayra, public service means creating opportunities and pathways to break generational barriers and increase access to economic mobility. This includes...

Griselda Vega Martinez

2020 Democracy Camp Berkeley Fellow
Class of 2022

Marisol Medina

Class of 2025
2023 Cal-in-Sacramento
2023 Jo Freeman Women in Politics Fellow
2022 Democracy Camp in Berkeley

Marisol Medina, a child of Mexican immigrants, is a first-generation college student. She is a second-year majoring in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy. She grew up in Inglewood, California, neighboring the city of Los Angeles, which inspired her to advocate for more equitable education opportunities in low-income areas as she saw how educational disparities impacted youth in her city. Inspired to bring change to her community, she spent her high school years heavily involved in civic engagement and social justice activism as an intern for the Invest In Youth Coalition...

Fiza Mehmood

Class of 2023
2023 Democracy Camp in DC

As a first-generation student, I am committed to amplifying the voices of those who are not heard. I have spent my life on labels that the government often overlooks, such as low-income or people of color. I have completed research and interned for the City of Sacramento, the Sacramento Mayor’s Office, and Sacramento’s District 3 Office. It was vital for me to have my voice heard and speak about issues the government was not interested in. During my time, I aided the Council in passing a legislative bill regarding plastic pollution. While working with City Hall, I realized how...

Ibrahim Mohyuddin

Class of 2022
2022 Democracy Camp in DC

Ibrahim Abdul-Aziz Mohyuddin is a college senior studying Legal Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He grew up in a very tight-knit immigrant Muslim community in Tennessee where he had gotten to experience first hand the ways that ethnic immigrants and Muslims were treated in a southern, conservative state post-9/11. He has seen first hand how the government can be used to target minority communities; the Tennessee State Legislature being one of the few legislative bodies in the United States to not only introduce, but also pass an “Anti-Sharia...

Anthony Mondragon

Class of 2024
2023 Democracy Camp in DC

Raised by a single mother in a household of six siblings in Southern California, Anthony is passionate about creating solutions for formerly incarcerated, system-impacted, and marginalized communities. At an early age, Anthony was abandoned by his father and was forced to live in a heavily gang-infested area which led him to be incarcerated at a young age. Through this experience, he became acutely aware of policies that affect youth at a young age due to being forced to live in low-income communities with high crime rates. At UC Berkeley, Anthony, the first in his family to...

Amelia Rose Monsour

Class of 2026
2024 Cal-in-Sacramento
2024 Jo Freeman Women in Politics Fellow
2023 Democracy Camp Berkeley Fellow

Amelia Monsour is a sophomore majoring in political science and sociology with a minor in public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. A proud graduate of K-12 public schools in Los Angeles, Amelia is passionate about addressing inequities in education and supporting California’s public school system. She is also passionate about addressing economic inequality and hopes to pursue a career in public service and law to advocate for economic justice and educational equity.

Throughout her time at UC Berkeley, Amelia has continued to develop her interest in public service and...

Yessica Mox

Class of 2022
2022 Democracy Camp in DC
2021 Schaeffer Fellowship

Yessica Mox is a Political Science major from Riverside, CA. She comes from a low-income community and has lived experiences that have shaped the type of work she would like to do in the future. She hopes to work in the public service sector and would like to one day attend law school. In the past, she has interned for a local nonprofit, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. She was part of the board of directors for Inside the Living Room, a student-led organization that helps students connect with internships at East Bay Sanctuary Covenant (EBSC). In...