Matsui Center Washington Fellows

UCDC Fall 2024: From Familiarity to Discovery - 11 weeks in DC

November 18, 2024
Tamara Segura

Young woman takes a selfie in a group

Over the past 11 weeks, my UCDC experience has been full of surprises. While I anticipated the usual challenges—like adjusting to a new environment, navigating travel logistics, and dealing with the distance from friends and family—I never expected to adapt so quickly or to find joy in this transition. Initially...

UCDC Fall 2024: Under the Capitol’s Canopy - A Dive into Oversight with a Side of Cheesecake

November 18, 2024
Michele Talley

Woman smiles while taking selfie

Interning at the U.S. Committee on Oversight and Accountability—Democrat in the Rayburn Office Building has been an engaging and impactful experience, allowing me to immerse myself in the mechanisms of governance while advocating for the rights and needs of constituents. As part of this respected committee...

UCDC Fall 2024: Discovering DC - Communities Rich in Activism, Culture and History

November 18, 2024
Carlos Santana

The idea of living in Washington, DC, and working in the highest levels of government was something I was very interested in since starting as a freshman at Cal. As someone who has known no other state than California, living in DC took some getting used to. My time in DC started with walking around and seeing the city. My parents...

UCDC Fall 2024: The Guilt of Being First-Generation

November 18, 2024
Yajaira Arroyo

Reflection of young girl sitting on a couch

Being a first-generation college student is about more than simply being the first in your family to attend college. For me, it has meant navigating uncharted territory and embracing life’s many firsts. Yet, with these opportunities comes a unique burden—the guilt of being first-gen, of...

UCDC Fall 2024: Discovering DC - Communities Rich in Activism, Culture and History

The idea of living in Washington, DC, and working in the highest levels of government was something I was very interested in since starting as a freshman at Cal. As someone who has known no other state than California, living in DC took some getting used to. My time in DC started with walking around and seeing the city. My parents were with me when I first arrived, and we walked the National Mall and around Dupont Circle to visit the UC Washington Center and see where I would live for the next four months. One of my favorite moments from my first weeks in DC was when we...

Matsui Center Washington Fellowship

The Matsui Center Washington Fellowship offers financial support for Cal undergraduate students participating in the UC Berkeley Washington Program (UCDC). The fellowship provides a $1,000 stipend to help defray the costs of spending a semester in Washington, DC.

Eligibility

This Fellowship is only open to UC Berkeley students who have already been accepted to the UC Berkeley Washington Program. Visit the UC...

Yajaira Arroyo

Class of 2025
2024 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: UC Federal Government Relations (Legislative Internship) Placement Location: Washington, DC

Yajaira Arroyo is a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley, pursuing a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture. As the eldest daughter of Mexican immigrants and a native of Oxnard, California, growing up in a mixed-legal status household has shaped her passion for public service, particularly in pathways to higher education and immigration reform.

During her time at UC...

Tamara Segura

Class of 2025
2024 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: Pending Placement Location: Washington, DC

Growing up as an immigrant in Northern California, Tamara has firsthand experience with the profound challenges that come with lacking immigration status. These include limited job opportunities, the constant threat of deportation, and financial insecurity. Despite these difficulties, her passion for immigration reform has only grown, fueled by her personal experiences and her academic journey at Berkeley, where she studies Political Science. She has been exposed to the difficulties that keep...

Michele Talley

Class of 2024
2024 Washington Fellowship - Fall
Placement: U.S. House Committee on Oversight & Accountability (Clerk Internship) Placement Location: Washington, DC Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Talley is dedicated to addressing disproportionate rates of incarceration and criminalization, housing insecurities and lack of adequate healthcare services faced by marginalized communities. Growing up, Talley witnessed friends, neighbors and family experience criminalization and harsh sentencing. More recently, while supporting her mother through her battle with Stage III breast cancer, Talley...

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