Directory

Samantha Baldelomar, a native of Riverside, California, is a sophomore-standing, first-year at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. She has actively engaged in local politics, working on campaigns for Will Rollins for Congress and Angelo Farooq for State Senate. In addition, she is deeply connected to the Riverside community, interning for SBX Youth & Family Services through their service-oriented Connect program, and previously serving as her former Key Club Division’s Lieutenant Governor. Her exposure to community needs have contributed to her policy areas of interest, which include public health, rent regulation, and immigration. In high school, she was recognized with the Golden State Merit Award and by the President’s Education Award Program. Set to graduate in the Spring of 2028, Samantha intends to earn a Master of Public Policy and pursue higher education, with the goal of building a career in local government.

Ari Chung was raised in Cypress, California. She is on track to graduate with a B.A. in public policy within four years from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. Her policy areas of interest include climate change and the environment, artificial intelligence, and international relations. Ari has served as an intern for AIME Kindset, creating products like candles with friendly, hidden messages and gardening kits to spread kindness and awareness about food deserts. Additionally, she has worked with a nonprofit organization called Minds Empowering Minds, where she grew the social media account to promote mental health awareness for students and teenagers. After graduation, Ari plans to pursue work in a government agency, the private sector, or a nonprofit organization, with hopes to travel and work with global organizations.  

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Sammie Burgess was raised in Murrieta, California. She is pursuing a B.A. in Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside, and expects to graduate in 2026. Passionate about advancing equity and justice, she focuses on two key policy areas: K–12 education and juvenile criminal justice. Her academic and professional interests center on addressing systemic barriers that limit access to quality education and developing policies that will prevent youth interaction with the justice system and create more supportive pathways for those who do. 
At UC Riverside, Sammie has served as a peer mentor, guiding students through course planning and academic resources. This experience strengthened her skills in leadership, communication, and student advocacy. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy to refine her expertise and prepare for a career dedicated to advancing evidence-based solutions in education and justice policy.

Liam Burley was born and raised in Aliso Viejo, Orange County, California. He is on a track to graduate within 4 years in Spring 2027 from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy. Liam takes a great interest in housing, environmental, and economic policy. After graduating, he plans to get his Masters in Public Policy through the BA/MPP program and then attend law school to become a lawyer and later pursue politics. He has worked with local politicians and candidates during the 2022 midterm elections. He helped all of his candidates get into office through canvassing for them and aiding in events. Liam also participated and won in the Winter 2024 Policy Debate on Homelessness.

Urban Cross is a Public Policy student at UC Riverside, expected to graduate in Spring 2025. Originally from Atascadero, California, he focuses on criminal justice reform, immigration, and public transportation. He has interned with the Atascadero Chamber of Commerce and worked as a lifeguard. His achievements include the SOCOMUN XXXII Outstanding Award in Model UN and the 2024 Monday Clubhouse Conservancy Fine Arts Award for photography. After earning his B.A., Urban plans to pursue a master’s in public policy, attend law school, and become a public defender or run for public office.

Lucía (Luz) De La Cueva is from Visalia, California. She is a first-year Master's in Public Policy student at UC Riverside. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Spring 2024 with a B.A. in Gender and Women's Studies with a concentration in Social Work. She spent the last year as an Outdoor Education intern at the Clemmie Gill School of Science and Conservation (SCICON). There, she learned the importance of quality education access and the impacts of policies on communities. 
 

Prisha Gupta was born and raised in Fremont, California. She is on track to graduate with a B.A. in Public Policy and plans to double major in Business Economics at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy by Spring 2030. Her policy interests include education, immigration, and labor rights. Before attending UCR, she served as a Student Administrative Captain for her school’s student ambassador program and as Senior Council Secretary and Treasurer. She also held leadership positions in Scouts BSA, including Senior Patrol Leader and Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, and helped establish a girls’ troop. Additionally, she tutored over 45+ students through National Honor Society and led “Fuel for the Future”, a community nutrition initiative in partnership with local places of worship. After graduation, she plans to earn a Master's in Business Economics, then attend law school. She aims to become a policy analyst but is open to other possibilities.

Kai Iwamoto was born and raised in San Jose, California. He is on track to graduate with a B.A. in public policy and a B.S. in business administration concentrating in marketing within two years in Spring 2027 from the UC Riverside School of Public Policy and School of Business. His policy areas of interest include economics, justice, climate change, and foreign relations.  He has previously interned for the Alliance for American Leadership and Nikkei Community Internship Program. In addition, he was a recipient of the SPP Anil and Gauri Scholarship and the SoB Collette and Gary Lee Scholarship. After graduation, he plans to attend law school and pursue a career in business law. 

Alexandra Marinero is in her final year at the University of California, Riverside, double majoring in Public Policy and Political Science with a concentration in Health and Environmental Policy. She is on track to graduate in Spring 2027. Originally from Los Angeles and raised in the Inland Empire, Alexandra’s experiences have shaped her interest in creating policies that improve access to resources and strengthen local communities. Her commitment to public service has led her to serve on the HUB Governing Board, intern with UCR’s Women’s Resource Center, and earn an internship with the City of Riverside’s Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department. She was also recognized with the Political Science Department’s Pay it Forward Award in Spring 2026. After graduation, Alexandra plans to pursue a Master of Public Health and hopes to work in local government, using her background in policy and public health to create change in her community.

Fullerton, California native Matthew Martinez is pursuing a public policy B.A. and potentially a 5-year BA/MPP degree at UC Riverside, focusing on healthcare and immigration. He founded a "Know Your Rights" club to educate students on constitutional protections against DHS and ICE. An elite public speaker from Speech and Debate, Matthew ranked top 60 nationally and 6th in the state of California, championing UC Berkeley's National Circuit, reaching the Tournament of Champions semifinals, and octofinaling at Harvard University. In 2025, he was accepted to the Johns Hopkins Global Health Leaders Conference to study how health frameworks and policies shape community care. He also won a full-ride scholarship to Rice University's pre-college law program, "Shaping a Just and Equitable World." After graduation, Matthew plans to earn a Master of Public Policy and pursue a career dedicated to transforming healthcare or immigration policy.

Shivani Narang was born and raised in Los Angeles County, California. She is a first-year student in the School of Public Policy, entering as a sophomore. She graduated from Valencia High School (VHS); she was in the Medical Science Academy (MSA) Behavioral Health pathway, and the Media and Photography pathway. She was dually enrolled in the College of the Canyons. Shivani was part of the City of Santa Clarita Youth in Government Program. She was the President of the VHS Women Medical Empowerment Club. In addition, she served on many MSA leadership committees, e.g. Social Media, Event Planning, and Blood Drive Organization Committees. Shivani has been a Girl Scout for 11 years, and participated in many community service events. Through her leadership and volunteer experiences she developed an interest in public policy. She hopes to focus on health policy at UCR. Through the myriad of leadership and volunteer experiences, Shivani has learned the importance of listening to people, researching issues, and developing practical solutions that can be successfully implemented and sustained. She looks forward to advocating for vulnerable community members, and developing the skills to design and implement value-based community programs. 

Long Bao Nguyen was born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In 2019, his family and him immigrated to the U.S and are now currently live in Fountain Valley, California. Graduated from Golden West College with two associate degrees for transfer in Liberal Arts, Long is on his way for his first, junior year at UC Riverside School of Policy. In the past, he has completed a volunteer program at Cope Health Scholar Kaiser Permanente Irvine. Last year, he decided to take a big step for his future by joining the Army National Guard and is now serving the community and the country he loves as a HR Specialist. In the future, he wants to work at the American Embassy in Vietnam as he aspires to help in the relationship between his two countries.

Zyanya Ortiz was born and raised in Fremont, California. She is currently in the process of getting her B.A in public policy at the UC Riverside School of Public Policy, set to graduate in Spring 2030. Her interest in policy stems from studying environmental injustices at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, an experience that led her toward public policy and international affairs. Through the Young Legislators Program with the office of Assemblymember Alex Lee, she studied the legislative process firsthand, conducted policy research, and drafted then presented her own bill proposal. The ACLU National Advocacy Institute gave her the opportunity to interact and learn from policy professionals. With the New Voters and Aspen Institute Researchers program, she conducted original research on youth civic engagement. After graduation, she plans to attend law school.

Dowa Ross is a mother of two beautiful daughters and student at the School of Public Policy, UC Riverside, where she plans to major in Urban and Community Development. She has lived in the city of Eastvale in the Inland Empire for 16 years and is currently running for Eastvale City Council in the November 3 general municipal election. She believes that being a council member of a flourishing city like Eastvale and studying at UCR will complement her experience in serving her local Eastvale community. She was born in South Africa and educated in England. She came to the United States with a dream and a prayer and soon achieved her aspiration of becoming a naturalised US citizen and business owner. She lost her business in the Covid pandemic and that is why she decided to return to school and pursue a career in local government. As a global traveler, she brings a unique cultural sensitivity to all her encounters with the people of her fair planet. She loves to do three things: horseback riding; scuba diving and latin dance, especially salsa dancing!

Christian Salinas is a student at the UCR School of Public Policy of the graduating class of 2026. He is an Ecuadorian-American native to the South Bay area of Los Angeles. He has participated as a School Board Member for the Wiseburn Unified School District and co-led the Student Task Force organization in high school as a Communications Director. During his first year at UCR, Christian worked as a Youth Development Specialist at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Redlands. He would also attend School of Public Policy events such as luncheons and podiums with his mentor from the Peer Mentor Program. He also serves as a member of the Entrepreneurship group at UCR. Christian has also served an internship with the Office of Senator Ochoa Bogh. After graduation, Christian plans on attending law school.

Binyamin Siegel was born in Canoga Park, California, and grew up in Agoura Hills California. Binyamin is just beginning at UC Riverside as a freshman in the School of Public Policy. His policy areas of interest include Criminal Justice and Natural Resource Protection. He has served on the Las Virgines Unified School District School Board, as the Student Board Member, Interned at Kaiser Permanente focusing on patient care and contact, and as a California State Parks Park Aide focusing on visitor services. Additionally, during his high school career, Binyamin worked on strengthening the bond between Agoura High School and the City of Agoura Hills, culminating in bringing the Mayor onto his campus multiple times for different events, and speeches. After graduating from UC Riverside, Binyamin plans to become a law enforcement officer, either within the California Department of Natural Resources, or within the Diplomatic Security Service.

Jaz Williams was born and raised in Rialto, California. He found his transformative years on the football field, where he learned discipline, resilience, and teamwork. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from La Sierra University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. Shortly before he graduated, he founded the Inland Empire Legal Literacy Project, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the residents of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties by writing articles that analyze policy, criminal justice, and immigration issues, while equipping our people with the tools necessary to assert their rights, influence change, and protect themselves & their families. Jaz seeks to blend compassion, service, and leadership to bridge the gap between complex policy and the understanding of how it affects his community. After graduation he will attend law school to practice law, expand his capacity to lead the organization, and build lasting change in the Inland Empire.