OURS National Scholarships

Genie Sullivan (’25, Sociology) is interested in studying how the class structure influences the reorganization of economic, cultural, and political institutions based on implementing new digital technologies. They plan to pursue a PhD in Sociology to teach at a public university or community college. Outside of research, Genie is very active in the Poor People’s Campaign and the Wood Street Commons, which seek to end poverty and homelessness by organizing the most impacted people. They will use the Donald A. Strauss Foundation Scholarship to collaboratively work with other organizers to […]

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Alex Edgar (’25, Political Behavior, with minors in Public Policy and Education) most loves working with his peers to inspire Generation Z to become the most civically engaged generation in American history. He currently serves as the Director of the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, Civic Engagement Coordinator for the UC Student Association, and an Andrew Goodman Foundation Vote Everywhere Ambassador. Alex’s civic work has been widely recognized, and he was honored with the 2023 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award from the National Association of Secretaries […]

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Garrett Oman (History, ’23) is a junior who hopes to use knowledge from his historical studies and experience in public service to bring Project Peacemeal to fruition. His studies are currently concentrated on the history of colonial North America. Oman is also a cadet enrolled in the UC Berkeley Army ROTC program. He will attend Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox this summer with the aim of commissioning as an officer in the Spring of 2023.

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Adil Raniwala (Political Science, ‘22) is a Muslim American student dedicated to grassroots organizing and assisting his local community. He will use his knowledge of the Muslim student experience and project management gained from the Muslim Student Association West organization to run Project Peacemeal. Adil hopes to attend law school and pursue a career in intellectual property law.

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Pedro Rodriguez (Sociology, ’23) grew up in Delano, California, a grape-growing region in the Central Valley. The son of agricultural laborers, he has also worked in the fields since the age of seven. These personal experiences are the source of his academic and public service interest in the areas of workers’ rights, immigration documentation, and environmental health and safety.

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Robson Swift is a second-year political science major at UC Berkeley. He has a passion for politics, social justice and education justice, and equity. At Cal, Robson works for the Daily Californian and is a member of an education advocacy group on campus. Robson has spent much of his free time as a community organizer for multiple causes in Richmond, California, organizing campaigns in his local school district (West Contra Costa Unified School District [WCCUSD]). Through these endeavors, Robson has strived to increase student voices and participation in school district […]

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Anthony Neil Tan is a budding bioengineer and a maker education advocate. As a second-year Bioengineering undergraduate at UC Berkeley, he’s pursuing his passion for agricultural technologies through NASA’s Growing Beyond Earth contest and exploring his interest in alternative protein through interning at New Age Meats. In his free time, he leads Maker Hub Club, a nonprofit program focused on supporting communities of student makers in secondary schools across the U.S. Maker Hub Club is the program Anthony wishes he had in high school. In May 2019, the program received […]

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Mira Cheng is a junior majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. Mira’s Strauss scholarship project, Friends of All Ages, is an after-school arts program dedicated to fostering safe, creative, and genuine relationship building between generations. The program will emphasize intergenerational dialogue, mutual respect, and creative storytelling through a variety of multimedia activities. The goal is to create a welcoming space where all generations can grow, learn, and share collectively. Mira is a Find intern with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital International Clinic, a Patient Support Corps Intern and Marketing Director at […]

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Miyako Iwata is a junior majoring in political science at U.C Berkeley. Miyako is ardent about getting students excited about voting. Her Strauss scholarship project, the Pac-12 Voting Challenge uses the healthy rivalries between colleges to get young people civically and politically engaged. As Miyako states, my end goal is one and the same: to make our democracy better. Miyako is a Newman Civic Fellow, a Lead Vote Everywhere Ambassador, and a Voter Registration Manager for the ASUC. She is also a Cal Alumni Leadership Scholarship recipient.

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Anika Kumar, from San Jose, CA, is a senior studying Molecular and Cell Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry Public Health. Anika created a nonprofit organization that aimed to bridge the gap between young citizens and senior citizens. The ‘Forget Me Not’ organization is designed to reduce instances and feelings of social isolation, loneliness, and depression among older adults. Forget Me Not partners teenage high school volunteers with isolated older adults in their communities in weekly social companionship phone calls.

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Ahaana Singh is a junior majoring inPublic Health. Her proposed project, the Refugee Health Literacy Initiative, will focus on assessing and implementing adequate resources for refugee populations. This initiative will be supported by Pedi-Ed, the non-profit founded by Ahaana. The goal is to use educational resources to improve health literacy and empower refugees to engage in their own healthcare and well-being. In addition to her involvement with her Strauss project, Ahaana has served as a health advocate, and serves as Executive Director of Women and Youth Supporting Each Other (WYSE) […]

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Cecelia transferred to UC Berkeley in 2016 as a major in linguistics. She taught English in Turkey and the U.S. and has a passion for teaching that has developed into her public service project, Chords for Progression. The project aims to fuse math with musicianship for high school students. Cecelia will initiate Chords for Progression at Castlemont High School in Oakland, California.

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Matthew Chang is a junior majoring in political science. He has been deeply involved with the ASUC since transferring to U.C. Berkeley from university of Nevada, Reno. He has volunteered with the ASUC Legal Clinic and has been nominated to the ASUC Judicial Council as a justice that deals with arbitration cases within the student government. Matthews Strauss projects organizes student volunteers to assist undocumented students apply for DACA status and those seeking to immigrate to the United States. After graduating from Berkeley, Matthew hopes to attend law school.

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Mistyne Hall is a junior majoring in Native American Studies at U.C. Berkeley. She successfully made the often arduous transition as a re-entry, transfer student from College of the Desert, in Palm Desert, CA, to one the most academically challenging institutions in the country. Additionally, Mistyne has not only already become deeply involved on campus, but has also ascended to a position of leadership on campus from nearly day one. Seeing a need, she founded the Prosilient Natives of Diverse Nations to support Native American students on campus. She is […]

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Ashley Miller is a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Global Education Reform Policy. She is interested in pursuing a future with domestic and international education issues, believing in early childhood advocacy in the education system to relieve the cradle to prison pipeline and to alleviate poverty. Notably, through her involvement as a Break Leader with the Alternative Breaks program in their New Orleans trip to the Gulf Coast in 2014, Ashley demonstrated a strong background in social justice work in developing a cooperative […]

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Rebecca Peters graduated in May 2014 as a University Medalist with a B.Sc in Society and Environment, and a B.A in International Development/Global Poverty. Rebecca was awarded the Marshall Scholarship in 2014 to obtain her MSc at the University of Manchester, and will be completing her second year at the London School of Economics. In 2013, Rebecca received the Morris K. Udall Scholarship, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, and the Donald A. Strauss Scholarship for her commitment to the human right of access to clean water. In addition to her […]

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