Alishba (She/They) is pursuing a degree in Ethnic Studies. She was born in Pakistan and raised in the city of Richmond, California. Alishba is a Mellon Mays scholar researching the effectiveness of support programs foster youth in higher education. Alishba has also participated in URAP in her pervious year and is passionate about helping other students with navigating Berkeley and research. She spends her free time outside, reading, and painting.Feel free to reach out to her with any questions. She looks forward to meeting with you.
Ashley Marguerite Papias, (she/her/hers) is currently a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Gender and Women's studies. She loves using film cameras, finding new music, listening to podcasts, and she is always excited to travel somewhere new!
Camilla (She/Her) is a sophomore undergraduate student pursuing a degree in economics. She grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. She is passionate about the intersection of the child welfare system and family law and is currently pursuing law school. She works at the Walter A. Haas School of Business as a Web Editor Intern. Here at Cal, she serves as an undergraduate representative on the Internal Police of Accountability Board, Financial Director for Fashion and Student Trends (FAST), and a member within Behavioral Economics Association. During her...
Esme is a junior transfer from Norco Community College pursuing her bachelor’s degree in sociology. She was born and raised in Moline, Illinois. Esme is passionate about raising awareness of underrepresented youth who’ve been negatively impacted by the child welfare system and ensuring everyone has the chance to dream, no matter where they are in life. During her time here at Cal she aspires to use her research to establish pathways to higher education for Unaccompanied Homeless Youth in the K-12 system. In addition to her advocacy work, she enjoys comedy, writing, and...
Hale Dodson (he/they) is a third year undergraduate studying English. Hale transferred from Butte College in fall of 2023, and took classes at Chico State University throughout high school.
He's interested in poetry, modern literature, and cats; in his free time, he'll be found spoiling his emotional support animal, Alice. He joined the Berkeley Hope Scholars team out of a drive to sustain community, connections, and leadership. He hopes to advocate for fellow BHS members, and forge a place for everyone to feel welcomed.
Miguel‘s family is originally from the states of Chihuahua and Durango, Mexico. His father worked as a laborer for over 40 years and his mother raised a family of four children. Miguel graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2006 with a BA in Latin American Studies/Communications and with his Masters in Education in 2016. He was politically active whilst a student there in latinx organizations to address the high attrition rates for latinx students. He went on to work for financial institutions during the economic crisis and...
Rebeca Borges, (she/her) is a UC Berkeley alumni and former Berkeley Hope Scholar. Drawing upon her own journey as a beneficiary of the program, Rebeca brings a unique perspective and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by former foster youth and independent students in higher education. With a passion for empowering students to overcome barriers, Rebeca has dedicated herself to increasing access to higher education and honed her skills in guiding students as a college counselor at a local high school. Beyond her professional commitments, Rebeca is a devoted caregiver to her...