Alejandra Meza, University of California Berkeley

Alejandra Meza, a third year Social Welfare major and Education minor at UC Berkeley, stands out among a talented group of student leaders. Alejandra’s work with the Public Service Centers BUILD Literacy Mentoring Program, Get On The Bus, and the IGNITE Campaign shows how her commitment to public service functions on individual, group, and systemic levels. She is incredibly committed to educational equity and ensuring that all youth have access to educational opportunities. Alejandra’s passion for social justice is particularly apparent when she shares her own educational journey, which drives the work that she does. Too few of her peers went on to college and she is clear about the ways her public school experience did not always support students. Alejandra’s openness about her own personal experiences creates meaningful spaces for collaborative learning. She draws from her past experiences to enrich her own service, approaching her work with humility and intentionality. Ultimately Alejandra aspires to work in education policy so that she can make a difference in the lives of youth on an even larger scale.