Alejandra Zamora graduated from UC Berkeley in 2022 with a degree in Political Science. A four time recipient of Building Skills Partnership’s Mike Garcia Scholarship, she has now been accepted into the UC Berkeley Law Early Decision program with a partial scholarship.
The daughter of property service worker Alejandro Zamora, Alejandra grew up in the Beach Flats, a low-income, immigrant community in Santa Cruz, California. Despite any adversity and obstacles she faced, she has always chosen to give back to her community.
Alejandra volunteered in BSP's free tax preparation services, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) for two years during the height of the COVID pandemic, helping to connect property service workers from low-wage industries to critical resources at a time of need.
She also volunteered with BSP’s Citizenship and Civic Engagement programs. As a citizenship test tutor, she helped to prepare and instruct immigrant janitorial service workers to successfully take the U.S. Citizenship test. She also translated citizenship application documents for Latino immigrant clients and lawyers to facilitate legal services.
Alejandra is currently a Capital Fellow with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, where she was selected as one of only eighteen Executive Fellows for the competitive ten-month program to work full-time as a legislative analyst for the Office of Legislation and Regulatory Review (OLRR) through CalEPA’s Department of Toxic Substances Control. In this role, she is focused on analyzing environmental justice legislation to predict outcomes for residents from disadvantaged communities.
As a summer 2021 Cal-in-Sacramento Fellow, Alejandra conducted a summer research project focused on DACA application resources available through specific California counties. With the support from the California Research Bureau, she created a map highlighting the California counties that provides the public access to pro-bono immigration resources. Through this, Alejandra was able to offer much needed information to immigrants in need of such resources.
In 2021, Alejandra was an intern for Congresswoman Doris Matsui in Sacramento, California. She has conducted policy research and addressed constituents' concerns, particularly focused on immigration issues. She has been deliberate in successfully informing the Congresswoman about the latest needs of her constituents and the immigrant population she serves.
Alejandra’s goal is to go to law school to become an immigration lawyer and serve her community. She would like to thank BSP and Mike Garcia Scholarship donors because their efforts not only help the students, but also their families and the immigrant communities they come from.
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