About the FIERCE Student Fellowship
The FIERCE (Fighting for Innovation and Equitable Recovery in College Education) Student Fellowship is a leadership development opportunity for undergraduate community college and university students attending California public institutions. Building on The Power of Now: Ed Trust–West’s 2023-24 Policy Agenda, the goal of the Fellowship is to support student advocates as they promote policies and practices that push for equity at their campuses and across the state. Throughout the program, Fellows will engage with researchers, policymakers, and advocates in the field to learn more about pressing policy issues in higher education and contribute their own perspectives.
The FIERCE Fellowship is a continuation of EdTrust-West’s commitment to uplifting student voices to inform research and advocacy, and is rooted in four guiding principles:
Advocate
Empower
Uplift
Build
Meet the FIERCE Fellows
The 2024 FIERCE Fellows are a group of nine college and university students from across the state representing community colleges, CSUs, and UCs. They are passionate about bringing educational justice to their campuses. Check out their bios below, and please watch this site for updates about the projects they will be working on this year!
Ava Alvarado
San Diego State University/Chaffey College
Ava is a Chicana second-year San Diego State University student who attended Chaffey College. Her passion for advocacy and higher education policy came directly from her mother, the Director of Adult Education at Chaffey College, who introduced her to education policy work. At SDSU, Ava had the opportunity to focus on state-level policymaking by meeting with California state legislative offices to discuss issues such as a Title IX bill package, capping tuition increases, and dismantling barriers to employment for undocumented students. At SDSU, she is a current Student Diversity Commission and Lobby Corps member, ensuring equitable policies and procedures for students on campus and systemwide. She is studying Political Science, with minors in Rhetoric & Writing Studies and Women’s Studies. After earning her bachelor’s degree, her career goal is to effect policy change on the state and federal level surrounding social justice, specifically diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in higher education and other public institutions such as the criminal justice system.
Brayan Ramos
University of California, Berkeley
Brayan Ortiz Ramos is a first-generation Mexican American college student recently admitted to the UC Berkeley Law Class of 2027. Aside from his work as a FIERCE fellow, Brayan’s professional journey has led him to intern at the House of Representatives and work for the Public Advocates Office at the California Public Utilities Commission. Brayan was born in South Sacramento, California, but raised transnationally between Michoacán and California. He is finishing his 4th year at UC Berkeley, majoring in History and minoring in Public Policy with a senior thesis on Mexican repatriation during the Great Depression. In his free time, Brayan enjoys listening to corridos and watching films from the golden age of Mexican cinema.
Cristian Reyes
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Cristian Ulisses Reyes (he/him/él) is a first-generation student from McFarland, California, and identifies as a Queer Chicano. He is in his third year at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Child Development with minors in Ethnic Studies and Psychology. Cristian is passionate about mental health advocacy and education equity. After completing his undergraduate degree, he plans to pursue a master’s degree and work in the behavioral and emotional therapy field. He is also considering going into the public policy field, where he can advocate for issues important to his community. Cristian has been highly involved with cultural organizations on campus, such as Movimiento Estudiantil Xicano de Aztlan and Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. He has also worked as a communications assistant, program assistant for Cal Poly Scholars, and student assistant for the Orfalea Family & ASI Children’s Center. Through these positions of leadership and employment, Cristian has worked hard to bring down barriers and foster an inclusive community for students on campus and in his community. In his spare time, Cristian enjoys traveling, exploring new places, cooking, watching Marvel movies, listening to Bad Bunny, Omar Apollo, and Steve Lacy, and hanging out with his friends.
Jenn Galinato
California State University, Sacramento
Jenn Galinato (she/her/hers) is a fierce community advocate in Sacramento. She is currently a student at Sacramento State, majoring in political science and journalism. As the daughter of two immigrants, she is a proud byproduct of the California K-12 and community college systems, where her interest in political activism and advocacy began. Formerly a student at Sacramento City College in the Los Rios Community College District, she faced barriers and challenges before transferring to her current college and saw that she wasn’t the only one who faced these problems in their journey to higher education. Within her leadership roles, she served as a trailblazer to ensure equitable access to higher education, especially within California’s Community College system, where she had tackled a variety of issues such as basic needs, financial aid/Cal Grant reform/debt-free college, menstrual equity, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) work to close equity gaps. She hopes to accomplish one goal within her role as a fellow: to empower fellow students in all communities and ensure higher education is accessible for all within their professional careers.
Paula Escobar
University of California, Los Angeles
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Paula Escobar (she/her/hers) is a passionate student driven to uplift youth voices in her community through empowerment and advocacy. Learning from her mother and older sister, she carries forward the values of education, dignity, and perseverance. While on the Student Governing Board at the East Side Union High School District, Paula promoted racial equity and provided space for students to have their perspectives heard. Recently, Paula organized alongside her peers to support the passage of a mandatory ethnic studies course to align new standards that promote critical thinking and culturally competent discussions on pressing race and gender issues. As a woman of color, Paula strongly values her Bolivian heritage roots and wants her peers to be adequately represented in school curriculums. Paula was also a Youth Commissioner on the Santa Clara Juvenile Justice Commission and interned with the National Center for Youth Law. Here, she worked alongside other advocates to create reports and champion needed services for youth in the justice system. Being a first-generation student, Paula knows the struggles her family went through to pave new pathways and pursue higher education. Paula plans on continuing her work as a lawyer to achieve systematic policy changes in education that help alleviate long-standing issues of inequity across the system.
Rachele ‘Ro’ Tate
Mount San Antonio College
Ro is a mother, daughter, sister, and current Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) student. As a non-traditional, first-generation college student majoring in Sociology and Psychology, she has been able to navigate through her educational journey with the support of resources such as EOPS/CARE, Umoja/ASPIRE, ACCESS, Honors Program, Basic Needs, ACES and supportive co-workers, professors, parents, and her children. She currently works as a Peer Navigator for the EOPS & CARE Programs, where she helps students find the appropriate support based on their individual needs, experiences, and educational goals. Rachele has been awarded several Mt. SAC honors, including 2023 Student of Distinction, 2023 Inspiring Women, and 2023 Legacy Leader. Rachele is passionate about art and its ability to heal the whole person; her goal is to own an Art Studio in her community to help the underserved population and people experiencing emotional and physical discomfort by healing through various art mediums. Rachele is also a plant mama who loves to talk and sing to all her plants daily.
Saidy Reyes
College of Marin
Saidy is from Guatemala and moved to the United States six years ago when she was thirteen. Saidy currently attends the College of Marin as a third-year student majoring in architecture, hoping to transfer to a four-year institution next year. Saidy is part of the student government of the College of Marin (ASCOM), where she was a Senator of Activities and Services and recently became a student representative on the Board of Trustees as a Student Trustee. She served as a member of the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and Guidance, Resources, Integration, and Transformation (GRIT) Committee as a student representative. Most recently, Saidy has been an intern at EAH Housing in Real Estate Development, understanding the feasibility and aspects of affordable housing for low-income and marginalized communities and understanding accessibility design in buildings. Saidy believes strongly in representation, inclusion, and community. In her free time, she likes to paint, do art and watch sunsets.
Suzette Morales
California State University, Fullerton
Suzette Morales (she/her/hers) is a third-year student at California State University, Fullerton, majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics and a minor in Sociology. Suzette has over five years of experience volunteering in her community, which she has done as an Air Force ROTC Cadet, Placentia Police Department Explorer, and as an after-school site program coordinator for a local nonprofit after-school program. Growing up as a low-income youth and a first-generation student, Suzette has carved her path to higher education. She has sought opportunities to create inclusive environments for other students and communities. She is an active member of her college community and currently serves as the representative of the College of Business on the Board of CSUF’s Student Government. Suzette also served as the Vice President of Associate Students Incorporated at CSUF for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Tayla Easterla
California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo
Tayla Easterla is an advocate from Sacramento, CA, and a member of the Modoc Nation. Previously, Tayla was on the Youth Leadership Council facilitated by the Rancho Cordova Police Activities League, advocating and organizing for the benefit of disadvantaged children and protesting human trafficking in her hometown. Tayla was promoted to Lead of the IMPACT Steering Committee at National Justice + Joy in her most recent advocacy work. Easterla is a certified yoga instructor and has been certified by the Youth Thrive 4 Youth program through the Center for Study of Social Policy. She integrates methodology from her training into her advocacy work. Tayla is pursuing a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Quantitative Analytics and a minor in Nonprofit Management. Tayla’s goal is to advocate for young mothers, particularly young mothers of children with disabilities, to make effective care and communal holistic support more accessible by sharing her lived experience and personal expertise.
Kailyn Wilkerson
CSU LONG BEACH
Kailyn Wilkerson (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year student at California State University, Long Beach, in the College of Liberal Arts, where she is pursuing a degree in Political Science (BA). She is currently the Founder of the Black Law Student Association, which has allowed her to contribute to the Black and African American community with the foremost concern of aiding the recruitment and admission of Black students into Law school and other areas. In her studies, Kailyn focuses on racial and ethnic politics while furthering her knowledge of the higher education system with the help of mentors and staff at her institution. Her interest in Political Science stems from her goal to combat discrepancies and inequities and support Black and African American students like herself. Ms. Wilkerson has worked as the Assistant Coordinator for the Umoja Community Program for the past year and a half, specializing in the academic retention and success rate of Black and African students by providing resources and services throughout their academic journey. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she is on the doctoral track or plans to apply for graduate school to further her knowledge in Urban Schooling and higher education, progressing toward a career as a Dean/Director in higher education over student equity and inclusion.
For More Information
To connect with the FIERCE Fellows or learn more about their work, please contact Director of External Relations Lange Luntao, on the Partnerships & Engagement Team.
