Our internship is highly selective and each intern is selected based on their demonstrated academic and personal excellence, demonstrated leadership capabilities, and a commitment to serving their community.

Malia Ferrer

Rising Third-Year, Stanford University

Internship Placement: Office of California Senate Majority Leader Lena Gonzalez

Malia Ferrer is a rising third-year student at Stanford currently studying Human Biology and is exploring concentrations in Global Health and Health Policy. Born and raised in a strong Filipino community in San Diego, Malia is inspired to pursue opportunities where she can carry on the values instilled in her childhood: generosity, resilience, hard work, and respect.

Her interest in civic engagement sparked when she interned for the non-profit organization, International Network of Hearts (INH), a local San Diego organization that works to provide shelter for and restore the lives of human trafficking survivors across the Mexico border. While helping the organization seek financial partnerships with corporations across San Diego, she simultaneously discovered what it meant to take action and witness change to uplift the voices of those who were unable to advocate for themselves.
On campus, Malia is currently interning at the Stanford Center for Clinical Research and works at the Asian American Activities Center. At the Asian American Activities Center, she is a coordinator for the first-year student mentorship program, AASib (Asian American Sibling), where she helps match freshmen to upper-class mentors and plan social events to foster strong bonds among sibling families. Through this role, she has been able to discover the importance of cultivating a welcoming environment for freshmen to be familiarized with Asian community members who share similar interests, experiences, and identities to ease their transition into college. Malia is also involved in the Pilipinx American Student Union as a community service committee intern and participates in the annual Pilipinx Cultural Night.

In the future, she hopes to find a meaningful intersection that combines her passions for healthcare and the AAPI community, whether at a policy level or working with her patients as a Physician Assistant. Malia is looking forward to the CAUSE Leadership Academy this summer to increase her knowledge of the injustices that the AAPI community faces in Southern California, gain wisdom from her mentors and peers, and engage in experiences that will allow her to serve her community on a larger scale.

Eliana Kim

Recent Graduate, University of California, Berkeley

Internship Placement: Office of Los Angeles Councilwoman Heather Hutt

Eliana Kim (she/her) is a recent graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, earning a B.A. in Political Science and Media Studies. Born and raised for the most part in South Korea, she values cultural nuance and strives to serve AAPI communities who have had profound impacts in her transition to living in the US. Her interests lie primarily in the intersections between advocacy, policy, and media representations.

As an undergraduate, she has been involved in a variety of activities. She was involved in community-based advocacy working for the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach, a non-profit legal organization which strives to provide culturally specific and linguistically appropriate legal and social services. She was also involved in her campus community matters by actively engaging with various internal-facing roles in the Associated Students of the University of California, the independent student government of UC Berkeley, working for the Berkeley Law School in the Department of Alumni relations, hosting a night market for 45+ Bay Area small businesses, among others.

Eliana is always eager to utilize her deep interest in media representations, traditional and new, as well as her cultural and linguistic abilities in all of her endeavors. Through CAUSE and working in the LA Council District 10 in the Office of Councilwoman Heather Hutt, she hopes to gain a deeper understanding and lived experiences of grassroots civic advocacy and nurturing relationships with community members and groups.

Haley Ku

Rising Third-Year, University of Southern California

Internship Placement: Office of U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff

Haley Ku is a rising third-year at the University of Southern California double majoring in International Relations and Public Relations. Raised in Virginia, Haley found her interest in politics and civic engagement by working with local elected officials and volunteering at election polls. From her experiences living in a predominately White county, Haley aspires to promote Asian American involvement in local governments all across the country.

At USC, Haley is a Team Lead for the Near Crisis Project, a research program that examines near-crises that have occurred over the last 100 years. Additionally, she serves as the Vice President of the USC Helenes, the university’s oldest service and spirit organization on campus. Her pride for her school does not stop there, as she also works as a Student Ambassador (tour guide) for the university.

In the future, Haley hopes to merge her interests in foreign affairs and communications to lead public relations for humanitarian organizations. Through the CAUSE Leadership Academy, she hopes to acquire the skills necessary to get one step closer to that goal. She is ecstatic to join the CLA cohort and eager to begin this summer.

Shiwani Lata

Recent Graduate, San Diego State University

Internship Placement: California Governor's Office of External Affairs

Shiwani graduated from San Diego State University this spring with a B.A. in Public Administration. Originally from Merced CA, she has always been involved in various forms of civic engagement & implementing ways to give back to different communities. Shiwani has always shown a passion for leadership positions whether it was serving on youth council boards in her hometown or holding several positions on the executive board of her service organization, Alpha Phi Omega. During her time at SDSU, she networked Alpha Phi Omega and hosted service events with other nonprofits such as Kupanda: Community for Refugee Children. Shiwani has also spent several summers back in her hometown, running a USTA Norcal-supported city tennis program for the children in her community. During her last semester, she interned as the Intake/Outreach at Center for Employment Opportunities, working with formerly incarcerated individuals to connect back to the workforce. Shiwani is looking forward to enhancing her passion for change and advocacy by having the opportunity to flourish through the CLA program and everyone she meets throughout.

Robinson Lee

Rising Third-Year, Pitzer College

Internship Placement: Office of Assemblymember Mike Fong

Robinson Lee is a Korean Chinese American Christian and rising third-year at Pitzer College, where he is pursuing a combined major in Political Studies and History and a minor in Asian American Studies. Born and raised in the unceded Tongva-Kizh land of Arcadia, Robinson attended Arcadia High School while advocating against the erasure of the history of Japanese American incarceration at Santa Anita Park racetrack and helping organize efforts to provide necessities to Arcadia’s unhoused residents. Continuing his efforts in college, Robinson leads Pitzer’s Pacifika Asian Student Union as the Political Organizing Chair, connecting API students with political organizing and local community resources, advocating for API political interests at Pitzer’s Student Senate, and by leading educational events on API politics, history, and collective memory. In addition, Robinson represents the Mixed Identity eXchange affinity group at Pitzer’s Identity Board, competes as a general member of Pomona College’s Model United Nations team, and has worked for Pitzer’s Sociology Field Group as an Undergraduate Research Assistant.

Robinson seeks to accomplish meaningful interdisciplinary work reconciling histories of injustice and devastation with the contemporary needs of everyday people through civic empowerment, grassroots advocacy, and community organizing. Therefore, social justice, material equity, and militant love are at the core of Robinson’s efforts as he works towards a career in public interest law. Robinson believes that representation and diversity efforts are benign yet necessary steps to further community decision-making and addressing systemic issues and looks forward to envisioning these aspirations through the opportunities that CAUSE provides.

Samantha Leong

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of Senator Ben Allen

Samantha Leong (she/her) is a rising second-year at UCLA, double majoring in Asian American Studies and Political Science. Originally from the Bay Area in Northern California, she has advocated in various spaces in her community, including interning for State Assemblymember Evan Low and assisting in nearby campaigns at the state and local levels, which has encouraged her interest in policymaking and government. As a fourth-generation Chinese American, her family’s long history in the United States inspires her passion for AAPI advocacy.

As an undergraduate, Samantha is involved with CAUSE, contributing to its mission of voter engagement in API spaces. As a lead intern for Jessica Caloza’s campaign for State Assembly in California’s AD-52, she has had the opportunity to directly engage with voters. She is also a member of LCC Theatre Company, UCLA’s premiere Asian American theatre company, whose mission is to give a voice to the voiceless, and has acted and directed in many of their productions. She is excited to be a part of CLA and gain hands-on experience in advocacy and civic engagement!

grant Li

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of Congressman Ted Lieu

Grant Li is a rising second-year at UCLA majoring in Applied Linguistics and minoring in Asian American Studies. He was raised in the San Gabriel Valley and currently lives in Irvine. Growing up in an area with a high diversity of languages, he has always been passionate about the importance of heritage languages in their communities. In high school, he interned with the Endangered Languages Project, a nonprofit that works with indigenous communities around the world to preserve and record their languages and spent a good amount of time learning about the Osage language of Oklahoma and working remotely with their community leaders. At UCLA, he is an editor for the AAPI Undergraduate Law Journal and a member of the Southeast Asian Campus Learning Education and Retention (SEA CLEAR) project. With CLA’s 2024 cohort, he looks forward to learning more about public service and giving back to his community.

Sydney Pike

Recent Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles

Internship Placement: Office of United States Senator Alex Padilla

Sydney Pike is a recent graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Systems and Society. Her journey began in Orange County California, where she discovered her passion for advocacy and change-making at Cypress College, graduating with an Associate in Arts in Political Science. As a catalyst for change, Sydney's tenure in Cypress College's Student Government ignited her passion for public policy and organizing, propelling her through roles as Senator, Executive Vice President, and ultimately, President of the Cypress College Associated Students.

As a transfer student at UCLA, Sydney was deeply engaged in campus life, serving on the board of UCLA’s Pacific Islands’ Student Association (PISA) and holding pivotal roles, including as Higher Education Awareness Coordinator for the Pacific Islander Education and Retention project (PIER), and Native and Pasifika Peer Advisor for UCLA’s Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP). Additionally, she coordinated the UC Students Enacting Environmental Defense campaign on UCLA’s campus and was one of the leaders of UCLA’s Mauna Kea Protectors Campaign where she advocated for divestment from the Thirty Meter Telescope Project. Sydney's academic pursuits converge on themes of Native Hawaiian identity, environmental justice, sovereignty politics, and Indigenous epistemologies and law. She has actively participated in research endeavors, delving into Asian American and Pacific Islander civic engagement in Los Angeles County, and authoring an undergraduate thesis on Native Hawaiian blood quantum politics.

Driven by a profound commitment to environmental justice and the preservation of sacred Indigenous cultural sites, Sydney aspires to further her education by obtaining a Master in Public Policy or Environment and Sustainability, followed by a Juris Doctorate. Her ultimate goal is to return to her roots in Hawai’i, leveraging her expertise to advocate ardently for Native Hawaiian land and water rights, forging a path towards a more equitable and sustainable future for her community and beyond.

Gabrielle Shen

Rising Fourth-Year, University of California, Riverside

Internship Placement: Office of Congresswoman Judy Chu

Gabrielle Shen (she/her) is a rising fourth-year at the University of California, Riverside, and she is currently majoring in Environmental Sciences. Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Gabrielle has been passionate about the environment for as long as she can remember—her intent to positively impact her community through sustainable outlets has inspired her to pursue environmental policy in the future.

At UC Riverside, Gabrielle serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of SEEDS (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability). Through SEEDS, she seeks to provide accessible scientific opportunities by organizing no-cost field trips, hosting educational events, and assisting with undergraduate, student-led research. Gabrielle is also a co-chair of the Center for Conservation Biology (CCB)-SEEDS Mentorship Program, where she advocates for undergraduates of all backgrounds to form meaningful connections with graduate students. In addition, she recently served as a Sustainable Transportation and Communities Division Intern with the California Air Resources Board. There, she witnessed the inner workings of a governmental agency, performing literature reviews and gathering input to assist in future greenhouse gas amendment rulemaking.

Ultimately, Gabrielle wants to better understand the connection between environmental justice/policy and the APIDA community. She is incredibly excited to join the CLA this summer and is looking forward to learning more about APIDA causes as an aspiring young professional.

Anais Sornkatetin

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Berkeley

Internship Placement: California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Office of External Affairs

Anais Sornkatetin (any pronouns) is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a Political Science major and a Public Policy minor. Growing up low-income and the child of immigrants in a predominantly Asian city, they developed a strong passion for advocating for marginalized communities. This foundation has driven them to address many concerns, including the interlocking systems of oppression that APA and LGBTQ+ communities face. Before college, Anais was active in community engagement through their work as a Youth Ambassador for the Youth Mentoring Action Network, a nonprofit organization focused on empowering youth. At UC Berkeley, they gained experience in grassroots mobilizing through their involvement in planning peaceful demonstrations for Justice4Ivonne, a student coalition dedicated to supporting a Berkeley Latinx professor who was a victim of sexual assault and retaliation. Currently, Anais is interning at REACH!, a student-led recruitment and retention center at Berkeley that empowers low-income, immigrant, and refugee Asians and Asian Americans by promoting post-secondary pathways and community retention. In their role within the Political Advocacy program, Anais hosts free events and incorporates their love for art into political education. A recent highlight was an art gallery event focused on queer trans-APA intersectionality, a topic deeply personal to them as a QT APA individual. Looking ahead, Anais aspires to become a public interest lawyer who can serve their communities' direct needs while enacting widespread policy initiatives. They are excited to expand their understanding of APA issues, gain more experience in the professional world, and are eager to contribute to broader societal change through their internship with CAUSE.

Emma Tom

Rising Third-Year, Pomona College

Internship Placement: Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE)

Emma Tom is a rising junior at Pomona College double majoring in Asian Studies and Politics. Emma was born and raised in New York City where she spent multiple summers volunteering and working with children in Chinatown, teaching them multiple styles of dance. As an avid dancer herself, she is curious about how the arts can be used for social cohesion and political activism. She also hopes to advocate for quality accessible education for all young individuals, especially API immigrant children, giving them the same opportunities to pursue higher education without burdening their parents. At Pomona, she works for the dance department organizing and directing student-choreographed showcases, disseminating her love for the arts with the rest of the consortium. She also volunteers for Pomona’s Saturday Tongan Education Program where she tutors and befriends the local indigenous Tongan children. Her other hobbies include boba-making, graphic design, and video editing. Her next research project, in collaboration with her professor Bilal Nasir from Pomona College’s Asian American Studies Department, is developing a short video documentary on the work that lion dance organizations do for the youth in New York City’s Chinatown. She is ecstatic to be a part of this year’s CLA cohort and looks forward to learning how to further engage in API advocacy work.

Nathan Yeung

Rising Second-Year, University of California, Irvine

Internship Placement: Office of California State Senator Susan Rubio

Nathan Yeung is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Irvine, double majoring in Asian American Studies and International Studies. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nathan’s upbringing has been shaped by the cultural immersion of his Hongkonger/Chinese heritage and the cultural diversity of the Bay Area. Growing up in this environment led to a unique passion for celebrating and appreciating not only his own culture, but also the many diverse cultures found all over the world.

Nathan’s passion for culture, music, and dance has driven his involvement in his community both during high school and college through performing arts. Notably, he was a proud member of Stanford’s Baipu Chinese Music Ensemble for two years, where he broadened his network through Chinese music, playing alongside Stanford undergraduate and graduate students. His commitment to performance continues in college, where he is active in UCI’s Traditional Vietnamese/Vpop dance team (Trance UCI), Jianxi Chinese Orchestra, and formerly with UCI’s Kpop dance team (Kkap UCI), participating in cultural showcases at his school and surrounding areas like the annual UVSA Tết Festival in Orange County.

Nathan’s leadership roles and social advocacy are strongly shaped by his outspokenness on the 2019 Hong Kong protests, as well as his involvement in local initiatives such as the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate movements back in 2020-21, which all served as the foundation for his role in social justice and activism. His notable leadership positions included being one of the founding officers of his high school’s Chinese Culture Club, which he led for three years, and commissioning the Diversity and Social Justice Committee in his high school’s student leadership. Nathan aims to further explore his aspirations in leadership, social advocacy, and civic engagement through his participation in the Cause Leadership Academy this summer.