Hayden Schill is a PhD candidate in Experimental Psychology at UC San Diego. Her research focuses on understanding visual working and long-term memory for complex images. Previously, she served as the Vice President of External Affairs for the UCSD Graduate & Professional Student Association and UCGPC Board Member. Her advocacy interests include equity in higher education and issues related to climate change, such as food security and transit. When not advocating for graduate students or working on her dissertation, Hayden can be found exploring San Diego or walking along the beach with her dog.

Kiley Barton currently is a 2nd year Master of Public Policy candidate at UC Irvine. Her focus areas include education policy and early childhood policy. This year she will be serving as the Vice President of External Affairs for UC Irvine's Associated Graduate Students. Previously, Kiley served as the Legislative Director for the External team for AGS, a time during which she represented UC Irvine for UCGPC. She is also the Social Chair for UC Irvine's Public Policy Student Association. Kiley is passionate about public service and advocating for social justice. She is dedicated to uplifting graduate student voices as Council Chair, as well as helping to further UCGPC's continued growth as an organization. Outside of academics and work, Kiley lives in Long Beach with her partner and their two cats. You can find her reading for pleasure, particularly LGBTQ+ fiction, trying new brunch places, and taking day trips around SoCal.

Ernesto Arciniega is a PhD candidate in Hispanic Literatures at UCLA. Ernesto’s research interests are Contemporary Latin American, Mexican, and Chicanx literatures and cultures, immigration law in the U.S., border studies, and protest art. Ernesto is a strong advocate for social justice and immigrants’ rights. He is the founder and former President of UCLA Hispanic Latinx Graduate Students Association (2017-2019), was the inaugural GSA Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement at UCLA (2018-2019), has served on the ASUCLA Board of Directors (2019-2020), and was a National Fellow at the UC National Center for Free Speech (2020-2021). He currently serves as the UCLA GSA Director of Organizing under the Office of the GSA VP of External Affairs. Today, Ernesto is an elected Councilmember for the North Westwood Neighborhood Council in the 5th District of the City of Los Angeles, where he advocates for building student affordable housing, improving public transportation, and fighting for Westwood’s disfranchised. During his free time, Ernesto loves watching queer-themed films and series, practicing world languages, and hanging out with his friends in West Hollywood.

Valeria Dominguez is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Riverside, studying Higher Education Administration and Policy. Influenced by her identities as a first-generation immigrant Latina, Valeria’s work, advocacy, and scholarship focus on equity and social justice. Her dissertation is on the strengths and impacts that Women of Color have on higher education boards of trustees. Valeria’s scholarship has influenced her involvement in UC governance and passion for university service. She was the Academic Affairs Officer for UCR’s School of Education (2019-2020), the Vice-President of the UCR’s Graduate Student Association (2020-2021), and now serves as the President of UCR’s Graduate Student Association and as the Treasurer for the UC Graduate and Professional Council. This year she also serves on the National Advisory Board for the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. These roles have granted her the opportunity to meet with CA Legislators, the UC Board of Regents, the UC President, the UC Office of the President, and community partners to advocate on behalf of graduate and undergraduate students.

Dominguez received her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration and Policy and B.A. in Sociology Law and Society at the University of California, Riverside. This year she was awarded the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education Gardner Fellowship and the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement VOICE Fellowship.

Pat Ordoñez-Kim (she/her/siya) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Riverside. Pat was the recipient of the Eugene Cota Robles Diversity Fellowship from 2016-2020. Pat is a 2021 CTERIN ETE Fellow, a network of UC doctoral students conducting research on teaching and teacher education.

She holds an MA degree in Educational Administration-Higher Education and a BA in Sociology from California State University, Northridge.

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As Executive Director, Pat serves as the mainstay of UCGPC, from running the business end of the organization, and outreach efforts with UCOP and community stakeholders. As co-treasurer, Pat is responsible for the fiscal management of UCGPC.

Yaritza A. Gonzalez Rodriguez (she/her/ella) was born and raised in Inglewood, CA to Mexican immigrants from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and is a proud role model to her two younger sisters. In 2016, Yaritza earned her B.A. in Geography with a minor in Public Policy from Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Over the past five years, she worked as a Paralegal in the Community College Legal Services at the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in Los Angeles, CA. Currently, Yaritza is pursuing her M.A. in Public Policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and working as a Policy Fellow for the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative. She ultimately plans on becoming a licensed attorney to help eradicate the systemic injustices that hinder underrepresented communities like hers from thriving in society. Yaritza is also the Co-Founder and Co-Director of an organization called ING Fellowship, whose goal is to inspire, nurture and guide young people in Inglewood, CA, to organize, mobilize and address different issues that affect the Inglewood community. In her free time, Yaritza enjoys mentoring and volunteering for college access programs, in addition to hiking throughout Los Angeles with her huskie: Oreo.

Adam Cooper is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at UC San Diego. His research concerns the ocean to air transfer of emerging pollutants and subsequent atmospheric lifetimes and chemical transformations. Previously, he served as the Legislative Liaison for State Affairs for the UCSD Graduate and Professional Student Association and its Legislative Advocacy Committee. He is an active member of the Sunrise Movement & University of California Green New Deal Coalition and organizes for climate justice, clean energy & fair labor practices. As Director of Organizing, he is dedicated to connecting and amplifying issue-based grassroots organizations fighting for a better UC system. Outside of advocacy & activism, Adam enjoys live music, lifting weights and traveling around California & beyond.