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The 2025 Monica Salinas Field Fellowship Cohort Announced

The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI) is proud to announce the 2025 cohort of the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, a summer leadership program that offers students from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of public policy through placements at government offices, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and Southern California.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: lppipress@luskin.ucla.edu

UCLA LPPI Announces 2025 Monica Salinas Field Fellowship Cohort

LOS ANGELES (August 5, 2025) — The UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI) is proud to announce the 2025 cohort of the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, a summer leadership program that offers students from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the field of public policy through placements at government offices, advocacy groups, and community-based organizations across Los Angeles and Southern California.

The inaugural field fellowship honors Monica Salinas, an advocate for educational equity and civic empowerment. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of policy leaders passionate about serving underrepresented communities by placing fellows in real-world settings where they can work directly on some of the most pressing issues affecting their communities—from housing access and immigration to environmental justice and economic opportunity.

This summer, six UCLA Luskin School students were selected for the fellowship and placed with partner organizations, including members of the California State Legislature, the Los Angeles City Council, and grassroots organizations such as Community Coalition and IDEPSCA. Each fellow receives a $6,000 stipend and is supervised by a leader at their placement organization, positioned to build their skills in leadership, policy, and advocacy.

“LPPI is committed to developing leaders,” said Amada Armenta, faculty director of LPPI. “Through this program, students bring their talents and lived experiences to non-profits and government offices, serving their communities while gaining the tools to shape policy and create a better future.” 

The 2025 Monica Salinas Field Fellows are:

  • Alejandro Antonio Diaz – Master of Public Policy candidate, placed with California State Senate District 31
  • Ana Guadalupe Lua Martel – Master of Public Policy candidate, placed with California State Assembly District 48
  • Gia Gigli Rogers – Undergraduate student in Environmental Science with minors in Environmental Systems and Society and Public Affairs, placed with California State Assembly District 39
  • Leslie Alexa Ortiz – Undergraduate student in Public Affairs with minors in Chicana/o and Central American Studies, placed with L.A. City Council District 1
  • Miriam Torres Sanchez – Master of Urban and Regional Planning candidate, placed with  Instituto de Educación Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA)
  • Yene Solomon – Master of Social Welfare candidate, placed with the Community Coalition (CoCo)

“This fellowship is about more than just placements—it’s about building a pipeline of diverse leaders who will advocate for and alongside their communities,” said Belen Flores, leadership strategy manager at LPPI. “These fellows represent the brilliance, resilience, and commitment that our future policy landscape needs.”

The Monica Salinas Field Fellowship is one of several UCLA LPPI initiatives aimed at expanding access to policy careers for Latino and other students of color and equipping them with the skills and experiences necessary to lead transformative change.

For more information about the Monica Salinas Field Fellowship, visit: latino.ucla.edu