Meet Our Interns
Our interns are always hard at work
Alex, Lynda, Marlenne, & Natalie’s own experiences with education fuel their passion to fully fund California public schools. They are an integral part of our campaign. They’re spending their spring conducting research on California’s education crisis, creating content for Evolve’s social media platforms, and directly engaging the public through one-on-one conversations, and so much more.
Alex Cullins, Campaign Intern: Alex is currently a junior at the University of San Francisco double majoring in Politics and Environmental studies, and minoring in Public Policy. Previously living in the nation's capital, the current effects of the Trump administration have hit Alex close to home. Alex believes in defending and upholding democratic institutions, the most important of which being public education, which is under fire from the current administration. Alex knows the best way to preserve institutions is community organizing through local politics and nonprofit work in which she engages in as much as possible. In her free time, Alex enjoys hiking, trying new restaurants, and sewing.
Lynda Otero, Campaign Intern: Lynda is currently a third-year student at UC Berkeley studying Political Science. She’s apart of many communities on campus: the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), the Latine Pre-Law Society, NAVCAL, and the Public Service Center. Though these organizations differ from each other, they all share the same objectives of building community, professional development, and giving back to the Bay Area. From her experience working with school boards, volunteering at the Public Service Center, and her own journey in public education, she was drawn to work with organizations advocating for the fully funding and expansion of public education. During her internship at Evolve, Lynda aims to explore pathways for the growth of equitable education and resources to make education effective for more students. In her free time she enjoys crocheting, hiking, and experimenting with film photography.
Marlenne Perez, Campaign Intern: Marlenne is a rising senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Social Welfare with a concentration in Education and Chicanx Studies. She grew up in the Inland Empire, specifically Moreno Valley, where she started her educational journey. During her time at UC Berkeley she has facilitated an undergraduate course called NAVCAL, which through near-peer mentorship, helps support underrepresented students throughout their journeys at Berkeley. Her experience in NAVCAL inspired her to create a program with the support of the Public Service Center called RootED, aimed to aid marginalized California high school seniors with their University of California applications. Marlenne is passionate about getting marginalized students to college to keep retention and representation in the higher education environment. In the future, Marlenne hopes to create even more retention programs for marginalized students and support them through all phases of their academic journey in order to create a just and equitable educational system for all students. In her free time Marlenne likes to listen to music, sit in nature, and collect vintage pocketbooks.
Natalie Ayelen, Campaign Intern: Natalie is a recent UC Berkeley graduate, majoring in Ethnic Studies and Education. Born and raised in Hayward, Natalie has worked in various K-12 after-school programs in the East Bay under non-profit organizations like Safe Passages, the Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro, and Bay Area community resources as an Expanded Learning Instructor. Natalie’s experiences in working with Black and Brown youth has shaped her worldview on equity and accessibility by witnessing first hand how funding disparities impact students’ quality of education and resources within the East Bay. Natalie is passionate about advocating for increased funding for public schools as well as providing more equitable resources for Black and Brown youth within education. In her free time, Natalie likes going to the beach, spending time with her friends/family, and hiking.