From the president
Ms. Fiona Lu is an exemplary representative of UCLA. She is driven by the values of public service in all that she does. Fiona previously served as a legislative intern for Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06) and as the External Vice President UC Relations Director, bridging student advocacy to UC Regents governance.
Most notably, Fiona co-founded What We All Deserve (WWAD), a youth-led organization with 20+ youth organizers to work on pioneering basic needs security and economic justice through policymaking. Since its founding in 2023, she has led her team to propose five student-written bills in California, two of which have been signed into California law by Governor Newsom. One of the bills, AB 1810, allows menstrual products to be fully accessible, and the other bill, AB 3240, bans scholarship displacement in colleges for Cal Grant Students. This year, WWAD aims to expand their efforts nationally, with bills introduced in Texas and New York focused on economic and housing justice issues. Fiona aspires to host their first fully-sponsored, in-person lobby day in Sacramento, bringing together student organizers from all different parts of the state.
Personal Statement
I’m a student at UCLA double majoring in Public Affairs and Labor Studies and minoring in Asian American Studies. I’m interested in how race, class, immigration status, and other salient identities intersect with, and are shaped by, public policies and laws. I currently serve as the Co- Executive Director of an organization that I co-founded called What We All Deserve (WWAD) that works on getting young people involved in state policymaking. Since our founding, we’ve proposed 7 economic justice student-written bills in California and Texas, two of which were signed into law. Through my work with WWAD, I’ve truly witnessed the impact that young people can make on transforming policy systems for social change. Professionally, I’ve worked in Washington, D.C. as an intern for the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and on Capitol Hill for Rep. Meng from Queens, New York. Witnessing high-caliber spaces during my time in nation’s capital reinforced my commitment to a future of public service grounded on the principle of bridging government institutions and local communities. Post-graduation, I hope to pursue a JD/MPP to work towards a career that utilizes law and policy for justice-centered and equitable public programs and governance systems.