Amid profound political change, growing threats and uncertainty in higher education, UCLA students will elect the next 15 officers of the Undergraduate Students Association Council. This year, Bruins will choose who to vote for in a field featuring several dozen candidates and three referendums.

Voting will begin Friday at 8 a.m. and conclude May 16 at noon.

Following careful deliberation, the Daily Bruin Editorial Board endorsed the following candidates and referendums. 

The board reached out to all candidates currently on the ballot. Unless otherwise noted, members of the board interviewed all candidates in the election.

President – Diego Emilio Bollo 

The role of president comes with a heavy responsibility – to represent the voices of the student body and to champion their collective interests.

It is the firm belief of the editorial board that students can trust Diego Emilio Bollo, who currently serves as a general representative, to take up the mantle and do just that.

The third-year labor studies and political science student presents several platforms that the board has no doubt would resonate deeply with the student population. As UCLA looks to potentially bolster UCPD’s budget while the UC remains in a systemwide budget deficit, Bollo understands that many students hope for a president who will push back against changes that the student population may not want. Bollo intends to provide greater transparency to the student body while amplifying student voices about the proposed changes to student safety.

And amid these budget cuts, Bollo hopes to preserve and establish cultural centers, including a resource center for Native American and Asian American and Pacific Islander students. He would push for continued diversity on campus – applying his existing experience with the 2024 Latinx Welcome event, the Hispanic-Serving Institution initiative and passing a resolution to support Improving Dreams, Equity, Access and Success, an organization that supports the university’s undocumented students.

Having spent a year as a general representative, Bollo is not only immensely qualified to expand on his current work in the position of president – he is also well-informed about the nature of UCLA’s bureaucracy and how to fight on behalf of students while interacting with the university administration, and he is the only of the five presidential candidates to understand the parameters and confines of the role.

Perhaps most importantly, no decision would go uninformed in Bollo’s office. His record as a general representative has shown that he listens to and consults student groups on campus, and we trust that this humility would extend to his new role.

Bollo’s experience and platforms alone show that he would undoubtedly advocate for students’ best interests as president. And as increasing pushback to those student interests arrives from the state, national and university levels, someone like Bollo could be the president we need to address real issues.

The editorial board was unable to interview candidates Christina Morcus and Jiorden King for this position.

Internal vice president – Eman Almuti 

Eman Almuti has served as a student relations director within the internal vice president’s office this year, during which she has worked closely with her two potential predecessors. Her dedication in this role has given the board full confidence in endorsing her for 2025-2026 internal vice president. 

Almuti is a third-year psychobiology student with firsthand leadership experience through her role in USAC, where she chairs the Congressional Advisory Board. Her work with CAB has given her insight into the office’s structure, the challenges it faces and what is needed to succeed. In collaboration with over 20 organizations, including Hillel, the Pacific Islands Students Association, the Indian Student Union and the Muslim Student Association, Almuti’s platforms are rooted in genuine student feedback. 

Passionate about bridging the gap between students and USAC, Almuti is committed to ensuring that surplus funding is redirected to student organizations. She also aims to make CAB an active part of the decision-making process by involving it in regular feedback and review. To create a more accessible and transparent system, she advocates for mandatory meetings between students and administration, as well as the strengthening of groups such as the Campus Safety Alliance.

Additionally, Almuti prioritizes advocating for safe off-campus student housing and expanding the capacity of UCLA’s relief fund to include basic needs. With the recent removal of most double dorms, she recognizes that securing off-campus housing will continue to pose challenges for many students. To address this, she proposes developing emergency short-term housing plans and expanding access to counseling services, with a particular focus on supporting diverse student communities.

Almuti’s student-oriented platforms and deep understanding of the internal vice president’s office qualify her for the role of internal vice president next year.

External vice president – Sherry Zhou 

The position of external vice president is more critical than ever amid potential state funding cuts and an increasingly hostile federal government. The board believes Sherry Zhou, currently the external vice president’s office’s internal head of staff, is up to the challenge of the role in this increasingly uncertain political climate.

The third-year communication and political science student and die-hard UCLA gymnastics fan brings a wealth of experience, including several years at the external vice president’s office as well as stints at the Office of the Internal Vice President and Jackie Fielder’s successful campaign for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors last year.

She also touts a set of compelling and feasible platforms divided into three main categories, focusing largely on supporting students’ basic needs, fostering equity and engagement, and supporting access to resources and retention programs.

Zhou’s proposals and policy stances are all laudable. From her desire to create a basic needs food truck to help address food insecurity on campus to her aim to mobilize students and meet with California gubernatorial candidates ahead of the upcoming elections, she has a strong understanding of the external vice president’s office’s impact on campus and the importance of centering student needs in the office’s advocacy efforts.

Her commitment to fight the UCLA administration to protect funding for resource centers for marginalized students and increase the number of immigration lawyers and legal staff available at UCLA Student Legal Services is also especially noteworthy and shows she has the necessary backbone for the job.

The board wholeheartedly supports Zhou as the only candidate for external vice president this year. No mental gymnastics necessary.

General representative 1 – Brett Berndt  

In the crowded field of general representative candidates, it takes a compelling mixture of experience, passion and vision to truly stand out. Brett Berndt – a third-year political science transfer student – demonstrates all of these qualities and then some, earning the board’s enthusiastic endorsement for general representative. 

In just one year on campus, Berndt has become an impressively involved advocate for accessibility and students’ needs. He brings experience from three USAC offices – the Academic Affairs Commission, Facilities Commission and Office of the External Vice President – alongside collaborations with the Bruin Resource Center, Graduate Student Association and other organizations. This track record gives him a strong understanding of USAC’s role in student life, as well as a demonstrated history of passionate advocacy.

Even more impressive are his feasible, principled platforms. He plans to expand on his work on the Facilities Commission’s Access on Board initiative, seeking increased funding for BruinAccess and advocating for more public transportation options. He wants to offer more opportunities year-round for transfer students while also working to better events such as Transferpalooza and Transfer Welcome Week. And he seeks to support students’ basic needs by expanding IGNITE and Campus Assault Resources and Education’s advocacy work for sexual assault survivors, hosting events teaching about and distributing drug overdose prevention tools, such as naloxone, and leveraging USAC’s connection with the administration to protect students if visas are revoked for international students.

Berndt’s candidacy is built on much more than his lavender signs on Bruin Walk. He is a well-informed, passionate candidate who brings substantial USAC and outside experience to this position.

General representative 2 –  Jayha Buhs-Jackson 

The board endorses Jayha Buhs-Jackson, a first-generation and first-year African American studies and public affairs student, for the position of general representative. 

Despite only being a first-year student, Buhs-Jackson has already cultivated extensive involvement on campus, including working in the general representative 2 and external vice president’s offices. In the general representative 2 office, Buhs-Jackson has served as the director of community relations, while in the external vice president’s office, she led a delegation of Black students from UCLA to lobby at the state capital. Buhs-Jackson has also served as a UC Student Association-appointed officer, which she said has allowed her to understand what goals can be accomplished and how policies are passed at UCLA.

Buhs-Jackson has shown that she is able to put forward sensible and achievable goals, such as working to reduce food insecurity by partnering with campus organizations, advocating for higher wages and more protections for student workers, teaching students about opportunities to speak to UC regents, and pushing to dismantle Time, Place and Manner restrictions on campus. At the same time, she also understands the obstacles that USAC will face next year, such as policies from the federal government and UCLA’s budget cuts, and has demonstrated an understanding of how to navigate them through coalition-building at both the campuswide and systemwide levels.

Given her understanding of policymaking, past experiences in advocacy and commitment to connecting students with student government, the board believes Buhs-Jackson is well-prepared to serve as general representative.

General representative 3 – Paige Zwerner

The board is confident in Paige Zwerner’s capacity to serve the student body as a general representative. The second-year communication and political science student brings not only a diverse and tangible action plan but also extensive experience that prepares her for this role.

Her four platforms – life after college, empowerment through education, housing advocacy and know your rights – tackle student challenges and uncertainties both on and off the UCLA campus. She seeks to ensure equitable access to post-graduation opportunities and expand student political awareness in light of an increasingly unstable federal administration. She plans to achieve these action items through workshops, informational sessions, and internal and external partnerships, outlining a clear path to implementation.

Her housing and know your rights series reinforce her student-centered approach. She wants to advocate for students’ housing rights on and off campus and ensure international and undocumented students are prioritized amid on-campus and federal breaches of safety and security.

These platforms are only strengthened by her experience in three different USAC offices, affording her a diverse perspective on the role of general representative and preparing her with experience navigating USAC channels. 

Zwerner’s compelling platforms, designed to expand equity and education and enhanced by her prior USAC experience, allow the board to confidently endorse her as a general representative candidate. We are optimistic she will serve the student body and address its needs to the capacity of this position.

The editorial board was unable to interview candidate Averie Roice for this position.

Academic Affairs commissioner – Cristopher Espino  

At a top research institution like UCLA, where academics tend to influence much of the student body, the Academic Affairs commissioner is an especially critical USAC position. 

The board endorses Cristopher Espino, a third-year education and social transformation and political science student at UCLA, for the position. Currently the incumbent Academic Affairs commissioner, Espino has an abundance of experience both in the role and engaging with public service. 

Espino’s commitment to the commission’s work has been clear throughout his tenure, including through his efforts to establish a pilot ambassadorship program with the UCLA Registrar’s office, the relaunching of the Books for Bruins initiative, which provides $129 scholarships to cover the cost of textbooks, and a lobbying campaign to make Bruin One Access an opt-in program.

His solutions-oriented approach and emphasis on systemic change are complemented by an embrace of diversity, equity and inclusion as a fundamental facet of higher education, a critical stance at a time when such programs have been targeted at college campuses across the country.

His aim to create an interdepartmental student council to advocate for change in individual academic departments is an ambitious but ultimately deeply worthwhile project in the view of the board.

Beyond his experience in the Academic Affairs Commission, however, Espino has also served on the Los Angeles Youth Commission and contributed to the work of several nonprofits, all of which showcase his dedication to serving his community.

Espino said it was the privilege of his lifetime to serve as Academic Affairs commissioner this past year. The board similarly considers it an honor to give our endorsement for Espino to continue in this role next year and continue building an impressive legacy in the office.

Campus Events commissioner – Daniel Leal 

The board endorses Daniel Leal, a third-year neuroscience student, for the position of Campus Events commissioner. With three years of experience in the commission, Leal is prepared to serve the UCLA community with persistence and dedication. 

His four platforms promise to maximize student involvement and enjoyment, as they include entertainment, diversity, increased student involvement, and marketing and accessibility. With experience planning Bruin Bash, Leal particularly wants to bring more high-quality entertainment to UCLA, citing LA as a prime location for memorable events. 

Leal aims for campus events to be representative of the student body by fostering diversity and inclusion and emphasizing events that are representative of the student body. He wants to actively seek out student feedback for campus events through feedback forms.

Because of his extensive experience in the Campus Events Commission marketing and planning events, the board believes that Leal makes an excellent candidate for the Campus Events commissioner position.

Community Service commissioner – Edison Chua 

With plans to transform the USAC office into a more supportive and inclusive space, Edison Chua is committed to encouraging broad student participation and deepening partnerships with community service organizations. His passion for fostering a welcoming environment gives the board full confidence in endorsing him as the 2025-2026 Community Service commissioner.

Chua is a second-year cognitive science and economics student whose primary goal is to understand student needs and address them by connecting students with essential resources. As an active member in the office for the past two years, his experience as project liaison director has given him valuable insight into the organizations and communities he will continue to serve as Community Service commissioner.

Through his involvement in the office currently and his previous experience with the Bruin Policy Institute, Chua has developed skills in policy writing, securing funding for student organizations and building the tools necessary for future leadership. He currently leads five projects led by the Community Service Commission and other student organizations, and he aims to expand these efforts by organizing workshops that educate both incoming and current students on how advocacy can be effectively pursued within the UCLA community.

Chua’s extensive qualifications and previous experience thus make him an ideal candidate for Community Service commissioner in the eyes of the board, and we are certain he will more than live up to the standards of that office.

Cultural Affairs commissioner – Divine Trewick

The board endorses Divine Trewick to be the next Cultural Affairs commissioner for the 2025-2026 school year. 

Trewick, a second-year sociology student, has been involved with the Cultural Affairs Commission for the past two years. After spending her first year on the concert series committee, Trewick now serves as the chief of staff for the Cultural Affairs Commission, where she has gained firsthand experience with organizing events, budgeting and engaging in community outreach throughout campus. Her knowledge of the office and dedication to the Cultural Affairs Commission’s mission make her well-prepared to take on the role.

Trewick is also running on a bold, equity-driven platform that prioritizes the needs of underrepresented students, activists and undocumented students. She also wants to engage more student organizations across campus and bring awareness to the Arts Restoring Community Fund offered by the Cultural Affairs Commission to organizations that focus on artistic, activist and cultural programming.

Outside of USAC, Trewick also serves as a Hill community representative and interns with the SoLa Live Accelerator program, showcasing her dedication to both the campus community and the broader cultural landscape. This blend of advocacy, creative leadership and passion for the Cultural Affairs Commission’s mission makes her clearly qualified for the Cultural Affairs commissioner position. 

The board is confident Trewick would use this role to uplift the UCLA community and expand the Cultural Affairs Commission’s impact across campus.

Facilities commissioner – Joy Huang

The board firmly endorses Joy Huang to continue in her current role as Facilities commissioner next year.

Huang, a third-year environmental science student, was appointed to her position in February after the resignation of former Commissioner Alexandra Paul. Entering her new role, Huang had three years of experience in the Facilities Commission, most recently serving as chief of staff for sustainability.

As commissioner, Huang said she has worked closely with the Disabled Student Union to increase the  funding and quality of service for BruinAccess and expand access to the Center for Accessible Education. She has also supported several major projects, including a mapping project of accessible bathrooms on campus and a campaign with DSU to improve air filtration systems on campus.

Huang’s commitment in her platforms to expanding sustainability and accessibility initiatives while maintaining transparency within the Facilities Commission are especially worthy of praise, in our view. Her emphasis on ensuring access to transportation as one of her four key platforms is also of critical relevance to many students, especially in preparation for the expansion of the Metro D Line and other major transit projects in the city as the 2028 Olympics approach.

At the same time, the board appreciates Huang’s experience in light of the growing threats to these kinds of programs on college campuses, which have only ramped up after the presidential election.

Huang has the practical experience and ideas to continue making profound change at UCLA through the Facilities commission, and the board unreservedly offers its endorsement.

Financial Supports commissioner – Nico Morrone

The board firmly believes Nico Morrone is a dedicated student leader with enough experience to fully perform his role as Financial Supports commissioner.

With transparency and a student-first approach, the third-year financial actuarial mathematics student and USAC veteran is running for reelection to finish key projects, ensure continuity and solidify the commission’s impact.

Morrone’s platform focuses on practical financial support for students. His initiatives include expanding a laundry grant, distributing free laundry products on the Hill, lowering BruinCard replacement fees from $25 to $15 and offering quarterly lab coat rentals. His office is also partnering with Westwood businesses to offer student discounts and aiming to assist commuter students with scholarships to cover parking permit costs. 

With a focus on transparency, Morrone, who is minoring in accounting, is pushing an agenda focused on student-friendly financial language and understanding. With USAC overseeing a substantial budget, Morrone believes students deserve to know how money is spent. By developing a financial expenditure viewer, Morrone hopes to make every USAC expense public and create a tool to show students how they are supported by USAC.

With institutional knowledge and established relationships with USAC, Morrone’s background equips him with the financial knowledge needed to navigate the system effectively with student interest in mind. The board is proud to endorse Nico Morrone for Financial Supports commissioner.

Student Wellness commissioner – Hannah Yip 

The board is confident that with her sharp vision and two years of direct experience, Hannah Yip will be a capable and change-making Student Wellness commissioner. 

The third-year computational and systems biology student began as an intern on the commission. Now the chief of staff for the Student Wellness Commission, she maintains a commitment to identity-informed health care, recognizing community and advocacy as the heart of student wellness.

Minoring in science education, Yip’s first two platforms involve increasing access to the Student Wellness Commission and general resource education. She has demonstrated her ability to leverage relationships with other offices to achieve these goals. Yip has experience working with the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, Disabled Student Union and the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center.

Yip believes in institutional accountability and empowering the student body to effect change. This is evident in her plans to center Student Wellness Commission town halls on specific issues affecting campus life. Yip also wants to prioritize transparency in Student Wellness Commission funding. This means spending office funds efficiently and incorporating student feedback to shape initiatives.

The board was especially impressed by Yip’s understanding of the local and national challenges impacting student health. Yip demonstrated a commitment to addressing student fears surrounding abortion and reproductive health services on campus. She is also acutely aware of the office’s funding challenges, especially for basic needs services.

Because of her years of relevant experience and unwavering commitment to all aspects of student health, the board is proud to endorse Yip for Student Wellness commissioner.

Transfer student representative – Hyerim Yoon 

The Board enthusiastically supports Hyerim Yoon, a third-year transfer English and history student, to serve as transfer student representative next year.

Her approach emphasizes bridging the gap between UCLA and community colleges, improving transfer student mental health and wellness, and addressing the disparities transfer students face in accessing resources, including CAE accommodations.

These platforms, while somewhat broad, reflect a meaningful understanding of the transfer student experience and reflect Yoon’s own work on campus and prior experience in USAC.

Their qualifications are impeccable in this respect. Her time in key roles in the general representative 3 office and the Academic Affairs Commission give her an excellent understanding of UCLA’s student government and how to effect change within it.

In the Academic Affairs Commission especially, where they have served as assistant chief of Senate this year, Yoon created a newsletter for incoming transfer students to help them as they adjust to UCLA and is currently working with the Student Wellness Commission to plan the upcoming Wellness Week.

Outside of USAC, her experiences as a co-president of the Transfer Bruin Reading Society and finance section head at Fem – a feminist newsmagazine that shares a publisher with the Daily Bruin – instill confidence in their leadership abilities. Yoon’s work as an intern in the office of U.S. Rep. Judy Chu of California’s 28th District dealing with the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election and the Altadena fire gave them insight into how to listen and work with constituents through difficult conversations, they said.

Yoon’s qualities as a candidate for transfer student representative are unimpeachable in the board’s view, and we are certain they will be put to excellent use next year.

International student representative – Keya Tanna 

Third-year psychology student and Dubai local Keya Tanna looks to cultivate her lifelong passion for leadership through a mindset of delivering on promises through kindness and compassion.  

Though Tanna has not held positions in USAC, the board took note of her several leadership positions at UCLA and beyond. Namely, Tanna began Bruin Public Speaking @ UCLA, where she worked with university officials to register the club and worked with the co-founders to plan events and build a community for public speakers of all levels. Tanna also served as the vice president of Kappa Alpha Pi, a pre-law fraternity, scheduling networking events with chapters at nearby universities as well as discussing and making changes to the organization’s bylaws. 

The third-year psychology student has built her platforms around the problems the international student community currently faces at UCLA. 

Tanna is seeking to provide a legal unit in the UCLA Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars to aid students with visa issues, a critical problem currently facing the international student community. She is also hoping to provide more career education and events for international students – an underrepresented population in many of the UCLA Career Center’s events. 

While Tanna said the Dashew Center does provide significant resources to UCLA’s international community, many experience trouble finding and accessing all of the information. She wants to establish a centralized website to have streamlined information and resources right there for those who need them. 

Seeing Tanna’s awareness of the pressing issues in UCLA’s international student community as well as her extensive leadership, the board is assured by her ability to fulfill the duties of the international student representative in the upcoming year. 

The editorial board was unable to interview candidate Kristiano Sleiman for this position.

Amendment to the Good Clothes Good People Basic Needs Referendum – Yes 

Resources First Referendum – Yes

Universal Access Transit Pass Renewal Referendum – Yes