As external vice president, Sherry Zhou is committed to advocating for students’ basic needs and informing the student body about power structures within the UC system.

In line with these goals, Zhou said that her biggest achievement since being elected has been filing the amicus brief as part of Students for Higher Education. She added that this amicus brief was key for detailing how undergraduates were affected by federal funding cuts.

Zhou said that she is also proud of increasing transparency about the UC regents to the student body. For instance, she had conversations with around 250 students about the Regents on Bruin Walk over the course of two days.

After the tuition stability plan was proposed by the regents, Zhou tabled on Bruin Walk, wrote an Op-ed and created a social media campaign to advocate for student needs.

Zhou’s Instagram page also has several informational posts and updates about her office. However, she said she does not consistently share her officer reports, something that is key for officer-to-student transparency.

Nevertheless, Zhou makes strong efforts to connect with the student body, such as tabling at and attending events on campus, sharing her number and email with students leaders for any concerns and communicating day-to-day with student leaders.

She involves student groups in the legislative trips she takes, such as bringing the Muslim Student Association to the San Francisco Regents meeting.

She also interacts with students face-to-face while pursuing her platforms, such as distributing around 700 hot meals and hundreds of fresh produce bags.

Zhou said she looks forward to advocating for student issues in the 2026 gubernatorial election. She added that she is currently conducting background research and has met with around 10 state legislative offices about legislation.

Though there is room for improvement in regards to transparency, Zhou’s passion for student advocacy is steadfast.