Thirty-seven candidates believe they have what it takes to serve the undergraduate student body. Students elected to the Undergraduate Students Association Council manage a $10 million budget and can receive up to $15,000 in pay. They will enter office during a time of financial uncertainty and political unrest. Three referendums and one constitutional amendment will also cross the ballot. The referendums propose a total fee increase of $85.13. It is vital that students vote in this USAC election cycle.
Voting will begin May 8 and close May 15.
Following careful deliberation, the Editorial Board has endorsed the following Undergraduate Students Association Council candidates and referendums for the 2026-27 school year. Click on a name and position below to read more about the Board’s decision.
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 – Jayha Buhs Jackson
External Vice President – Cecilia Choy
Internal Vice President – Agrin Khatami
Academic Affairs Commissioner – Angela Ledesma-Grattarola
Community Service Commissioner – Maya Gheewala
Facilities Commissioner – Paige Zwerner
Financial Supports Commissioner – David Escobedo
Student Wellness Commissioner – Daniela Castro
Transfer Student Representative – Ashley Ma
General Representative 1 – Pranaya Vijay
General Representative 2 – Evan Salazar
General Representative 3 – Brinaye Grant
Campus Events Commissioner – No Endorsement
Cultural Affairs Commissioner – No Endorsement
International Student Representative – No Endorsement
President – Jayha Buhs Jackson
The role of president is anything but symbolic. This officer must be unwavering in their commitment to student interests, especially when communicating directly with university administrators.
The Board is confident that Jayha Buhs Jackson, who currently serves as the second general representative, is the person qualified for the job.
Buhs Jackson, a second-year African American studies and public affairs student, is no stranger to the unpredictability of student politics. During her campaign for general representative, she ran on increasing funding to student of color retention programs. Federal directives targeting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives prevented Buhs Jackson from fulfilling this platform, she said.
To honor her promises, Buhs Jackson said she funded these retention programs using money from her office’s budget.
As president, Buhs Jackson plans to bring this same agility to the table.
A champion of unions across campus, she intends to work directly with groups representing UCLA student employees and prioritize their concerns in meetings with administrators. Similarly, she hopes to increase connectivity between ASUCLA leadership and student workers via quarterly roundtable discussions.
Buhs Jackson incorporates strategic collaboration into many goals. To enhance internship opportunities, she is aiming to partner with local companies, nonprofits and other organizations.
She also intends to work with schools across the LAUSD system to host campus tours and teach prospective Bruins the benefits of student advocacy. By bolstering student admit and outreach events, she aims to promote a diverse student body.
Her dedication to increasing diversity comes alongside a platform of supporting a safe campus, as Buhs Jackson wants to inform students on how to report hate crimes.
Buhs Jackson is the only second-year student running for president, but her institutional experience in both USAC and the UC Student Association is unmatched. Buhs Jackson demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the president’s responsibilities per the USAC bylaws.
Her strong performance as general representative verifies her commitment to ensuring a connected, supported and diverse UCLA.
External Vice President – Cecilia Choy
Funding cuts, immigration enforcement and the vulnerability of free speech have all escalated during the second Trump administration.
To push back against these federal pressures, the office of the External Vice President requires a strong, defiant leader at the helm.
The Board believes Cecilia Choy is the candidate best equipped for this challenge.
Choy, a third-year English, labor studies and political science student, will bring that same dedication and willingness to go above and beyond to the EVP office.
She currently serves as the office’s head of operations. In an interview with the Board, Choy said she has lived and breathed the EVP office throughout her time at UCLA.
Choy has a track record of fighting for marginalized students on campus.
In the March UC Board of Regents meeting, Choy invited students in the Academic Advancement Program, which has been facing funding shortages, to give testimonials advocating for its importance. She also asked Regent Jose Hernandez, who she said was a former member of the AAP, to write a letter to Chancellor Julio Frenk underscoring his support for the program.
Some of her campaign platforms include expanding middle-class financial aid packages and launching a Bruin Lobby Day inviting students to get involved with the policymaking process. She also plans to hold administrators accountable for the potential displacement of students relying on UCLA housing over the summer ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Choy approaches the role of EVP with a levelheadedness that is refreshing to see in student government.
Choy said her three years of experience with the office means she knows which objectives are feasible and which aren’t. For example, Choy said instead of making vague statements condemning the United States Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency, she is committed to working with administrators to mandate procedures and mutual aid efforts in place to make UCLA a sanctuary campus safe for all students.
The Board was impressed by Choy’s thoughtful ideas and policy goals, and we believe Bruins will greatly benefit under her leadership.
Internal Vice President – Agrin Khatami
Agrin Khatami is a dedicated advocate.
The first-year international development studies and political science student drafted numerous resolutions, lobbied for CalFresh and volunteered for various organizations this school year.
Citing current USAC Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras as an inspiration, Khatami is pursuing an ambitious agenda that prioritizes student services and the representation of diverse voices.
Her platforms include basic needs and campus accessibility. She also wants to increase campus safety and provide expanded resources to survivors of sexual assault.
Khatami similarly emphasized the importance of immigrant student support and sanctuary campus status. She said her first-generation Iranian American identity has made her a resourceful student and said she believes UCLA needs to be better at protecting students who are immigrants.
To this end, Khatami authored the sanctuary campus resolution and will campaign for the implementation of Senate Bill 98, which requires administrators to notify students about any United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on campus.
What especially stood out to the Board was Khatami’s dedication to ensuring all students are aware of and benefit from USAC’s programming. She displayed an understanding of the institutional and financial power USAC wields and was candid about its past shortcomings.
“Across USAC, there is a level of prestige and untouchableness that I just don’t really appreciate,” Khatami said. “USAC needs to step out of the way that it has been and go on the ground and actually really connect with students in a way that they have not before.”
Khatami emphasized collaboration in closing this gap. She hopes to streamline communication between different USAC offices and connect student organizations.
Given her thoughtfulness, extensive experience and detailed plan of action, it is clear Khatami is committed to improving student life. For these reasons, the Board endorses her for IVP.
Academic Affairs Commissioner – Angela Ledesma-Grattarola
Angela Ledesma-Grattarola, a third-year political science and public affairs student, has the experience and insight to be the 2026 Academic Affairs commissioner.
With two years of experience in the commission, she has served students through intentional programming and policy creation. Her work as chief of senate involved appointing and overseeing the work of 25 student senators, advising academic policy and boosting transparency on campus. She said she has also served as a senator on the Academic Freedom and Admissions committees and is currently on the Academic Senate Executive Board.
Ledesma-Grattarola is more than qualified and thoughtfully proposed a five-pillar campaign in her interview with the Board for the upcoming year. The campaign involved facilitating strong relationships with students to understand their concerns and collaborating with partner organizations to address them. She also plans to advocate for academic equity by boosting access to resources. She notes structural barriers that currently hinder student success and wishes to ensure students have enough support to reach graduation.
She outlined goals to recommit to existing AAC programs, such as addressing academic inequities present throughout the K-16 education system and providing career support to current Bruins.
Her professionalism and thoughtful responses during her interview motivates the Board to endorse Ledesma-Grattarola in full confidence.
Community Service Commissioner – Maya Gheewala
The role of Community Service commissioner requires a skilled leader who can make service accessible, bolster student organizations and help campus needs evolve into action at the institutional level. The editorial board endorses third-year public affairs and statistics and data science student Maya Gheewala for this role.
Gheewala has immense experience and also brings unique institutional knowledge. She has spent three years in the Community Service commission, beginning as an intern. She has also served as the coalitions director, where she worked with student organizations around campus. In that role, Gheewala focused on bringing together student organizations focused especially on basic needs and youth empowerment.
As Community Service commissioner, Gheewala plans to integrate service opportunities into New Student Orientation, residential communities, first-year programs, community-engagement capstones and Bruin Tradition Keepers. The Board believes this approach would help meet students where they are instead of requiring them to navigate the complexity of the campus learning landscape alone.
Gheewala also has a practical understanding of how CSC supports student organizations. She hopes to make a regularly updated tracking system for funding applications and make a clear criteria for funding during shortages. The Board believes making these changes would help CSC ensure more transparency for both organizations that depend on it and the larger student body.
Likewise, Gheewala understands and appreciates the weight of her role. She described the position as a “dual job” of representing the student body while instilling a value for service on campus.
The combination of Gheewala’s CSC experience, policy background and data-informed approach to decision-making makes her an excellent candidate for the role.
Facilities Commissioner – Paige Zwerner
Paige Zwerner is running for a spot on the council for the third year running. And she has returned this year with strong policies that will take the Facilities Commission forward.
Throughout her interview with the Board, Zwerner – a third-year communication and political science student – showed a deep care for the students who will be impacted by her office, bringing her experience as a student with disabilities and chronic illness.
Zwerner proposes to work on finding a permanent space and staff for the Lily Shaw Disability Cultural Center, promising to further some of the most valuable work the council has done in recent years and continue an ongoing campaign for disability justice.
She has also proposed key changes to transportation access, including advocating for better sidewalks and curb cuts. These ideas are practical, affordable and have a potential direct impact on the lives of undergraduate students.
Zwerner is also one of the most experienced candidates on the ballot.
Despite not being a transfer student herself, Zwerner has served as chief of staff in the Transfer Student Representative office. She has previously worked to reduce wait times for the BruinAccess van service – a key area of advocacy in the role – and seems to have a solid understanding on how student input can make a difference in this fall’s midterm elections.
Most recently, as academic affairs officer for the UC Student Association, she has advocated for systemwide hybrid learning options. She plans to build on the historic work of the commission in aiding students with disabilities by advocating for reduced course load options for students with disabilities or dependents. Such policies, modeled off ones implemented at UC Berkeley, would help students facing flare-ups or poverty stay in school.
The board applauds Zwerner’s ambitious and practical vision and is proud to endorse her.
Financial Supports Commissioner – David Escobedo
David Escobedo doesn’t plan to take no for an answer.
His experience and enthusiasm speak for themselves. Escobedo is a second-year mathematics/economics student, a student ambassador to the registrar under the Academic Affairs Commission, treasurer of Pi Kappa Alpha, finance intern for the Latinx Business Student Association and a marathon runner.
He said his inspiration to run for Financial Supports Commissioner came from noticing a lack of transparency from UCLA’s administration. This creates information gaps in students’ understanding, Escobedo added.
“I can really make a difference and close those gaps for Bruins from so many different backgrounds,” Escobedo said.
Breaking down barriers to information is core to Escobedo’s campaign. He wants to offer students streamlined, audited reports so they can see where their fees are going. These audited reports would be viewable on accessible social media platforms like Instagram.
Since being established by the 2024-25 financial supports commissioner, the current “Financial Expenditure Viewer” interface is still in the first phase of its rollout. The Board is hopeful Escobedo will make it to phase two.
Another of his core pillars is daily cost relief. Escobedo is committed to offering more discounts for students, a current initiative he wants to expand within this office. But he acknowledges the challenges he might face.
Escobedo said if institutional funding cannot be secured, he wants to organize fundraisers and independently secure partnerships with local and alumni businesses.
In his role as student ambassador to the registrar, he added that he understands how to engage productively with administrators and offer plausible solutions.
“I don’t want my platforms to just be something easy to do,” he said.
As Escobedo mentioned, he is a marathon runner, and the Board is confident he can go the distance.
Student Wellness Commissioner – Daniela Castro
Daniela Castro believes student wellness is critical for student success.
As Student Wellness commissioner, Castro plans to improve resource provision and foster a better connection between the student body and the Student Wellness Commission.
Castro would bring a wealth of experience to the office. The third-year political science and statistics and data science student has spent two years on the commission. She began her time on the Student Wellness Commission as an intern, assisting with basic needs for undergrads and planning the Bruin Run/Walk. Now in her second year, she currently serves as a Platforms member, supporting planning for the fall Healthcoming and winter Joy as Resistance events. Castro also serves as the outreach director and staff director for BruiNecessities. Evidently, she is not lacking in experience, insights or expertise.
Castro hopes to bolster the Student Wellness Commission’s presence on campus. She wants more students to know about the vast range of resources available to them and to have an increased understanding of how the office uses its funding – two goals paramount to improving the undergraduate student experience. She plans to increase access to basic needs, including hygiene products and food.
Castro believes belonging is another part of being well. She plans to focus on the Bruins at the margins and partner with cultural centers, the Veteran Resource Center, the LGBTQ Campus Resource Center and the Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars, among others, in order to focus on the needs of diverse communities.
Given her two years of experience on the Student Wellness Commission and commitment to bringing wellness to the undergraduate population, the Board endorses Castro for Student Wellness commissioner. We believe there is no other candidate with more experience or more beneficial goals who is in a better position to enhance overall undergraduate student wellness.
Transfer Student Representative – Ashley Ma
The Transfer Student Representative race is the most crowded of this election cycle.
Out of the nine candidates running, the board is confident that Ashley Ma, a third year-transfer labor studies student, can get the job done.
Ma, who transferred from UC Irvine this year, got involved with the TSR office in June before the academic year even started. She currently serves as the office’s director of transfer opportunities and supported its launch of a monthly newsletter to make internship, scholarship and club opportunities more accessible for transfer students.
Ma said a cultural stigma at UCLA makes transfer students feel excluded. She said she hopes to change that so transfers feel good about making the most out of their time at UCLA without feeling rushed.
Running on a campaign focused on student organization transparency, academic success and community college relationships, Ma demonstrated an acute awareness of what this role requires.
Ma outlined plans to increase transfer inclusion in student organizations to promote both social connection and professional growth. She is committed to continuing ongoing work to hire a counselor dedicated to supporting transfers throughout their UCLA academic journey. Additionally, she hopes to introduce major and career-focused workshops specifically designed for transfers.
She added that she wants to create dedicated spaces on campus for transfers who she said often feel like spaces aren’t carved out for them. She proposed encoding transfer students’ Bruin Cards so they can exclusively access a designated space on the Hill outside De Neve Holly, where the Transfer Experience LLC is based.
The board believes Ma’s commitment to serving transfer students with clear policy goals sets her apart from the rest of the candidates, and we are proud to endorse her for this role.
General Representative 1 – Pranaya Vijay
Among the nine candidates for general representative, Pranaya Vijay stands out to the editorial board as a clear endorsement.
Her concrete policies, passion and understanding of USAC make her a strong fit to represent the student body. Vijay is running on four platforms, all of which center on diverse experiences that often go unconsidered in student government, she said.
Vijay added that her platforms tie back to one topic: an affordability crisis across California that prevent students from fully focusing on their education.
She said through collaborating with organizations such as Bruin Dine, Swipe Out Hunger, Campus Assault Resources and Education and the Resilience In Your Student Experience Center, she hopes to address basic needs so students can prosper.
“That’s what an institution is supposed to do, and it’s not doing it to the extent it should be,” Vijay said.
Support for students goes beyond funding for Vijay. She also said she hopes to create private spaces on campus for students to take telehealth appointments. While spaces like these exist in the Counseling and Psychological Services building, they are only open to students seeing CAPS therapists, which Vijay said she hopes to provide a solution to.
Another goal Vijay added was expanding accessibility to parking for commuter students and students who are disabled.
Further, Vijay said she wants to bolster support for students who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She added that she would advocate to the regents for more CARE staffing and showed compassionate understanding to the experience of these students.
While these are just some of Vijay’s platforms and goals, a throughline is evident: Vijay truly cares about – and seeks to improve – the experience of each student at UCLA.
“I want to make sure all of my programming, all of my initiatives are taking into account people who are really often left at the margins of USAC’s work,” Vijay said.
With this reasoning motivating Vijay in the role of general representative, the editorial board is confident she will meaningfully aid the student body.
General Representative 2 – Evan Salazar
Evan Salazar’s “love and intention” is what UCLA students need in a USAC general representative.
The first-year political science and public affairs student’s campaign platforms center on protecting the “dignity and ability of each individual student.” As the son of Mexican immigrants who grew up in East Los Angeles, Salazar said he decided to attend UCLA so he could give back to the LA community.
And he has the experience to back up his campaign promises.
Salazar said he spent the past six years working on immigration and housing in LA and lobbying in Sacramento and Washington D.C. He pointed to his work at the Mexican-American border helping refugees, noting first-hand experience allowed him to learn how to best support their needs. Salazar also said he is running for general representative because he wants to make sure students feel passionate and excited about UCLA as a community.
Salazar acknowledged that some people are concerned about his lack of experience because he is a first-year student, but he said his tenure as DEI director in the internal vice president office and his experience with organizing in LA sets him apart from other candidates.
“I’m not lost in the sauce at USAC yet,” Salazar said.
Salazar said he wants to put pressure on the UCLA administration to better support and reflect what students want. He also plans to expand and work with existing campus organizations to become more intentional with responding to student needs. Some examples include improving community resources like adding CSO evening escort stations or ensuring Narcan is available in Westwood.
Another point of focus for Salazar is diversity. He said he is committed to keeping UCLA diverse amid DEI cuts across the nation by keeping pressure on the UCLA administration.
Salazar has a strong understanding of undergraduate students and their concerns. The editorial board is confident he will reflect and amplify our voices.
“Diversity is our strength and without it, we are not UCLA,” Salazar said.
General Representative 3 – Brinaye Grant
There’s no question that Brinaye Grant is running on a solid platform.
“My campaign is really grounded in a simple idea that student government should feel like care and action,” said Grant, a second-year education and social transformation student.
Grant has a solid background in leadership and service. She said serving on the Students First Team in the office of General Representative 2 gave her a chance to connect with other students. Additionally, her experience as an out-of-state student and resident assistant have exposed her to diverse student experiences at UCLA.
This is reflected in her nuanced understanding of student needs demonstrated throughout her campaign platforms, from accessibility for disabled students to financial transparency for out-of-state students.
In addition to her policies, Grant has an impressive ability to reflect.
She understands that it’s not enough for USAC to have good policies – it needs to implement them as well. Grant reiterated her commitment to her campaign promises and moving beyond just having well-intentioned ideas.
“It’s important that students feel informed and represented and not just during elections or high visibility moments but throughout the entire year,” Grant said.
She also has an impressive dedication to treating students as individuals. She cites issues with previous USAC offices in failing to meet students where they are at and said it is important for general representatives to attend events hosted by various campus organizations to support the student body.
Furthermore, Grant is cognizant of the limitations and realities of a USAC role. She recognizes actual implementation of policy goals requires working with UCLA administrators and jumping through institutional hoops.
The Board is confident Grant’s commitment and introspection will help her deliver on her campaign promises, and we endorse her for the role of general representative.
Campus Events Commissioner – No Endorsement
The sole candidate for the Campus Events commissioner position, Salem Walsh, did not respond to the Bruin’s request for an interview. Therefore, the Board has decided to publish no endorsement for the role of CEC.
Cultural Affairs Commissioner – No Endorsement
The sole candidate for the Cultural Affairs commissioner position, Divine Trewick, did not respond to the Bruin’s request for an interview. Therefore, the Board has decided to publish no endorsement for the role of CAC.
International Student Representative – No Endorsement
The sole candidate for the International Student Representative position, Charbel Chehade, declined the Bruin’s request for an interview. Therefore, the Board has decided to publish no endorsement for the role of ISR.
