Cassandra Vega

Cassandra Vega is a Political Science major and Latino & Caribbean Studies minor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. Vega is also in her final year of the Institute for Women's Leadership (IWL) Certificate Program, completing her capstone project "Ambition: Trailblazers on Campus," which highlights women and nonbinary students of color on campus in leadership positions dedicated to community and/or social change. She is part of the 2023 Lloyd C. Gardner cohort, a program focused on policy, social issues, and the role we play in the evolving political landscape. Next semester Vega looks forward to completing her research paper titled Puerto Rico: Statehood or Independence? in 2022, she was accepted into the Eagleton Undergraduate Associates Program, a year and a half long certificate program tackling real-world application of politics and the intricacies of American government.

With ambitions toward law school, Vega has taken advantage of a variety of public policy and law opportunities remotely. Notably, Vega and fellow Douglass students have taken the initiative to start a new community for women interested in law—The Women in Pre-Law Society. Upon graduation, she seeks to help amplify marginalized voices through policy.

Previous Organizations:

• House of Representatives

• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

• Center for Hispanic Research, Policy, and Development

Accomplishments:

• Social Justice Award, Douglass Residential College

• Featured panelist in Becoming Feminist Leaders Through Social Action documentary, IWL

• Featured student in The Douglass Difference documentary, Douglass Residential College

Upcoming Projects:

• 2024 Racial Justice Summit

Media Appearances/Speaking Engagements:

• 2023 Rutgers Stakeholder Address

• 2023 Racial Justice Summit

• 2023 Institute for Women's Leadership (IWL) Scholars Certificate Program Graduation

As a lifelong activist and future policymaker, I aim to center social and racial justice in everything I do. Exposing and pushing back on the insidious systemic discrimination marginalized people face is essential to creating a better and more equitable future for all. I have done this through my role in creating the Fellows in Racial Justice Learning Community, and will continue to do so after graduation through policy creation and reformation.

The Office of Undergraduate Intellectual Life (OUIL) was founded to support students across Rutgers University. Under the leadership of ISGRJ Cross-Campus Director, Carlos Decena, the Office will be spearheading mentorship programs and initiatives to support student leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion across the university. 

The Fellows in Racial Justice Learning Community is a new cross-campus program which aims to identify, accompany and mentor generations of life-long intellectual activists in racial justice across Rutgers University.

This fellowship, launched under the ISGRJ Office of Undergraduate Intellectual Life is an unprecedented program spanning Rutgers University—Newark, Rutgers University—New Brunswick and Rutgers University—Camden which brings together undergraduate students who are passionate about social justice activism and who will pursue projects to renew, enrich, and maximize on-going racial justice efforts on campus to impact social change locally and globally.

https://globalracialjustice.rutgers.edu/Racial_Justice_Learning_Community