Cecilia Choy, a third-year English language and literature, labor studies and political science student and current member of the External Vice President, or EVP, office, is running for USAC External Vice President for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Choy has been involved in USAC since her freshman year, starting as a winter fellow in the EVP office and an intern in the Internal Vice President, or IVP, office. She later served as Student Relations Director in the EVP office, where she organized a basic needs farmers market that served over 700 students and hosted a town hall as Vice Chair of the Campus Safety Alliance.
Currently, Choy is Head of Operations in the EVP office under External Vice President Sherry Zhou, where she coordinates events and programming. Outside of USAC, she is active in the Political Science Undergraduate Council and the Pre-Law Society.
Reflecting on her involvement, Choy said her most important takeaway has been connecting students to resources on both a campus-wide and systemic level.
“My motivation for running is centered around the belief that student voices and needs must be the focal point of UC decision-making,” she said.
Her campaign platform, titled LEAD, outlines four priorities: legislative advocacy, electoral education, access and retention and demand for basic needs.
On legislative advocacy, Choy plans to launch “Policy 101” workshops at the start of each academic term — open to all students, not just those affiliated with the EVP office — to help students understand lobbying processes and get involved in advocacy.
She also emphasized expanding student participation in elections and civic engagement. She is currently helping organize a press conference for ACA 18 and expressed interest in continuing efforts to mobilize students in systemwide processes. She mentioned potential plans to host a gubernatorial candidate forum and advocate for a campus “Democracy Day,” which would provide students with excused absences on election days.
On access and retention, Choy argued that student support systems have been weakened in recent years and proposed rebuilding funding through partnerships with alumni and campus organizations. She also highlighted her work with the Bruin Advocacy Grant, which provides institutional funding to student groups, and her role as a law clerk at Student Legal Services, where she works directly with students facing legal and personal challenges.
For basic needs, Choy proposed creating a centralized platform where students can easily access resources such as housing support, financial assistance and programs tailored to specific student populations, including transfer students and student parents.
Choy has already been in conversation with student organizations, administrators and other stakeholders regarding her proposals.
“I’ve done and am continuing to do the work so that every platform I propose can be implemented within the next year,” she noted.
Choy added that she hopes to remain accessible to students throughout her term, prioritizing open communication and representation across different communities on campus.
“I’m always open to meeting with students and hearing new perspectives, reach me if you would like to get in contact @cecilla4evp,” she said.
