Policy Committee
The Policy Committee develops most new campaigns for GENup to pursue. They are also in charge of drafting educational policy, reaching out to legislators and tracking key bills that GENup may support.
Chief Policy & Legislative
Director
Fiona Lu (she/her) is a senior at Northwood High School in Irvine, Orange County, California. She is extremely passionate about educational equity, racial justice, and youth advocacy. She is a student representative on the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) Youth Advisory Council, where she and 11 other students advise policymakers and educators towards implementing equitable practices in the education system. She is also involved in the California Association of Student Councils (CASC) as the State Vice President where she oversees the organization’s state-wide efforts, including leadership conference planning, legislative platform, and student engagement. Her fight for racial equity includes leading a local chapter of Dear Asian Youth, an organization that works to empower Asian youth through intersectional activism. In her free time, she loves creative writing, watching Criminal Minds on loop, and spending time with her family.
K-12 Chief Policy
and
Legislative Director
Sue Oh (she/her) is a junior at Sunny Hills High School in Orange County. As a Director of Media, she handles communications on a graphic level and aids the outreach of GENup. Sue has always been passionate about leadership and uplifting student perspectives in the education system. On the school, district, local, and even state levels, she has vocalized her support of youth voices. She fundamentally believes that everyone can make a change, and hopes that she can help others find their passion. Through GENup, she hopes to guide others through their school life and embrace change starting from students!
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Higher Education Chief Policy
and Legislative Director
Ryan Lenney (he/him) is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College studying Public Policy and International Relations. Ryan’s interest in policy began in high school as a founding member of Welcoming Neighbors Home, a community initiative to support housing based solutions to ending homelessness. Last summer, Ryan traveled to Finland on an Appel Fellowship to conduct research on the country's approach to housing and homelessness. He currently works as a research assistant at the Rose Institute of State and Local Politics, where he continues to study local government policy. As a proud graduate of a California public school and community college, Ryan understands the importance of meeting students' basic needs to ensure their personal educational success. He is excited to continue working to enable student success as a Director of Policy with GenUP!
Director of
Policy
Tinsae Birhanu (she/her) is currently a first year student at UC Berkeley. She is majoring in Sociology with a minor in Public Policy. She has previously worked in GENup through helping found and leading as the President for the Elk Grove GENup Chapter for three years. Tinsae’s interest for policy work developed through being part of her high school’s Student Equity Council and from that, has had the opportunity to be a part of state-wide initiatives and speaking at Assembly bill meetings and working on legislation at both the local and state level. Tinsae is immensely passionate about student advocacy and working to bring tangible change to schools California-wide through policy reform and uplifting student voices.
Director of Policy
Kate Rodgers (she/her) is a member of the class of 2025 at the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, she is pursuing a dual degree and Math and Economics. Kate has been interested in politics since childhood, but she got involved in educational advocacy in high school. Through serving on the student council and running free academic resources for her classmates, she realized that she has a passion for education-related political issues. As a result, Kate co-founded a student protest organization advocating for racial equity in the education system by updating curriculums and removing police from schools. Going forward, she hopes to continue this work as a Director of Policy for GENUp by engaging with statewide policy. Kate hopes to continue her advocacy beyond her school years by pursuing a career in politics or law.
Director of
Policy
Lorena Ford (she/her) is a second year student at San Diego State University. She is a pre-law student pursuing a major in Political Science and double minor in Spanish and Honors and Interdisciplinary Studies. Lorena developed an interest in decreasing the disparity between those who receive Special Education, English Learners, and general education in middle school. Since then, her interest has evolved into a passion of making sure students have a seat and a voice at the table where decisions are being made on their behalf. Since graduating high school in 2022, Lorena has interned with the San Diego Unified School District to engage, empower, and support students, student advocates, leaders and student board members. She is excited to join GENup in creating a space where students can be partners in their education, not just recipients in order to make public education more equitable, accessible, and inclusive.
Director of
Policy
Aria Fafat (she/her) is a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College, with an interest in government and public policy. Currently a student researcher at the Rose Institute for State and Local Government, she has experience in conducting policy research and data collection, particularly concerning incarceration facilities in the state. Her commitment to social impact dates back to her high school years, where she fundraised and campaigned for the Akhand Jyoti Football to Eyeball program in Singapore and India, advocating for the empowerment of young village girls in Bihar, India. Her efforts culminated in successfully raising $45,000 for the initiative, addressing critical issues such as discrimination, child marriage, and physical abuse. Looking ahead, Aria is eager to further her interests by pursuing a career in law and public policy, where she can continue to make tangible change in the community.
Director of Policy
Thanisha Kapur (she/her/hers) is a high school junior at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. She is deeply committed to driving positive change in her community and beyond. At her school, Thanisha serves as the co-director of the AI 4 Social Good Club and the Future Medical Students Association, where she channels her passion for advocacy into social impact, healthcare, and technology. In her local community, Thanisha is a dedicated volunteer and has been recognized with the Gold Presidential Service Award for her outstanding contributions to community service. Beyond her community, Thanisha is the director of Teens in Health, a nonprofit organization aimed at empowering students to conduct research and promote health literacy within their communities. Through her leadership, Thanisha has guided numerous students around the world in writing research articles and literature reviews, as well as start their own community service capstone projects. In her free time, Thanisha loves to bake unique, new recipes for her family, make travel albums for all her trips, and curate Spotify playlists for all her moods.
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Director of Policy
Siya Mishra (she/her) is a senior at Granite Bay High School near Sacramento, California. She is passionate about youth advocacy and women's empowerment, serving on the board of the National Women's Political Caucus Sacramento and working on their State Public Policy Committee as well. In her free time, Siya is watching basketball, reading mystery books, or playing with her dogs. Siya is so excited to help shape GENUp's Policy efforts and contribute to youth advocacy efforts!
Director of
Policy
Katie Chau (she/her) is a rising freshman at UC Riverside as a Public Policy major. After finding her passions for social activism, human rights, and voter outreach, she joined a local Diversify Our Narrative chapter, which she helped to expand into her own high school. There, she would focus on youth outreach and helping to spearhead initiatives to introduce BIPOC literature into classrooms and prevent bans on Critical Race Theory. Following the school board's attempt to replace student classrooms with charter schools, Katie worked with Voices for PYLUSD to lobby the board's actions and collected 2,000 signatures on a petition from community members. And when the same school board attempted to conduct a mass termination of beloved staff due to differences in political ideology, Katie helped to spearhead a district-wide walkout, with over 200 students in support and features in the OC Register. She would continue to uplift youth causes through becoming a Mock Anaheim City Council Member, reviewing student led spending proposals for public works. Aiming to expand her outreach, Katie transitioned to interning for local congressional campaigns, where she conducted surveys on key political issues throughout CA-40 for the 2024 election cycle. At GENup, she looks forward to continuing her efforts in social equity and educational access through meaningful and effective policies that can make tangible differences in the local level. In her free time, you can expect Katie to be baking Claire Saffitz's entire cookbook, driving down PCH with friends, and rewatching season 2 of Gilmore Girls..
Director of
Policy
Maria Davila (she/her) is a junior attending the 21st Century Learning Institute in the Beaumont Unified School District, Riverside County, California. Her main interests include socioeconomic equity in education and youth advocacy. Her future goal is to support people through the legal track. She is the 5th District Youth Advisory Council Commissioner, representing 23 school districts by leading meetings, scheduling volunteering events, and giving reports of student input during Riverside County Youth Commission Meetings. In this role, she is also able to fulfill the position of Secretary of the Riverside County Youth Commissioners. She is also the Governmental Affairs and Policy Director of the California Association of Students Councils Region 11 cabinet. Through her work with governmental officials, lobbying, and proposing bills to improve the California education system, she has become a youth advocate for those students, especially Latinx students, who may not have the opportunities to raise their voices. She is beginning her non-profit organization, Nuestras Narrativas, and starting a Diversify Our Narrative and GENup local chapter to bring additional youth advocacy to her small-scale city. She strives for an accessible and encouraging education system for those who are underrepresented, which is why she also has involvement in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the California Association of Student Councils. During her free time, she watches over and hangs out with her younger siblings or uplifts herself by enjoying various artists' music such as The Weeknd, Lana del Rey, Christian Nodal, and Selena!
Director of
Policy
Abigail Lee (she/her) is an incoming college freshman at UCI and started as an organizer with DiversifyOurNarrative in 2020. After founding her local DON chapter, Abigail spearheaded a movement to oppose her district's Critical Race Theory Ban and mobilized students, teachers, and parents in the community to fight against extremist policies. Through her experience as a grassroots organizer, she found her love for public policy and is passionate about promoting anti-racism and inclusivity among youth. Abigail later got promoted to the department head of DiversifyOurNarrative's Mobilization department and then transferred to the policy department as the Interim Executive Director of Policy. She has ample experience in public speaking, team leadership, and mobilization. She has been a guest speaker and multiple events such as California Association of Student Councils (CASC)'s Region 9 Conference and PEN America's Freedom to Read Summit in Orange County.