UC graduates shine in Capital Fellows program

Capital fellow Natalie Torres, a UC Berkeley alumna, meets Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

When Natalie Torres' parents see Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on TV talking about California's raging wildfires, they can take pride in knowing their daughter contributed to his sound bites.

As part of her duties in the state Office of Emergency Services, Torres prepares a daily briefing for the governor's office on the day's fire activities.

"It's been crazy coordinating with all the state agencies," she said. "We're working 24/7. I've really learned about the level of dedication of people in state government. We always hear about state employees and how they aren't really trying. The truth is California is a huge state, and people have a lot of needs. People in government are working really hard all the time."

Torres is one of 28 University of California recent graduates participating in the Capital Fellows program. Established in 1957 and administered by Sacramento State University, the program places 64 fellows each year: 18 each in the state Senate, Assembly and executive offices and 10 in the judicial branch of state government. Fellows receive master's degree credit from the university, health benefits and a $1,972-a-month stipend to cover living expenses during their 11-month stint in the program.

"You won't get wealthy from the months you're here," said Torres. "But people are getting jobs when they leave and getting more salary than an entry-level person right out of college. Once you get it and you're good at your job, you become very competitive in your job market."

UCLA grad Hoorig Santikian is a fellow in the Office of the Secretary of Education.

Being around people dedicated to public service helped her make a decision about returning to UC Berkeley, where she earned a bachelor's degree, to study law.

UCLA graduate Hazel Ocampo, a fellow in the California Environmental Protection Agency, will be going to law school in the fall at Cornell University on a $100,000 scholarship.

"I'm a first–generation college student," she said. "My parents are from Mexico. The fellowship gave me an awakening that there are several areas in which the public can have a voice to make an impact on public policy. That's the most significant thing I learned."

Being at the table where high-level public policy negotiations are going on and being able to contribute her perspective of growing up in a low-income minority community was a privilege, Ocampo said.

"It was very encouraging to be around a big group of people who are dedicated to public service," she said. "We all have a vision of how things will be better, and it was great to have that support from people with like-minded goals."

You don't have to be interested in a career in public service to benefit from the fellowship, said Hoorig Santikian, a UCLA grad from Fresno, who is serving in the Office of the Secretary of Education.

"I don't know any position right out of college that would give you such in-depth experience on how to be an executive," said Santikian, who will attend a master's program at Stanford University in the fall with a goal of working in education policy or becoming a professor.

While many choose to go to graduate school or law school after completing their fellowship, Lupe Castillo, a UC San Diego graduate, will stay in the Office of the Governor’s CaliforniaVolunteers agency as a grants manager in the Disaster Volunteering and Preparedness Department. Her bilingual skills were advantageous in many assignments, she said. One of those was being a building captain when 320 community volunteers built a playground in the Coachella Valley in one day.

"The fellowship gave me a chance to grow into who I've become," Castillo said.