Rachel Aujero '26 was awarded a Judicial Fellowship through the Capital Fellows Program.
Why did you choose to apply for this award?
I applied for the Judicial Fellowship because I felt the program perfectly aligned with the core tenets of my legal advocacy interests: institutional accessibility, community-centered service, and the real-world administration of justice.
Briefly describe the work you will be doing on your fellowship.
As the Judicial Fellow for the Butte County Superior Court, I will be working on an analyst level in the Superior Court contributing to projects involving areas such as program development and analysis, language access, data and research, court operations, and community outreach.
What are you most looking forward to during your time as a fellow?
I am most looking forward to being involved in data-informed policy implementation within the executive branch of the Superior Court in order to best serve the public and increase accessibility.
How have your experiences at Oxy prepared you to apply for this award?
Through academic and professional experiences I've had at Oxy, I felt I'd been thoroughly prepared to apply for the Capital Fellows Program. As a programming assistant and peer advocate for the Project SAFE office at Oxy, I was both prepared for the intense interview process through my experiences in prevention training across campus and the advocacy support program as a confidential employee. As a Politics major, I was prepared for the research process required for this award through my development in data analysis and background in policy research and presentation.
What advice would you give future applicants about the application process?
A piece of advice I would give to future applicants about the Capital Fellows program application process is to trust your skills and capabilities that make you stand out amongst other applicants. The application process is pretty competitive, so it's crucial to focus on the aspects of your life experiences that make you stand out with a distinct perspective as a fellow.