Advice for Berkeley Students from Alum Sydney Roberts, ASUC President 2023-24
Sydney Roberts majored in Political Science and African American Studies and was involved in the ASUC since her first year at Cal. Just before graduating, she did an interview with our Instagram team, @ucberkeleylife, about her experiences in the ASUC and her time as ASUC President. Sydney shares advice for students to make the most of their time at UC Berkeley and talks about how to get involved in the ASUC.
The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC)
The ASUC is UC Berkeley’s officially recognized student government. Composed of five executive officers and five chief officers alongside the ASUC Senate, representatives are elected by students and advocate for students on a university, local, state, and national level. The ASUC also controls funding for student clubs and organizations and provides resources for student programming, overseeing the Cal Student Store and Lower Sproul Plaza in partnerships with the ASUC Student Union.
Eshleman Hall is the seat of the ASUC, among other programs central to student life on campus. The Graduate Assembly is the representative body of the graduate and professional students at UC Berkeley (the ASUC for grad students).
What do you want students to know about ASUC?
“Something really unique about the ASUC is its position as a bridge between administrators, campus resources, and students. Our main goal is to serve students. If you ever have a question about where you can find a space, how to get more funding for your organization, or how to find support within administrative settings for your organization, we’re here to help. We love interacting with constituents and students and love hearing from them. We believe that’s how we make the most informed decisions and make the most impact on campus, by listening to students.”
What’s the best way for someone to get involved?
“Apply the first chance you get. You can apply usually at the beginning of the semester, or join a campaign during the spring semester. That’s one of my favorite experiences, working on a campaign team, because of the connections you develop with others on the team. You learn a lot about what it takes to get elected, and you learn a lot about what the student body really values here on campus.”
The ASUC charters projects and programs, including the Open Computing Facility (OCF), the ASUC Grant & Scholarship Foundation (GSF), and CalTV. Getting involved with these organizations is a great way to start in the ASUC.
What is the #1 thing you’ve learned as ASUC President?
Diversity of experience: “It’s really important to listen to student perspectives and opinions, and to make them feel heard. Fulfilling that promise of representing and expressing their voices is really important, and doing it proactively, too. Making sure you’re reaching out to them in times of need, putting in the effort to go out of your way and make sure you’re connecting with them in a genuine way.”
Leadership on campus: “It’s really important to me as a leader to make sure to hold the door open for other people who want to assume leadership after—especially people who look like you or share your struggles. This semester I tried to make sure I was creating more leaders. I want to see people in these positions who have the institutional knowledge that I have right now, who care about students and our campus values.”
What have you enjoyed about being ASUC President? What are you proud of accomplishing?
Improving the student experience: “I’ve enjoyed seeing how the work we’re doing is really impacting students. I’ve also enjoyed organizing a team that’s very passionate about this work. We meet every week together and create initiatives that we think will benefit the student body and improve the student experience on campus. Last semester we did a lot of things to make sure we are affecting that kind of change on campus.”
Expanding multiculturalism: “Starting with just increasing multiculturalism on campus. A lot of our work centered around historically marginalized communities, specifically the Black community. I was endorsed by this group of people on campus and I wanted to pay it back. We were able to increase funding, and attending the Afrikan Black Coalition conference was made possible. 100 students across the nation got together with Black leaders to discuss issues happening in the community, brainstorm solutions for those issues, and network with one another. I was able to participate, and it was beautiful and meaningful to see this group of people together.
We’ve been able to spearhead an Environmental Justice Education DeCal this year as well, and it will be offered again in the fall 2024 semester. It’s our first time bringing it to campus; it engages students in the eco-field and takes them to elementary and middle schools in the area. They design their own curriculum to teach to these future leaders. It’s a program we’re hoping to expand on more. We also started the CalTHON Program on campus, a space where students get together for philanthropic events. Last year we raised over $30,000 for UCSF Children’s Hospital and were named the best new dance marathon of the year.”
What’s your advice for making the most of college?
“I really, really encourage all students to take the time to study and take care of academics, but also just enjoy what it is to be a college student–to develop relationships with people and make forever friendships, I think that’s so important when you’re in college. You’re never going to have the opportunity to do this again, or have this many people in your proximity again. So really taking the time to live a balanced life, is what I try to do and what I hope everyone else tries to do, too.”
And, that’s a wrap. Watch Sydney’s full interview on our Instagram channel, @ucberkeleylife!
Meet Sydney Roberts, the current ASUC President at UC Berkeley @ucbpresident 🌟
Voting for next year’s ASUC leadership begins next week - check out @asuc.elections for updates!
#ucberkeley #asuc #ucbpresident #berkeley #collegelife #ucberkeleylife #studentgovernment
Want More?
- Learn more about Your ASUC Student Union.
- Everything you need to know about joining an organization on campus.
- Advice from Hosea and Preslee, two recent graduates.
- Tips for living a balanced life and managing a busy schedule at Cal.