Micaela Aragon Email & Phone Number

United States

New York, New York, United States

Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States

The UCLA Academic Advancement Program (AAP) offers a research/internship fellowship titled the Carter Huggins Community Development and Social Justice (CDSJ) Program. Students selected to be part of this cohort engage in service-learning that integrates research and community-based practice into preparation for graduate study in social welfare, public policy, and urban planning.With this funding, I proposed a research project titled, "Reimagining Labor: Understanding the importance of contemporary organizing campaigns by and for immigrant women in the United States" This project sought to utilize a community participatory action framework to investigate different organizing methods' efficacy and longevity amongst female migrant workers.

Los Angeles, California, United States

As a communications specialist assistant, I work alongside the communications specialist to create content for the Labor Studies program at UCLA. This content ranges from video to infographics in order to bridge the gap between faculty, staff, and undergraduate students. Additionally, we look to engage our students more closely with the broader Los Angeles labor movement through our work.

I was asked to assist the UCLA Labor Center on a research project being conducted in collaboration with the American Federation of Labor (AFL-CIO) that will be released in 2025. My tasks included data collection, analysis, preliminary literature reviews, and presenting my findings at monthly meetings with heads of the UCLA Labor Center and AFL-CIO.

Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Friends of the Elderly is a charity organization dedicated to combatting elderly isolation through the establishment of meaningful connections. During my time there, I had the privilege of working alongside the team to facilitate the organization's operations through hosting weekly events, creating social media content for the organization, and more.

Mexico City, Mexico & Los Angeles, Ca

Through the UCLA Center for Community Engagement, I participated in the Astin Community Scholars research program. This program provides $10,000 in funding for students who work alongside graduate students and a community organization on a year-long research project that is ultimately presented at UCLA's Undergraduate Research Week. I worked alongside graduate students from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM) to investigate transnational solidarity between workers in the U.S. and Mexico as interest in globalized labor organizing continues to grow.My project, titled Exploring the Socioeconomic Landscape of Airport Service Workers in the US and Mexico: Preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has since branched off into a project I am actively working on as an independent research project.

Los Angeles, California, United States

The Bruin Ambassador Program was designed so that UCLA Admissions could reach students in underrepresented high schools across Los Angeles. As an ambassador, I conducted school visits, information sessions, and other admission events with up to 1,000 attendees in order to speak with high school aged students about UCLA and university life overall.

Los Angeles, California, United States

Bet Tzedek Legal Services is a nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services, outreach and education, and policy advocacy for individuals across Los Angeles County and beyond. I was an Intake Volunteer for Bet Tzedek, meaning that I took calls from the general public seeking help, registered them as viable for the attorneys or not, and passed the qualifying calls on to attorneys.

California, United States

Higher Education for All is an organization that provides one-on-one guidance and mentorship for high school seniors from underserved areas as they undergo the college admissions process. As a mentor, I worked with students every week to create timelines, outlines, and later proofread essays and other supplemental application materials.

Los Angeles, California, United States

As a youth organizer with CHIRLA, I worked with high school aged children in order to empower them as immigrants and young adults to reach higher education, engage in activism, and participate in their community. I helped organize their 2021 Wise Up! Summer Internship program and worked with that cohort of students throughout the year as they applied for financial aid, completed college applications, and faced other challenges. Workshops that I created and hosted included:- Revolutionary Optimism & What that Means for Young Abolitionists- Applying for FAFSA from a Mixed-Status Familyand more

Los Angeles, California, United States

The Los Angeles Human Rights Initiative (LAHRI), now known as the Human Rights Initiative @ UCLA, is a student-run, faculty-supervised organization that runs an Asylum Clinic, providing pro bono forensic evaluations to asylum seekers in partnership with Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

Long Beach, California, United States

The primary job that surrounded my fellowship was to engage in canvassing efforts pushed by the City of Long Beach to ensure that vulnerable communities were signing up for appointments to receive COVID-19 vaccination. We spoke with over 4,000 families over the course of three months and successfully registered more than 1,500. Another major project within this fellowship included our Undocufund campaign which provided stimulus funds for undocumented individuals who.were unable to qualify for government aid. Through this program, we distributed nearly $1 million to 1,000 families.

Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States

Following my completion of the internship program, I began working as a full staffer for the UCLA USAC Office of the President. I worked for the Future Student Leaders of Color Conference committee, organizing the aforementioned event that went on to occur in May and host 60+ high school students interested in student government and higher education.

Los Angeles County, California, United States

I participated in the Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) Presidents' annual internship program that prepares first-year students to assume student leadership through student government throughout their college career.During my internship, my primary project was on working with Los Angeles Times and New York Times representatives to advocate for free access for registered UCLA students.

Los Angeles, California, United States

The Wise Up! internship program offered by the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of LA (CHIRLA) is an annual, 8-week program designed for migrant youth to receive college preparation resources, political education, advocacy empowerment, and more. After graduating from the initial program, students become "core leaders" throughout the school year, working to establish chapters at their local high schools and organize students in their individual contexts. During my time here, my cohort's greatest accomplishment was organizing the Walkout for DACA in Los Angeles, that saw thousands of students take the streets of Downtown Los Angeles in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).

Downey, California, United States

Food Culture LA was a local restaurant with a mission of serving cuisine that reflected the diversity of Los Angeles. Here, I worked as a server and eventual lead providing customer service to a wide variety of people.

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Labor Studies, International Migration Studies, Latin American Studies

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: Graduated with Highest Honors, California Scholarship Federation Member, Spanish Honors Member