Sebastian Cazares
SEBASTIAN C. M. CAZARES (he/him/his) is a second year Master of Public Policy (MPP) student, set to graduate from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs in the Spring of 2024. Sebastian is a double-Bruin, having also received his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Chicana/o and Central American Studies from UCLA.
Throughout his youth, Sebastian worked as an activist, academic, public speaker, and organizer dedicating himself to racial justice, student advocacy, and progressive movements. In 2020, Sebastian made history after winning an elected seat as a school-board member at the age of 20, becoming one of the youngest elected officials on record in LA County and one of the youngest Latinos to hold public office in California. Sebastian aims to dedicate his life towards promoting decolonization, civil rights, liberation, and justice for underserved communities, and ultimately, equity for all people of color through policy. Currently, Sebastian serves as a Fellow with UCLA’s Voting Rights Project (VRP) under the Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI).
As a descendent of Hawai’i-raised Puerto Ricans, Mexican bracero-activists of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and multi-generational U.S. Veterans, Sebastian’s unique family history heavily influenced and inspired his passion for advocating for marginalized communities.
