Editor’s note: ASUCI Internal Vice President candidate Joshua Gonzales is an assistant copy editor in New University. Gonzales has never edited or been involved in any article about ASUCI including this piece.
Two candidates are running for Associated Students of UCI’s (ASUCI) Internal Vice President (IVP) for the 2026-2027 academic year: Antoine Mbok, a fourth-year computer engineering transfer student and Joshua Gonzales, a second-year public health policy and political science major.
The office of IVP serves under the Executive Branch of ASUCI and “oversees all internal operations of ASUCI.” It also is responsible for maintaining services offered to students by ASUCI and UCI administration, as well as serving as a student representative on certain campus advisory boards.
Antoine Mbok
Mbok is the current ASUCI IVP. He was elected during a special election held in January of 2025 after the removal of the 2025-2026 IVP, Victory Ogbonnaya. IVP is the first and only position Mbok has held in ASUCI, and if re-elected, he hopes to carry out plans he hasn’t been able to complete while serving the past two months.
“I just think getting the position again, I’m going to have more time to think through all the activities and events that I would like to boost when the term actually starts in the beginning of the year,” Mbok told New University.
In his campaign statement, Mbok mentions that one of the main pillars he is running on is securing essential funding. He states that he will utilize board meetings to advocate for improvements to funding towards the Basic Needs Center and the Sustainability Resource Center.
“We have a tendency of not utilizing [ASUCI funding] properly,” Mbok told New University. “So I was making sure that they are properly, really utilizing resources so we don’t have extra cash left, because what happens is, when we do have extra funding that is not being used, we just lose it.”
In terms of managing the IVP office, Mbok prioritizes building up his staff and supporting each other as a team to accomplish their goals.
“My leadership style is built on teamwork,” Mbok told New University. “I empower my team to lead into their own way while providing mentorship and systems they need to succeed.”
As IVP, Mbok believes he is able to be receptive to students’ concerns and utilize his strong work ethic to ensure that his office is doing what they can to assist students.
“I’m pretty responsive when it comes to responding to requests and demands,” Mbok told New University. “I take into account everything, any feedback I hear from students, whether it be good or bad, and I do my best to push whatever ideas that I see can be … pushed through the administration.”
Joshua Gonzales
Gonzales first joined ASUCI in July of 2024 as a Student Programming Funding Board (SPFB) At-Large member. He then became SPFB Commissioner in November of that year, where he expanded the SPFB budget by $20,000 and was able to speak to and interview multiple clubs in order to understand the social services clubs provide to students on-campus. Gonzales also works as an assistant copy editor for New University.
Currently, Gonzales serves as the 2025-2026 Head of Staff for the Office of the President (OP). He believes that his experience managing a “decently sized” team in the OP has prepared him for handling the large staff in the IVP office.
Gonzales’ platform page states that he plans “to put transparency, organizational support and UCI student quality of life first.”
One of the main points in Gonzales’ campaign is ensuring effective communication between ASUCI and student organizations and clubs. He proposes appointing a staffer dedicated to promoting strong communication and help ASUCI learn what clubs need from them in order to succeed.
“I really do think that student clubs [are] sort of like the backbone of community at UCI,” Gonzales told New University. “So I want to make sure that not only are we addressing their needs but also, I think it’s a good place to do research and learn what students care about.”
Gonzales’ platform mentions other ideas to expand this communication, such as collaborating with Associate Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion to “ensure that cultural and identity organizations feel adequately supported by ASUCI,” and hosting in-person town hall meetings if campus organizations are interested.
Gonzales states that he would like to expand ASUCI’s Grant Allocating Commissions as well. He proposes expanding the current commissions to support students in terms of housing and transportation.
Gonzales believes with his extensive experience, he is able to bring in the progress he has already made while a part of ASUCI into the position of IVP.
“I feel like I really do understand the IVP office and ASUCI … in a way that many students don’t,” Gonzales told New University. “I think that … I’ve shown a real dedication to both ASUCI student government but also to the UCI student body as a whole.”
Gonzales is also a part of the slate AMPlifying Anteaters (Accelerating Meaningful Progress), which includes ASUCI President candidate Summer Tram Anh Phan, External Vice President candidate Jayla Kamilla Pete, Associate Academic Affairs Vice President candidate Denise Rojas and Student Programming Commissioner candidate Sarah Lien Gagnier.
Voting begins April 13 at 9 a.m. and ends April 17 at 5 p.m. For more information on ASUCI elections, visit elections.uci.edu.
Grace Hefner is an Assistant News Editor. She can be reached at news@newuniversity.org.
Edited by Geneses Navarro