In the 2026 ASUCI election, four candidates are running for the position of International Senator. The International Senator is one of three Special Interest Senators supporting underrepresented voices in the student council.
International senators serve the special interests of all international students, host regular office hours allowing students to voice their concerns and attend ASUCI meetings and committees aligned with their passions.
Candidates include Yumu Huo, second year psychological science and quantitative economics major; Charlene Wang, first year cognitive science and criminology major; Joy Zhou, first year business information and management major; and Renee Zhou, first year international studies major.
Yumu Huo
As an intern under the current International Senator Sofia Gomez-Inowe, Huo has written legislation, collaborated with the International Center coordinator and found innovative solutions within the ASUCI senate.
Huo has also explored on-campus resources and attends International Coffee Hour where she meets with international students.
Hou prioritizes understanding each international group’s needs. Huo plans to become directly involved in each of these student groups.
“Even though I’m an international student myself, I may not know what other issues international students have,” Huo told New University.
According to Hou, increasing class sizes and availability for Academic English (AE) courses for international students ensures limited space won’t delay graduation. She is also working to guarantee international course credits transfer, so students would not need to repeat classes for which exams and classes have already verified their proficiency.
Hou also wants to increase international students’ academic success through access to internships and to previous international alumni.
Charlene Wang
Wang’s campaign focuses on ensuring the academic and future success of international students and creating a compassionate school environment.
Wang, who has lived in the states for over 10 years, has experienced the struggle of navigating the exclusive social dynamics which often exclude international students.
“I want to utilize this experience to become the bridge between international and domestic students,” Wang told New University.
As the current At-Large Senator intern for the last 6 months, Wang has met many students struggling to adjust to a new academic system while under overwhelming stress.
Wang meets these stressors with compassionate legislation. As the At-Large Senator intern, she has been trying to make the suicide hotline more accessible to international students. The more accessible hotline would support all students, including international, marking her commitment to care for others through her legislation.
Wang aims to expand the Anteater Express’ routes to include the Irvine Spectrum and to improve plant-based options at the dining hall for international students.
Focusing on the futures for international students, Wang plans to host frequent networking socials that allow international students to find internships and jobs.
Wang notes networking is important for students taking part in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) to complete a course requirement or Optional Practice Training (OPT), which allows international students to work in the U.S. after 3 consecutive quarters at UC Irvine.
Joy Zhou
Joy Zhou emphasizes actively serving her constituency, increasing awareness of student resources and improving students’ work prospects in her campaign.
“Less talk, and more results,” Joy Zhou told New University.
Initially from the School of Social Sciences, Joy Zhou shifted her major to business information and management, bridging her experiences at the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and Paul Merage School of Business.
Because of this, Joy Zhou wants to empower international students to find positions in jobs and internships. She notes that a lack of information is not the issue, as students still struggle to find internships despite numerous workshops, advising and campus resources.
“So, you see, there’s a clear gap between what is available and what actually works,” Joy Zhou told New University.
Joy Zhou proposes three solutions. First, making an employee database exclusively for connecting international students with other international alumni and international-friendly employers. She believes this would streamline the process of connection.
Second, Joy Zhou plans to unite the Career Center and International Center by creating joint workshops. She wants to bring the two together because these centers are closely interlinked for many international students.
Communication with these centers, Joy Zhou notes, would also help students to align with their OPT timelines.
Finally, Joy Zhou wants to ensure that more international credits easily transfer to avoid unnecessarily repeating courses, limiting international students’ academic career.
Renee Zhou
Renee Zhou believes her overcoming of isolation upon moving to New Jersey four years ago gives her the ability to help other international students find community on campus.
When domestic students mocked her English, Renee Zhou lost confidence and felt isolated from her English-speaking peers.
“You feel lonely here. So I feel like you’ve been trapped because probably the first people that reach out to you is international students, but you don’t really get the chance to really connect to the school,” Renee Zhou told New University.
With the encouragement of teachers, family and friends, Renee Zhou persevered. She gained confidence speaking to peers in person and through school broadcasts. By her senior year in high school, she felt like she was a part of the school community.
Based on her own experiences, Renee Zhou wants to help all international students find a sense of belonging on campus, particularly through events she would organize as International Senator.
Renee Zhou described creating a housing information event that would help international students navigate housing and banking paperwork and give them better access to housing resources. She also described hosting multicultural performances open to the entire student body that would integrate international students within the larger student population.
The voting period for this year’s ASUCI elections begins April 13 at 9 a.m. and closes on April 17 at 5 p.m. Voting for all ASUCI elections, including Intentational Senator, can be done online on the election website.
Amelia Kirkegaard is a Features Intern for the winter 2026 quarter. She can be reached at akirkega@uci.edu.
Edited by Sasha Alikhanov
