New University spoke with five candidates running for ASUCI’s At-Large Senator position: Devika Vithalani, a first-year political science student with a minor in civic and community engagement; Yara Shakhshir, a second-year mechanical engineering student; Ashley Gurrola, a second-year psychological sciences and criminology student; Jose Ramos, a third-year student double majoring in history and philosophy double with a minor in political science; and Charleen Pan, a first year business administration student with a minor in digital information systems..
There are nine other candidates running for ASUCI At-Large Senator. New University reached out to these candidates for interviews and did not get a response. All candidate profiles can be found on the ASUCI elections website.
At-Large Senators in ASUCI serve within the legislative branch, represent the student body, and contribute to policy discussions and initiatives that impact campus life.
Devika Vithalani
Vithalani said her decision to run for At-Large Senator stems from her prior experience in student advocacy and leadership. In high school, she served as a student board member for their student government, representing approximately 8,000 students and acting as a liaison between students and district officials.
She currently interns under ASUCI At-Large Senator Gabriel Mutsvangwa, where she attends weekly Senate meetings and has co-authored legislation. Vithalani said this experience has given her a strong understanding of ASUCI’s internal structure and legislative process.
Vithalani’s platform centers on accessibility, transparency and inclusivity. She emphasizes that many students are unfamiliar with ASUCI and its resources and aims to address this through increased outreach, including social media engagement and tabling events.
“I’m kind of planning out like a boothing event where all the senators come out, we talk to the students one-on-one, peer-to-peer, understand their concerns, any questions that they have, and really just making it more accessible and easy for every UCI student to talk to ASUCI,” Vithalani told New University.
If elected, Vithalani said she hopes to strengthen collaboration with student organizations and increase awareness of campus resources. She also highlighted financial transparency and representation as key priorities, noting that many students are unaware of ASUCI fees and that some communities lack visibility in legislation.
Yara Shakhshir
Shakhshir said her decision to run for At-Large Senator was rooted in her experience within ASUCI and her commitment to improving how the organization connects with students. As an ASUCI Engineering Senator intern, she attended weekly Senate meetings, collaborated with student organizations and contributed to outreach efforts.
Through her role, Shakhshir said she identified a major gap in awareness surrounding ASUCI resources, particularly funding opportunities available to student organizations.
“And that is a goal of mine, I think, to go to all the clubs that I can find, all the clubs that are available on campus and all the different schools,” Shakhshir told New University. “And just knowing that there’s someone there that they can speak to, someone that can find the resources for them.”
Shakhshir said she hopes to build stronger relationships with diverse campus communities and ensure their concerns are reflected in Senate discussions. In addition, she underscored the importance of accountability and consistent communication, noting that effective advocacy is “being there, being present and doing my best to listen to them.”
Shakhshir currently serves as a project lead for a rocket engineering team and a finance board member for Engineers Without Borders. She is also running with ANThem, an ASUCI slate of several candidates on this year’s ballot.
Ashley Gurrola
Gurrola currently serves as a Policy Coordinator in ASUCI’s Office of the External Vice President. Her interest in student government began after attending the Student Parent Orientation Program and later participating in UCI Hill day her freshman year, where she was introduced to ASUCI’s advocacy work.
As policy coordinator, Gurrola’s responsibilities involve breaking down federal policy and making it more digestible and accessible for students from all backgrounds. This has helped her gain a better understanding of advocacy on a larger scale.
Gurrola hopes to strengthen transparency between students and administration and make sure they are well informed on major issues like tuition, housing and campus policies. She recently had the opportunity to help the current senate with a basic needs bill and hopes to support the Basic Needs Center.
“Overall, I care a lot about inclusion and making sure every student feels seen, heard and valued,” Gurrola told New University.
When asked about a priority she would implement early on, Gurrola emphasized the need for a clearer and more accessible breakdown of how student fees are allocated. She reflected on how she wants to make that transparent through social media and real interaction and not just let it be hidden in documents.
“Being involved in American Indian Student Association, dance and my sorority, I’ve met so many people with different experiences, and I want to make sure all of those voices are represented, not just the ones that are already being heard,” Gurrola said.
Jose Ramos
Ramos, the current ASUCI Humanities Senator, plans to utilise the knowledge and experience gained at UCI and ASUCI to further his career goals and attend law school after completing his undergraduate studies.
Ramos’ previous experience as a congressional intern for the 40th district under Young Kim is what led him to pursue candidacy at ASUCI. Knowing the work required and responsibilities held with the position, Ramos aspires to connect with the students through a transparent, professional and honest agenda.
“As senators, we are required to have office hours weekly, and many of them do it in the ASUCI office, but if you go talk to any student around campus, the ASUCI office is not really known to the general student population,” Ramos told New University. “And for me, I hold my office hours in HIB 137…and I’ve been getting a lot of students in my school reaching out to me, coming in and all that.”
Ramos plans to increase the connection between ASUCI and the student body, turning it into something that students are aware of and can engage with, rather than just an organization on campus.
“My main goal is to engage in outreach, and to be that sounding board for students. Because, again, some students may be a bit timid and all that, but you can see me through my voice, through my interactions. Right now, I’m very easily approachable,” Ramos said.
In addition to outreach, Ramos plans to create student councils for various schools within UCI, pursue transparency and accountability within ASUCI and help with accessibility for UCI students.
Charleen Pan
On top of her ongoing At-Large Senator campaign, Pan currently serves as ASUCI Business Senator.
Despite each title demanding different responsibilities, Pan’s focus on student outreach and hearing out the issues of underrepresented students remains a top priority for her within each role.
“It’s really important to me that we are meeting students where they are rather than expecting them to come to us,” Pan told New University. “If we go out and we actually reach out to them and meet them where they are, we will be able to advocate and solve a lot more student issues than we might be able to as of right now.”
Beyond her experience in ASUCI, Pan has also served as a freshman representative for the Merage Undergraduate Association for the past two quarters.
These roles, coupled with Pan’s own personal experience as a student within the Paul Merage School of Business, is what led to her choosing to run for At-Large Senator.
“As a business student, I’ve often heard complaints about how the Student Programming Funding Board is hard to handle.” Pan noted.
When asked for a current issue that’s both globally and locally felt that she would prioritize if elected, Pan reiterated her objective of providing marginalized voices with a platform to be heard.
In addition to her campaign, Pan is running alongside the ANThem team with Shakhshir and other candidates on the ballot.
ASUCI elections will be held through online voting from April 13 to April 17. More information can be found on the ASUCI elections website.
Anika Denny is a News Staff Writer. She can be reached at adenny1@uci.edu.
Brinda Popli is a News Intern. She can be reached at bpopli@uci.edu .
Konstantin Diatlov is a Features Staff Writer. He can be reached at kdiatlov@uci.edu.
Jacob Bernardino is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. He can be reached at bernarj2@uci.edu
