Kaitlyn Cui

Kaitlyn Cui recently graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a B.A. in Political Science with minors in Digital Humanities and Community Engagement & Social Change. Her work sits at the intersection of technology policy, youth and community civic power, and civil rights. From leading the Paragon Policy Fellowship to serving as an Astin Community-Engaged Scholar and Mellon Data Justice Research Scholar with the UCLA Center for Community Engagement, Kaitlyn is passionate about exploring how schools, governments, the private sector, and social systems can better equip young people to participate in civic life and navigate the digital systems that shape their futures. Across nonprofit leadership, youth organizing, and community-engaged creative projects, Kaitlyn examines how education systems, information, and public infrastructure shape equitable access opportunity and justice. She is interested in how civic learning can extend beyond classrooms to center community research, cultural partnerships, and digital engagement that make public systems more understandable and accessible to youth. These experiences have also shaped her interest in civil rights and the law, and she hopes to pursue a future in law or another impactful role that bridges legal advocacy, creativity, and community-driven change. She hopes to help advance innovative approaches that strengthen civic learning, support youth leadership pipelines, and build inclusive systems that prepare the rising generation to engage with public institutions, including legal, policy, and tech systems, with confidence and impact. Talk to Kaitlyn about any of her various interests: AI in schools, community-engaged learning, cultural exchange, social enterprise, civic/ed-tech, and mobilizing students.