Samantha Zavala

Samantha Zavala serves as the Youth Advisory Council Coordinator for Riverside County District 2. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside with Honors distinction. Samantha has shown great commitment to increasing voter engagement and UC student representation through her past positions as the Civic Engagement Director of the Associated Students of the University of Riverside and as the University of California Student Association UC we Vote Vice Chair. As Civic Engagement Director, she hosted meetings and events focused on voting rights and on how students can get involved in their local government. Samantha and her staff mobilized for two statewide elections in one academic year and led UCR to achieving second place in the 2026 Secretary of State’s Statewide College Student Voting Competition. As UCweVote Vice Chair, she mentored student coordinators across all the 9 UC undergraduate universities to support and organize voter engagement at their campuses.

As demonstrated by her experience in advocacy and community engagement, Samantha strives to promote civic engagement at all levels. Being born and raised in Jurupa Valley, Samantha is honored to serve on the District 2 Youth Advisory Council and give back to the community that has allowed her to succeed and grow.