Cameron learned about the value of public service from his grandfather, Michael Silverberg, who fought for civil rights as a young attorney in the 1960s and then later fought for better health care for people suffering from mental illness. Michael’s story imparted a life-long lesson upon Cameron: that when we see injustice, we ought to become part of the solution.
Throughout his college experience, Cameron was guided by this lesson as he dedicated himself to public service, with a particular emphasis on foreign policy. For two consecutive summers, he worked as an intern for United States Senator Barbara Boxer, where he supported the office’s foreign affairs team by writing memorandums and conducting policy research on countries across the world. Cameron built upon this experience by studying abroad in the spring semester of his junior year at the University of Hong Kong, where he focused his studies on human rights and democracy in East Asia. His academic experience culminated in his senior thesis, which analyzed China’s relationship with Africa and the implications that it may have for democracy on the continent.
In addition to his work on foreign policy, Cameron was appointed by the Berkeley City Council to serve as a mental health commissioner. As a commissioner, Cameron lobbied the City Council to put more resources into Berkeley’s Mobile Crisis Team—a group of psychologists sent to help city residents facing mental health emergencies. He also co-founded the Center for Integrative Outreach, an organization at UC Berkeley that works to build coalitions between student-run community service organizations. For his record of public service and academic excellence, Cameron was awarded the Travers Undergraduate Scholarship in Ethics and Politics, as well as the Cal Alumni Association Leadership Award. Cameron graduated from Berkeley in May 2016 with highest honors in Political Science and highest distinction in general scholarship.
As a John Gardner Fellow, Cameron hopes to be placed in a government agency dedicated to foreign policy. He is particularly interested in offices that work to protect human rights in East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
