Arianah Rizzo ’24

Arianah Rizzo is a sophomore at UCLA, pursuing a major in Political Science. As she continues her academic journey, Arianah also plans to contribute her deeply rooted passion for community service and active advocacy to the UCLA community. One of the most defining reasons Arianah decided to continue her studies at UCLA was to stay close to Los Angeles- the place she grew up, the people she learned from, and the resilient community she hopes to uplift.

During her first year at UCLA, Arianah served as a fellow for the Office of the External Vice President, where she gained experience and knowledge in advocating for students at all levels of government. At the completion of the fellowship, she applied to join the office and is currently on the federal relations team. Her work has included writing policy briefs, representing students at advocacy meetings, and taking on the role of UCLA’s Fund the UC Coordinator.

Arianah is working as a Justice Corps student member for the academic year. She is working to provide equal access to justice to self-represented litigants in the Los Angeles self-help centers. She is also hoping to pursue a minor in Community Engagement and Social Change. As part of the introductory class, Arianah has the opportunity to serve with a partner organization and has recently started working with Freedom For Immigrants, an organization devoted to abolishing immigration detention. Arianah answers hotline calls from immigrants inside detention centers, to connect them to resources and family and to document abuse. She will soon begin writing Civil Rights and Civil Liberties complaints to file on behalf of immigrants facing abuse.

Arianah is honored and grateful to be an Ehrlich Scholar. She is thrilled to be a part of the support system of incredible women and the network that the Ehrlich scholarship awards its recipients. This scholarship is paving the way for transformative leaders, and she knows that the support of the Ehrlich Scholarship will be fundamental to her achieving her goals. Arianah hopes to contribute to the legacy of the Ehrlich scholarships and all that it represents.