Alexis Takagi
Student Representative Governor Appointee

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Alexis Takagi Student Representative on the Student Aid Commission

Alexis Takagi is a first-year doctoral candidate attending Santa Clara University’s (SCU) School of Education and Counseling Psychology studying social justice leadership with an emphasis on higher education. Alexis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with honors from Santa Clara University in 2022 and was subsequently appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as a commission member for the California Student Aid Commission. She currently works at Learnfully, Inc. as an Educational Specialist, where she provides students with personalized instruction that is aligned to their specific strengths and needs using evidence-based methods and technology. 

Her inspiration for student-centered advocacy work stems from her experience as a first-generation, community college transfer student from Foothill College to Santa Clara University. As an undergraduate at SCU, Alexis was an active member of her campus community serving as a mentor to high-school students who would be the first in their families to attend college, guiding them as they navigate their higher education journey from researching colleges to applying for financial aid. She has also worked with her university’s Transfer Student Working Group as a transfer student ambassador connecting students with resources available to them on campus and beyond. 

Additionally, Alexis served as co-chair of the policy and budget advocacy team in the Independent California Colleges Advocate Program (ICCAP) (21/22 cohort), which represents over 329,000 students attending independent non-profit institutions. Through the program, she alongside her cohort successfully advocated for a $25.9 million investment in improvements in the Cal Grant Program for students attending Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCU) which was adopted into the state budget. 

Serving as a student representative on the Commission, Alexis will provide a nuanced perspective that draws on her experiences as a first-generation and transfer student as well as her past experiences advocating for students and financial aid reform. Through her experiences, she hopes to increase knowledge and awareness of the Commission’s resources amongst students regardless of socio-economic status.