Brandon Rubio

Class of 2025

Faculty Advisors: Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht and Rose Salseda

Peer Mentor: Mercedes Martinez Milantchi

Brandon Rubio was born and raised in Brentwood, California in the East Bay Area. He was a Regent and Chancellor’s Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley where he graduated with top honors studying both Ethnic Studies and Political Science in 2021. 

During his final year as an undergraduate at Cal, he completed an ethnographic project exploring the history of braceros in the development of his hometown and how they are erased from history. Having studied and trained as a Chicano Anthropologist, he aims to give silenced communities a voice in academia and bring to light stories that are often not told. Immediately following his graduation from Berkeley, Brandon worked with Dr. Charles Briggs and Dr. Clara Mantini Briggs on an ethnographic project detailing the struggles of members of the Latin American community during the Covid-19 pandemic. This multi-faceted project included audio interviews, a written academic paper, and a longform podcast in both English and Spanish to make the information accessible to members of the community. Their work was presented to local news stations and a California State Senator to develop state programs for community outreach in Covid-19 relief. 

In addition to his time at the University, Brandon has worked as an assistant paralegal at an immigration law firm where he assisted hundreds of people in obtaining US visas and permanent residency status. Following his time in the legal field, he has worked in a managerial position in the biomedical technology sector. He was also a Questbridge advisor, where his focus was on helping low income students apply to higher education institutions and secure scholarships to make higher education attainable.

As the son of Mexican immigrants and the first person in his family to go to college, Brandon aims to create a space for other people of color to attend higher academic institutions and is interested in creating educational equity for all people. As a Chicano Anthropologist, Brandon is interested in how culture and history is understood through pop culture, especially in soccer and lucha libre. He aims to tell stories from his community and be an advocate for positive social change and is excited to continue his journey at Stanford.

Peer Mentor: Mercedes Martinez Milantchi