Capitol Weekly hailed Monika Lee ’17 as a “rising star” in a recent profile, which highlighted Lee’s work in communications and politics. Lee recently began working as chief of staff for Sacramento City Councilmember Karina Talamantes after several years working for various communications firms in the California state capital. Throughout her career, she has focused on social justice, equity, and mental health, balancing idealism with realism.
“When I was in college, I was like ‘burn it down and give everybody money; screw capitalism,'” she said. “And then I got into the working world, where I learned that it is really hard to overthrow capitalism. I’ve learned a lot of patience and that meaningful, impactful change takes time.”