Angelene Villanueva Obedoza is a 1L at UC Davis School of Law. Originally from Bulacan, Philippines, she immigrated to California at the age of five and has spent the majority of her life in Daly City. Angelene attended UC Irvine for her undergraduate studies and received her degree in Political Science. Prior to law school, Angelene worked in court administration for two years, first as a Judicial Fellow under the Capital Fellows Program, then as a Mangement Analyst for the county’s three mental health courts. In these roles, Angelene discovered a fascination in the intersection between law and technology, often relying on digital tools to streamline services and expedite assistance for court users.

In law school, Angelene plans to continue exploring her interests, which include artificial intelligence, public policy, and media and entertainment. At UC Davis, she volunteers as a Student Counselor for the Workers Rights Clinic, serves as an Editor for UC Davis’s Social Justice Law Review and Business Law Journal, and as a 1L Representative for the Filipinx Law Students Association, and is an incoming member of the Negotiations Team. In her free time, she likes to read psychological thrillers, watch Korean dramas, try new restaurants and cuisines, and take pictures with her digital camera.

About the Scholarship: The Honorable Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Scholarship commemorates Chief Justice Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye’s tenure as the first Filipina American to serve as the Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court (from 2011 to 2023). The scholarship is awarded to a law student that has shown a strong commitment to the Filipino American community inside and outside of law school.

Learn about past scholarship recipients here.