Campus freshman Ryusei Best Hayashi is running for ASUC Senate with Student Action to represent international students, social entrepreneurs and environmental and sustainability advocates.

Best Hayashi, intending to major in business and political science, is a Leadership Award Scholar, Dean’s List student and founder of the education technology startup Reach Best.

“As an ASUC Senator, my vision is to make UC Berkeley be recognized as the Best University in the World for the next 10 years consecutively,” Best Hayashi said in an email. “I want to help build ‘The Berkeley Dynasty.’ ”

Best Hayashi noted he plans on advancing his vision by focusing on three areas he believes will have “the most potential impact.” These areas include international affairs, social entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.

Within international affairs, he seeks to improve global external perceptions of campus and promote “Cosmopolitan Cultural Capital via Internationalization.” In terms of social entrepreneurship, Best Hayashi seeks to host educational workshops and labs for students of all majors.

“I want to organize Berkeley Innovation Challenges to address Climate Change, Research Symposiums, and Undergraduate Research Paper Publishing in Official Journals,” Best Hayashi said in the email.

Best Hayashi also mentioned in the email that his most notable government experience has been his role as director of the Aoba-Japan International School student council in high school. In this role, Best Hayashi noted that he was involved in leading the transformation of the council through monthly event organizations with an estimated average of 119 participants and achieving financial self-sustainability.

He noted that he chose to run with Student Action for three reasons: their focus on “action-oriented” outcomes, peaceful solutions and a history of diversity and inclusion, according to a statement on the Student Action website. 

“Student Action supports candidates from all different backgrounds equally to run, which includes privileged and unprivileged students that is fundamental to making Berkeley the Best University in the World,” reads a statement from Best Hayashi on the Student Action website.

Best Hayashi currently serves as director of international affairs in the office of ASUC Senator Elif Sensurucu where he leads the ASUC Startup Expo organization. While in this role, the Startup Expo led efforts to lower the financial burden for international students seeking employment opportunities in the US.

His most current project in this position has been working on the development of employment info-packets for international students, as well as the ASUC Startup Expo II, a career fair.

“As proud UC Berkeley students, faculty, administration, alumni and staff, we should strive to give back to the institution that, first of all, opened its doors to us and has helped us grow into the successful individuals we are today,” Best Hayashi said in the email.