Two years ago, I arrived on Old Campus as a stranger to New Haven. Raised in Charlotte, N.C., I’ve built a life here. I made friends who became family, found community in unexpected places and built a deep love for this city. New Haven is my home.

My introduction to New Haven began as a Cops and Courts Reporter for the News. I traced the city’s fault lines and encountered a broken justice system. Most city leaders, however, refused to challenge the status quo.

Last spring, I investigated the string of vacancies plaguing New Haven’s Civilian Review Board, or CRB. Established in 2019, the CRB aimed to strengthen police oversight across our city. The Board has failed to deliver on that promise. 

This challenge left a lasting impression on me — one that called for action. I stepped down from my post at the News and applied to serve on the CRB. Alongside Alder Frank Redente, I sought to expand the Board’s enforcement authority, restore community trust in policing, and ensure transparency within legal proceedings. My petitions to join the CRB were met with silence from the Mayor’s office. To this day, the downtown seat on the Board remains empty.

Behind closed doors, the Yale Police Department disbanded its own advisory board — a group of students, faculty and residents tasked with guiding YPD policy. New Haven can no longer afford silence. To deliver justice, we must demand accountability. 

I am running to represent Ward 1 on the Board of Alders to fight for a justice system that listens, delivers and responds to every New Haven resident.

Here’s who I am and the values I stand for.

Pieces of my family’s story rest in American law. My saba fled Hitler’s reign of terror for refuge in New York City. My abuelo escaped Castro’s Cuban revolution for Miami. The United States, fractured and flawed though it is, restored my family’s livelihood. Every night at the dinner table, we’d examine injustice with an eye toward history and faith in reform. 

I seek to honor my story by turning these dinner table conversations into progress. I seek to honor my story by spreading justice and love within my community. I seek to honor my story by mending cracks in the American dream — a dream where all citizens can earn decent wages, live in comfortable homes and enjoy the dignity of equal opportunity.

On campus, I serve as co-president of the Yale Undergraduate Prison Project. Our campaigns deliver literacy programs to Rikers Island Jail, host résumé workshops for justice-impacted individuals and foster dialogue around New Haven policing. This work has revealed the boundless possibilities when Yale and New Haven build together.

Engaging with residents from different backgrounds, ideologies and principles, I am driven to pop the Yale bubble. Every interaction, whether with street vendors or schoolteachers, offers a forum for grassroots reform — a glimpse into a story Yale students must understand. The bedrock of democracy relies on this bridge between New Haven and Yale. All voices must be heard, cherished, and acted upon.

I believe in a vision where Yale and New Haven can collaborate as partners, advocates and friends. Together, we have the opportunity to make this a reality. Our time at Yale should not be seen as a stop along the way, but a commitment to building a stronger New Haven. 

If elected alder, I will always choose progress over politics. I will stand for a new form of progressive leadership — pursuing justice for New Haven, not a political party. 

In the coming months, I will continue to share my vision for Ward 1. I will listen with humility and learn with compassion. I will engage with community members, local officials and Yale students to find solutions to our city’s most pressing challenges. 

Let’s build together.

JAKE SIESEL is a sophomore in Berkeley College. He can be reached at jake.siesel@yale.edu.