Alumni Career Network

Not only does volunteering present a great opportunity to help others but it can also be a great way to expand your network and develop additional skills.  From short-term volunteer opportunities to serving on a board, this panel of UC alumni shared their insights on how volunteering can help you accelerate and advance your career.  This session highlighted how to identify volunteer and board leadership opportunities, common skills organizations look for in volunteer leaders, and strategies for positioning your volunteer experiences for professional growth.  The webinar recording is relevant for alumni of all career levels, from new professionals to senior-level executives.

Moderated by: 

Charles Melton (’08, UC Davis) | Senior Public Policy Manager, Turo 

Featuring:

Allison Olson (’09, UC Davis) | Executive Director, Down Syndrome Information Alliance

Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre (’99, UC Davis) | President & CEO, Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Paul Simpson (BA, UC Santa Cruz; MBA, UC Berkeley) | Chief Financial Officer, LifeMoves

Debby Stegura (’79, UC Davis) | Alumni Regent, University of California and President, Alumni Associations of the University of California (AAUC)

This webinar was originally recorded on May 26, 2021

Completing your undergraduate or graduate studies may mean that you have acquired student loan debt along the way. Whether you are dealing with your own educational debt or helping a family member manage their student loans, this tactical webinar covers strategies and options to manage student loan debt. This session offers details on types of student loans, repayment options, deferment, loan refinancing and approaches to managing and paying off student loans. You'll also gain advice and insights from fellow UC alumni on how they've approached their student loans and strategies that have helped them to minimize debt.

This webinar was moderated by: 

Anna Lo (’00, UC Riverside), Chief Executive Officer, North Jersey Federal Credit Union

and featured:

Amber Berry, (‘14, UC Davis), Creator & Coach, Feel Good Finances 

Cerita Grotts, MPA (‘09, UC Santa Barbara), Associate Director of Financial Aid, Loyola Marymount University

LeVar Harris, MBA (‘11, UC Riverside), Machine Learning Recruiter, Twitter

Sara Potter-Gittelson (’10, UC Santa Barbara; M.Ed. ’14, UCLA), Financial Wellness Program Director, UCLA and Founder, Coach and Consultant, First at Finances 

Reanne Swafford-Harris, Esq (‘12, UC Riverside; JD ‘15, UCLA), Attorney, Fenwick & West

For many people in leadership roles, it can be especially challenging to lead your team and organization through difficult situations. Guiding others through uncertainty can feel isolating, exhausting and, at times, hopeless. Through a conversation moderated by Cathy Rodriguez-Aguirre ('99, UCD), gain insights on leading through disruption and change from alumna and author Diana Hendel (’85, UCI; PharmD ‘89, UCSF). During this one-hour webinar, Dr. Hendel shares her journey as an experienced healthcare executive and former hospital CEO and offers valuable advice to help you lead through difficult times.

Check out this workshop-style session focused on leveraging social media to launch or grow your business delivered by UCLA alumna Bonique Edwards, Owner of Kaleidoscope Consulting Group, a full-service digital marketing agency specializing in website development, graphic design and social media. Bonique covers the fundamentals of using social media to grow your business and offer tangible tips to help you reach more customers. 

Have a great idea for a business or thinking about becoming your own boss?  Watch this episode of the UC Alumni Career Network to gain insights from experienced UC alumni business owners on actionable steps you can take to start your own business.  From how to get started to strategies for sustaining your business, panelists share what they’ve learned as business owners and offer advice on what you need to do to start your own business.

Moderated by: Ping Yeh (UC San Diego) | CEO, StemoniX 

Featuring:

Hilary Bryant (UC Santa Cruz) | Donor Services Officer, Santa Cruz County Community Foundation
Jaime Nack (‘98, MPP ’02, UCLA) | President, Three Squares Inc.
Nathan Westwick (‘97, UC San Diego) | Owner, Wild Goose Coffee Roasters

This webinar provides guidance on addressing difficult conversations so that all voices are valued. Panelists offer advice on how to handle challenging topics, acknowledge cultural differences in communication styles, and identify helpful techniques to maximize your workplace communications.  This webinar was moderated by: Jaime Carias (‘08, UCSB) | Author, Civic Engagement & Fellow, USC Annenberg School of Communication & Journalism and featured: Nicole Cox (‘13, UCLA) | Manager, EY; Annalyn Cruz (‘00, UCSB) | Senior Manager of Leadership & Management Development, Electronic Arts (EA) and Sunny Lee (‘96, UCI) | Assistant Vice Chancellor & Dean of Students, UC Berkeley

What does the future of travel look like?  Tune in for this informative session as travel enthusiast Christy Dobbs (’92, UC Berkeley) interviews Melinda Yee Franklin (’85, UC San Diego), managing director of corporate and government affairs for United Airlines.  This interview offers insights on the future of travel and what we might expect as travelers.  

First-generation professionals are pioneers in their career path. Learn from fellow UC graduates who were first in their families to graduate from college as they share their stories, tips and advice for navigating the professional workplace. From building your professional network to preparing for career advancement, the panelists offer actionable tips to help you successfully navigate the world of work.

Featuring: Bernice Maldonado (‘02, UC Riverside | ’11, UC Irvine) CEO & Founder, BerniceMaldonado.com Janella Leano (UC San Diego | DPT ‘20, UC San Francisco) Physical Therapist Ish Verduzco (’14, UC Merced) Director of Growth & Marketing, Crave It Moderated by Katie Russo, Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA

Considering a career change?  Unsure where to start?  You’re not alone!  View this dynamic panel discussion on preparing for a career change, identifying opportunities and leveraging your strengths to successfully pivot to a new industry or field.  Our experienced panel of UC alumni offers tangible tips for changing careers and aligning your brand for new opportunities.  Featuring:

Stephanie Usry (‘10, UC San Diego) | MODERATOR
Head of Human Resources, Vida Health | Founder on Purpose, Not by accident | Founding Coach, Radical Candor

Natasha Chan (‘12, UC San Diego) 
Customer Success Enablement Manager, Salesforce

Cynthia Huang (‘16, UC Berkeley) 
Marketing Professional

Markell Morris (‘93, UC Santa Barbara) 
Owner, Futures in Motion

Forrest Wright (UCLA | MBA ‘07, UC San Diego) 
Creative Director, Page 90 

This webinar is part of the UC Alumni Career Network series.