CAA Announcements

A Letter from the Executive Director | Spring 2020

Dear Cal family,

We know that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a tremendous impact on the personal lives of all those in our global Cal community. Your ongoing connection and collective support is invaluable as we face challenges together during this time of uneasiness and unpredictability. We must demonstrate our commitment to uplift all those in our community to be true reflections of the light of UC Berkeley.

Posted on May 15, 2020 - 1:55pm

Scholarship Selections Made Virtual

Earlier this year, the Cal Alumni Association’s Alumni Scholars Program had been finalizing plans for its in-person selection process for the African American Initiative (AAI) Scholarship. When restrictions for COVID-19 were instated, the Alumni Scholars Program team quickly pivoted to make the remainder of the selection process entirely virtual, ensuring that students in need of financial aid would be able to receive the support they needed to attend UC Berkeley.

Posted on May 13, 2020 - 12:52pm

Life After Sports: A Conversation with Dusty Baker

Dusty Baker is one of the greatest baseball managers in the Major Leagues. A California native, Baker was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1967, and over the course of his All-Star career played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. In 1993 he began his managerial career with the San Francisco Giants before moving on to manage the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, and now the Houston Astros.

Posted on May 1, 2020 - 5:00pm

Spring 2020 Director’s Chair

In December, I had the honor of attending UC Berkeley’s winter commencement to celebrate Maria Smith ’20, who I had the privilege of meeting and mentoring when she worked as a student assistant for the Cal Alumni Association’s Alumni Scholars Program. While I will miss seeing Maria on campus and at Alumni House, I know she has myriad opportunities awaiting her after graduation—and that she will someday return to Berkeley.

Posted on April 30, 2020 - 4:00pm

Cal Alumni Coloring Pages

Want to brighten your day with a little Cal-themed fun? We’ve created two coloring pages for Golden Bears of all ages to enjoy. Tag your artwork @calalumniassociation or #Berkeleyforlife and show us your masterpieces!

Posted on April 30, 2020 - 9:00am

Cancelled Cal Discoveries Travel Reception

In response to the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have cancelled the 2020 Travel Reception and program preview originally scheduled for Sunday, May 31, 2020.

We have added our 2021 trips to our website and are working to get further details onto each tour page. Please continue to check back for the most up-to-date information.

Posted on April 15, 2020 - 8:00am

Cal Discoveries Travel Updates Regarding COVID-19

We know that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has raised several questions and concerns about upcoming trips, many of which have been postponed. We also realize how hard it is to have travel plans changed when you were looking forward to them. As we deal with uncertainty around the coronavirus in many aspects of our lives, please know that your safety and comfort in traveling with Cal Discoveries remains our number one priority. We continue to work closely with our tour operators as news changes to keep you updated.

Posted on April 8, 2020 - 8:00am

How Cal alumni can support our current students at Berkeley during the coronavirus pandemic

How can we support current students at Berkeley during the coronavirus pandemic?

Posted on April 2, 2020 - 6:00am

Update from the Cal Alumni Association on COVID-19

We know that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a tremendous impact on our personal lives and on the well-being of our families and loved ones. Today, I am reaching out to you, our Cal alumni community, to encourage our ongoing connection during this time of uneasiness and unpredictability. Our collective support is invaluable as we move forward and face the challenges together.

Posted on March 16, 2020 - 4:30pm

Postponed Events

In response to the continued evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cal Alumni Association (CAA) is taking steps to help protect the health of our UC Berkeley community. While our offices remain open, many of our upcoming alumni and chapter events are cancelled or postponed.

Posted on March 16, 2020 - 10:24am

Share a Memory from Berkeley

Posted on March 1, 2020 - 3:00pm

Dr. Marvin Poston ’39: UC Berkeley’s First Black Optometrist

Growing up in Canada, Dr. Marvin Poston ’39 says he did not experience much racial discrimination. In his words, “There weren’t many blacks, very few. That may have been one of the reasons why they didn’t have a lot of discrimination, because there were so few blacks.”

Posted on February 27, 2020 - 8:00am

Annie Virginia Stephens Coker ’24, J.D. ’29: California’s First African American Woman Attorney

In the early 20th century, Berkeley Law was considered a leader in legal education for women, as the school has admitted female students since its inception in 1894. However, the barriers women faced persisted, decades after the law school’s founding. Well into the 1960s, each Berkeley Law class included about only one or two women.

Posted on February 21, 2020 - 8:00am

Cris Gomez ’15: Veteran Continues to Serve at Cal

Cris Gomez ’15 never considered going to UC Berkeley a dream of his. Attending Cal just seemed out of reach to him—until he connected with people who showed him that Cal provided resources for non-traditional students, and that a bustling community of people from all walks of life awaited him.

Posted on January 3, 2020 - 11:17am

Director’s Chair Winter 2019: In a Sea of Red, Blue and Gold Rise Up

Earlier this fall, I traveled to Mississippi to support our Cal football team members, some of whom are from the South, at their game against Ole Miss.

Posted on December 16, 2019 - 8:00am