This summer, Cal alumni welcomed incoming first-year and transfer students at 24 Summer Welcome Parties across the country. More than 450 students and 400 of their family members joined more than 350 alumni at local parties hosted by volunteer-led Cal Alumni Association (CAA) Alumni Chapters. Venues included beaches, private alumni residences, and local parks, all with festivities organized by regional, affinity, and cultural Alumni Chapters.
For many incoming students, Summer Welcome Parties serve as the first introduction to Cal’s traditions and community. These parties give incoming students the opportunity to get to know their peers, meet mentors, and learn about life at UC Berkeley from the perspective of alumni.
Alumni showcased their Cal spirit by sporting their best blue-and-gold gear and decorating their venues with banners, balloons, poms-poms, and cheer cards.
Some chapters held breakout sessions for alumni to network with incoming students and their family members. During these sessions, alumni gave incoming students advice on navigating Cal.
The Los Angeles chapter of the Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association shared student-life resources and on-campus tools, including advice on living with roommates.
The Cal Alumni Club of Monterey County had speakers share transformative experiences framed by attending a Summer Welcome Party—first as an incoming student, and now returning to the event as an alum. They provided words of wisdom, shared helpful on-campus resources, and invited incoming students to stay connected through their chapter’s Facebook group.
All images courtesy of their respective Alumni Chapters.
