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In a year marked by physical and often emotional isolation, the Cal alumni community found new ways to connect to each other and to the university. Robust virtual programs engaged more than 9,000 UC Berkeley alumni in activities that inspired our Cal spirit anew.
Summer Welcome Parties have been in full swing this summer! Even while navigating unprecedented times, the Golden Bears community remains a vibrant and welcoming hub.
In the classroom, I was try-lingual: I “tried” to speak English, Spanish, and Tagalog. I took a two-year course at Berkeley and got accepted into a language immersion program in the Philippines. I was able to explore my identity through organizations like the Pilipino American Alliance, where I learned to be a student organizer and fight for racial and educational equity issues. As an athlete, I competed as a member of the Cal Men’s Volleyball Club and ran the volleyball program at Cal Intramural Sports.
In a year marked by physical and often emotional isolation, the Cal alumni community found new ways to connect to each other and to the university. Robust virtual programs engaged more than 9,000 UC Berkeley alumni in activities that inspired our Cal spirit anew.
In February, the Cal Alumni Association’s UC Berkeley Black Engineering and Science Alumni Club (BESAC) hosted COVID-19 Vaccines: Science and Facts, a virtual event on how the virus replicates, the impact it has on the immune system, and the transmissibility of its variants.
Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Cal alum Candice Elder ’06 has a background in law and philanthropy and uses it to serve her community every day. Elder is the founder and executive director of The East Oakland Collective, a nonprofit organization that addresses and focuses its efforts on racial and economic equity in East Oakland. She was appointed by the mayor of Oakland in November of last year to a new advisory commission on homelessness as the city’s crisis escalates.
Carrying on a family legacy that persisted despite relocation during WWII, Ichikawa is democratizing the food system.
I was a transfer student from the College of Alameda. I found an incredibly supportive academic home with the support of Dean of Student Services Michelle Woods, and many African American professors, including Harry Edwards, Barbara Cristian, and Percy Hintzen. I sang in the gospel choir and was a featured soloist during the 1984 Black Graduation, singing Irene Cara’s “Out Here On My Own” from the film Fame. Back then, [African Americans] were 3% of the student body.
During Homecoming, on October 18, the Cal Alumni Association and its Alumni Chapters hosted more than 40 alumni and students to connect, build community, and learn from each other. Alumni and students exchanged words of wisdom and discussed opportunities to stay connected to Cal through chapter events and mentorship programs. Watch the inspirational video below […]
Cal alumnus Arturo Reyes ’12 uses his diverse background and legal career to help others.
Traditionally, alumni volunteers hold welcome events in person, but in light of COVID-19, virtual collaborations between Alumni Chapters enabled more alumni-student engagement beyond our local circles.
Alumni chapters hosted Summer Welcome Parties to give new students a warm, Berkeley welcome, and reconnect with their fellow Cal alumni. From Cal Band music to Cal-themed trivia and casual conversations about Berkeley student life, this year's Summer Welcome Parties provided much-needed fun and connection in these virtual times.
