Young Alums

Saneeha Shamshad ’20: Expanding Access and Redefining Leadership

Saneeha Shamshad ’20 considers herself a “different type of leader.” When asked to elaborate, she adds, “I’m super quiet and I tend not to speak a lot.” The long list of extracurricular activities that Saneeha pursued in the past and continues to develop today, however, suggests that speaking up perhaps isn’t the best measurement of […]

Komal Ahmad ’12: Feeding the World from San Francisco

At just two years old, Komal Ahmad ’12 had already decided: she wanted to become a doctor. “I thought that was the only way you could help people,” she remembers. Komal kept this goal close to heart throughout her childhood, even as she immigrated with her family from Pakistan to the United States. When time […]

Ankur Nagpal’s Teachable Moment

For Ankur Nagpal ’09, his first day of CalSO (the orientation for new UC Berkeley freshman and transfer students, now Golden Bear Orientation) was also his first time in California—and America. Ankur was born in India but grew up in Oman, and it wasn’t until high school that he decided to pursue his college education […]

A Rock, a Paleontology Book, and Rosie the Riveter

by Courtney Cheng ’16 Alexis Williams ’17 knew from the first moment she set her foot on the UC Berkeley campus that she wanted to become a Golden Bear. She had the chance to visit Cal as a high school student through the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program at her high school, which offered […]

Olympian in the Pool, Cal Bear Everywhere

By Courtney Cheng ’16 Ryan Murphy ’17 graduated from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business with a degree in business administration, but like many recent graduates, he’s not quite sure what he wants to do with his degree just yet. Luckily for Ryan, a 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist, he has at least one other […]

Creating Community at Cal and Beyond

By Courtney Cheng ’16 Michelle Kim ’11 came to Cal with a mission: to become a part of Berkeley’s history of political activism and social justice movements. At the Principal’s Office Michelle was born and raised in South Korea by her single mother, whom she saw constantly struggling against the stigma of divorce. “Back then, […]

At Cal, Golden Spirit Resonates

by Courtney Cheng ’16 Meghana Dhar ’10 found out she had been selected for Forbes’ 30 Under 30: for Retail and E-Commerce list when a friend texted her, “Hey, by the way, you’re on the [Forbes] list!” “I was very surprised. I had no idea beforehand,” Meghana laughed at the memory. “I had been told […]

From the Ocean Floor to the Forbes List

by Courtney Cheng ’16 “When I found out I was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, I was so shocked and really excited,” Amber Jackson ’11 enthused. “It’s such an honor. When I see the other people on that list, I feel very humbled to be a part of it because you have, like, […]

Sharing Success Through Cups of Coffee

by Courtney Cheng ’16 Kateri Gutierrez ’14 was just a 14-year-old living in Lynwood, California, when she began to envision starting her own business. Once she took a trip to UC Berkeley campus through the Raza Center, her vision solidified and she became intent to SIR. “After having seen the business program at Berkeley, I […]

Finding an Entrance at UC Berkeley

By Courtney Cheng ’16 When David Joe Kim ’17 first heard that his friend, producer James Yi, wanted to call his new film “gook”, Kim was stunned. “You sure about that?” he’d asked Yi. “That’s derogatory!” Yi was insistent. In Korean, “gook” is the word for country. In English, the Korean word is used as […]