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 and read about our panelists.
Staying Connected and Building Communities
Candice Elder ’06: Black Alumni Association
“It was important for networking—there is a wealth of alumni all across the world. To be able to network with people, and also to recruit and encourage students, particularly students of color, to attend Cal.”
Ben de Guzman ’94: Pilipino American Alumni Chapter
“When you see other people—no matter how far away you are from Berkeley—and they’re rocking that Cal gear, you just slip them a quick ‘Go Bears!’ That moment of solidarity is really meaningful.”
Join an Alumni Chapter and Provide Mentorship to Students
Miller Allen ’93: Black Engineering and Science Alumni Club
“It’s been really great to reconnect, and really rewarding to have that connection with that cohort of students as well. We’re looking forward to building out a real mentorship program, and formalizing these things as well, for students. I’m really excited about that, and reconnecting through CAA in that way.”
Wendy Villalobos ’15: Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association East Bay
“Seeing all those transitions has really been amazing for me. And I think for me, that’s why it’s always really important to work with the students, give them the information, and demystify what it means to apply to school at UC Berkeley.”
“Big shout-out to all the alumni that are here right now being present for the scholars, because our presence here of each and every one of us really makes a difference for the students. They get to hear all of our stories, and all the stories are going to be different and similar in their own unique ways. I’ve always loved to hear from student how helpful hearing this from alumni, and hearing back from other alumni, really shaped how they move along at Cal—and after Cal.”