For Emily Newman ’06, UC Berkeley was more than just a university—it was a launchpad for lifelong connections, career opportunities, and personal growth. Emily’s Berkeley experience shaped the path to her future, but her connection to Cal didn’t end at graduation. Through her connections with the Cal Alumni Association, Emily continues to give back to the community that helped her succeed. Her story is a testament to the power of the Cal network and the lasting impact of the generosity of alums. Join us in celebrating alums like Emily—because when you give to the Cal Alumni Association, you’re helping future generations of Golden Bears thrive.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I work at Google. I’ve been here for seventeen years. The reason I got my interview for this position originally was because of a Cal connection. I had a friend whose roommate was working at Google, we did an informational interview and then she helped me get me an interview! So right off the bat, my career journey has been due to relationships at Cal.
I’m a program manager in privacy, safety, and security education. My team is responsible for ensuring that our corporate workforce is up to speed on how to keep Google’s data and our users’ data safe and secure. It’s a really, really fascinating job. I myself am not actually a subject matter expert in security or privacy. I’m more a program manager in that space, but I’ve gotten to work with some really fascinating people over the years.
Could you share your Cal story—what brought you to Berkeley? What made your time here special?
I would say my Cal story or my journey started when I was a freshman in high school. I moved to California—Petaluma specifically—when I was a freshman in high school, from Maine. But I’m originally from Kansas. My older sister was looking at UC schools, so I spent quite a bit of time touring schools with her. I distinctly remember the Cal Day that we went to when she was a prospective student. And then I went to every Cal Day thereafter, so I feel like I really knew the campus well.
Berkeley’s groundbreaking. It has this amazing history, and Cal students nowadays are so community minded and focused. Social impact is such an important thing to them. Berkeley changed me and influenced me, and so I really appreciate that. My original connection is that I was a Leadership Award Scholar.
Tell us more about your experience as an Alumni Scholar.
I distinctly remember speaking with the alumni volunteer, and I really enjoyed the conversation. I mean, of course I was nervous, but they made me feel comfortable and shared some of their own experiences at Cal. That was really gratifying to be like, okay, this seems like the right place for me. I also got connected to the Student Homecoming team through people I met in the Alumni Scholars Program. I did that for a good three years.
At times Cal feels like a very large campus, but I found my group and my niche there. I remember scooping ice cream, and helping design the posters that we put up around school to share what activities were happening. We built this connection to who we were as students, and then who we could be as alumni. That was huge, a really big influence in my time at Cal. I think coming from the Midwest, I went to a fairly small high school, and to be exposed to such diverse perspectives and thoughts and experiences was something that I wouldn’t have gotten at other schools. So I feel very fortunate for that.
What inspired your family to give to The CAA Fund initially?
I’ve contributed to Cal in some way or another since I graduated, but at some point when Big Give was going on, I thought, “Oh, do I give to the CAA Fund this year?” I wanted to recognize how much the Cal Alumni Association supported me during my time at Cal. So, it just made sense to me.
Outside of donating, I’ve also had the opportunity to engage with CAA through volunteering. I volunteered to conduct interviews a few years ago, which was really neat. I mean, the students are truly amazing. This was during the pandemic, so a lot of it was done virtually. I was so impressed with how these students navigate these processes in a virtual world, in a hybrid world, and how professional they are, how just the way they connect with you. It’s really inspiring.
If you could sum up what Cal means to you in one word or phrase, what would it be?
Oh, man. One word or phrase. I mean, I think one word is truly “growth.” Yeah, growth. I think I grew as a person.
What’s a piece of advice that you would give to current Cal students or recent grads?
I think a lot about how much pressure people are under, students, new grads. Cal gave me a lot more perspective on the world and my life. I had so much autonomy and was truly feeling like, oh gosh, I’m an adult. To put it more succinctly, I’d say to just believe in yourself. There’s a reason you’re here. You have proven yourself worthy of this amazing opportunity.
There are going to be days where it feels like you’re not taking full advantage of that. And that’s okay. Give yourself grace. Then there are days where you’re going to be rocking it, and that’s fantastic. Students have so much opportunity to influence the world, and it’s exciting to see where they’re going to go. Continue to believe in yourself and who you are and surround yourself with people who support you.
Give Back on Big Give! Emily’s story is a testament to the power of support from our alums. Join us on March 13, 2025, to help future generations thrive.
