In her last year at UC Santa Cruz, Jane Grantham tackled numerous challenges, but one project stands out: developing a resource to assist fellow students in preparing for their careers.
Through her participation in the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP), Grantham (Porter ’24, Art & Design for Games & Playable Media) served as the Digital Engagement and Media Marketing Intern for UCSC’s Career Success Office. In winter quarter, Grantham co-created and ran a social media outreach campaign that boosted the visibility of student-run groups and clubs that provide career development opportunities.
“My CUIP experience strengthened my personal professional skills, and helped me discover my confidence,” says Grantham.
CUIP matches students who have demonstrated leadership with intern roles like organizing student-taught courses or providing communication for campus programs. Interns complete independent projects under the supervision of staff or faculty mentors. The program includes a 2-unit Leadership and Institution Building seminar with the chancellor and other administrators and a stipend that covers student fees for the year.
Building a career experience network
Grantham and fellow CUIP intern Crystal Hernandez (Cowell ’25, business management and economics) had roles at Career Success promoting its coaching, workshops, and job fairs. They saw that while Career Success had great general resources for students starting careers, the office was not providing much help targeting specific career goals. Meanwhile, numerous student groups were organized around career interests like the Aspiring Physician Assistant Organization and the Society of Black Engineers.
Grantham and Hernandez reached out and identified groups interested in promoting their career-relevant activities. The interns created infographics based on the groups’ services. They built a campaign of social media posts for Career Success, each highlighting three organizations. They coordinated the timing so the groups could help extend the engagement.
The campaign elevated the visibility of organizations like Student Creativity and Entrepreneurship Empowerment and Women in Business. It also broadened Career Success’s connections. All of which makes career-building experiences more accessible for Grantham’s fellow students. She says it exemplifies working smarter.
“Developing all of these resources in-house at Career Success would have been an enormous project,” she says. “But working with the preexisting student efforts not only addressed the problem but also had impactful benefits.”
Completing an ambitious project meant confronting the possibility of failure, Grantham says.
“When you’re the lead for any project, especially if it’s a new area of growth for you (which interns are encouraged to pursue), it can be scary! It’s new territory, but CUIP gave me the space to propose and develop my ideas into something I felt could succeed.”
Grantham credits the unwavering support of the staff and the intern cohort as instrumental in giving her actionable feedback and encouragement. The internship has provided a breadth of opportunities including honing skills in marketing, collaborating on projects with other interns, and serving on a hiring panel for next year's cohort of CUIP interns.
A life-changing choice
Grantham grew up in Alaska, and later the small, rural town Yreka in Northern California. It was a place where she felt comfortable in almost everything she chose to pursue socially and academically. When deciding where to attend college, Grantham wanted to experience a different area with more opportunities. She credits her family and friends for encouraging her to branch out of her comfort zone and pursue her passions.
“Coming from Yreka into a city like Santa Cruz was a life-changing choice and made me feel disconnected from all I had known.”
When she arrived at UCSC, the community where she felt confident trying things was miles and miles away.
“In all of my classes and extracurricular activities, I kept expecting someone to point to me and say, ‘Wait, what are you doing here? You have no idea what you’re doing.’”
Grantham persisted. She connected with UCSC’s resources, including helpful college advisors plus Art & Design for Games & Playable Media advisors who have provided mentorship. She developed relationships with prominent faculty.
“I like knowing about all the possible options—the advising staff is a great hub of info for students.”
She combined these supports with a “fake it till you make it” philosophy. “You either fake it till you make it, or you fake it till you fail, but either way, it’s the best foot forward. And if you’re using the ‘fake it till you make it’ strategy and you are succeeding, at some point you have to realize you’re not faking it at all.”
Finding community, tackling an uncertain job market
She got involved with Game Design & Art Collaboration (GDA), the largest Game Development club on campus, serving in the student-led Officer Core. First, she was Mock Studio Coordinator, managing the 16-week-long hands-on studio experience. She later became Vice President, a Production Officer, and a leading member of their Promotional Team.
“Finding GDA changed the course of my entire undergrad. Not only has it given me applicable, relevant experience in my career field, it has also provided me with a source of community and belonging. I’ve grown my network to include many talented game developers who have taught me just as much as my education has. Many of my peers have turned into my friends, and knowing we face some of the same challenges has helped me feel understood and supported.”
Grantham enjoys being a resource for incoming students, especially first-years in her major. “I find that connecting them to resources I wished that I had discovered earlier or giving them advice that a younger academic version of me needed to hear is really gratifying.”
As she enters the job market, she notes the gaming industry where she wants to start a career has seen recent layoffs.
Her plan is to get some form of employment in or adjacent to the games field. “Perhaps not my dream job, but something that can get my foot in the door and allow me to start building a post-grad resume. I’m applying to opportunities and remaining open to alternative experiences.”
Grantham is drawing on her CUIP experience, especially peer connections that have expanded her professional network. The program also provided a framework to explore new potential career directions.
“I’ve found that advocacy is something that I’m very drawn to, as well as outreach and communications work.”
She is also using the services offered by Career Success. Between creating social media content to promote career fairs and working at their on-site office, she became familiar with Career Success resources such as resume feedback and career counseling. When applying to jobs or preparing for an interview, she schedules an appointment with a career mentor.
“This campus is full of opportunities that will help you thrive and grow—but the first step is getting yourself out there. Coming to UCSC was nerve-wracking. My first day as a CUIP intern was nerve-wracking. I was convinced that I would make a mistake and disappoint those around me—but I’ve truly experienced the opposite.”
