Student Experience
Life Beyond the Redwoods: Ricardo Esquivel at Microsoft
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Ricardo Esquivel (John R. Lewis ’24, computer science) works as a software engineer at Microsoft.
Ricardo Esquivel (John R. Lewis ’24, computer science)
In his second and third year as a student at UC Santa Cruz, Ricardo Esquivel (John R. Lewis ’24, computer science) interned at Microsoft. His experiences helped him land a full time position as a software engineer with the company immediately after graduating from the university in June 2024.
As a software engineer at Microsoft, Esquivel’s responsibilities include fixing performance bugs across the Microsoft Office suite, identifying and addressing regressions in monthly product releases, and collaborating with app team drivers to deliver high-performing and reliable apps.
His favorite part of the job is getting to work on new and unreleased devices.
“It is exciting working on products with millions of users and knowing that my hard work can positively impact the experience of our users in these new pieces of technology,” Esquivel said.
Esquivel came to UC Santa Cruz with zero coding experience. He credits UC Santa Cruz’s MESA College Prep Program with helping him gain the experience he needed to land a job at Microsoft.
“MESA was my home at UC Santa Cruz, the folks there were like my family,” Equivel said. “My peers there inspired me to work hard and have an open mindset. Counselors in the program, Jen and Imelda, were the leaders who passed on their skills to me. Their fight for inclusivity, hard work, and continuous development were ingrained into my life.”
In addition to holding a leadership and mentor role in MESA, Esquivel also credits courses like CSE 115 with giving him relevant experience, specifically integrating programming skills with business needs.
“At UC Santa Cruz, I mastered the concepts required to solve real world problems and grasp the initial steps in becoming an application developer. The university community played a big role in teaching me how to be a leader, how to ask good questions, and how to excel in competitive and high pressure environments.”
Looking towards the future, Esquivel is eager to continue at Microsoft and one day hold a managerial role.
Explore where the Class of 2024 is now. Discover the top employers hiring our alumni, the leading graduate schools admitting them, and first-hand accounts of their journeys.