Student Experience
Life Beyond the Redwoods: Serena Ramirez at Pivotal and Northeastern University
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Serena Ramirez is a development associate for Pivotal, fundraising to bring educational and career opportunities to foster youth, and is pursuing her Master’s in public administration from Northeastern University.
Serena Ramirez graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2025 with degrees in intensive psychology and critical race and ethnic studies.
Serena Ramirez (Porter College ’25, intensive psychology and critical race and ethnic studies) grew up less than an hour away from UC Santa Cruz in Gilroy. Raised by her mom, Ramirez always had a strong sense of self from a young age.
“My mom always encouraged me to pursue higher education and helped shape the expectation that college was a natural next step for me,” Ramirez said.
In 2018, Ramirez enrolled in Gilroy’s Early College Academy, where she was dually enrolled at Gavilan College and earned an associate degree in both communication studies as well as behavioral and organizational social science. By the time she came to UC Santa Cruz, she was already considered senior standing.
“That experience helped me see education as both a personal achievement and something that can open doors and create opportunities. That belief is a big part of why working in educational equity, especially with foster youth, feels so important to me,” Ramirez said. “Access to education can fundamentally change outcomes, and I have seen how the right support and opportunities can make a lasting difference in a young person’s life.”
Ramirez graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2025 with a B.A. in intensive psychology and critical race and ethnic studies and a minor in politics. She works full-time as a development associate for Pivotal where she fundraises to bring educational and career opportunities to foster youth. In addition to her work, Ramirez is pursuing a Master’s in public administration from Northeastern University.
During her time at UCSC, Ramirez was a Humanities EXCEL Fellow where she was able to translate her academic work in the humanities to real-world experience in communications and nonprofit work. Her fellowship placements included working with Santa Cruz Works and the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County.
“These experiences directly contributed to my career after graduation, as the hands-on experience I gained through the fellowship helped me stand out in the hiring process and ultimately led to my current role.”
As a programs assistant for Porter College, Ramirez was able to put her skills to use. She planned events and created programming specific to spark engagement among students and foster community.
In conjunction with her work for the fellowship, Ramirez was a research assistant for the Center of Economic Justice and Action at UCSC. Here, she conducted research to see how policy decisions shape people’s lived experiences. All this work has led her to where she is today.
“UCSC encouraged me to think critically about how my studies could translate into impact beyond the classroom,” Ramirez said. “That perspective ultimately led me to pursue a career in nonprofit development, where I can support mission-driven work and expand access to opportunity for underserved communities.”
In addition to her full-time role and pursuit of an advanced degree, Ramirez also works with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Silicon Valley chapter, where she’s the Marketing VP-Elect and a 2026 IDEA Fellow, a fellowship for increasing access and expanding representation in the fundraising sector. For Ramirez, being a Mexican woman early in her career, the program allows her to simultaneously gain career experience while bringing her own perspective to these spaces.
“Balancing a full-time role, a graduate program at Northeastern University, and my involvement with AFP has been both challenging and rewarding. Much of my ability to manage these commitments comes from the work ethic and discipline I developed during my time at UCSC,” Ramirez said. “It is exciting to continue growing in this space while preparing to take on greater leadership within the nonprofit and philanthropic sector!”
Life Beyond the Redwoods features ten Class of 2025 alumni who share how their time at UC Santa Cruz prepared them to launch their careers one year after graduation.