Alumni Profile
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Life Beyond the Redwoods: Tanner Rowland at the U.S. House of Representatives, Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta
One year after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Tanner Rowland (Cowell ’24, politics) works as a congressional aide in the U.S. House of Representatives under the Office of Congressman Jimmy Panetta.
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UC Santa Cruz alumni leading local nonprofits: The Volunteer Center
Many nonprofits across Santa Cruz County have roots that trace back to UC Santa Cruz alumni, who played pivotal roles in launching and shaping their missions.
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Rooted in community
Alumna Dora Maria Beyer (Merrill ’09, Latin American & Latino studies, politics) was recently named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for her work assisting low-income communities as director of community development with Excite Credit Union.
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Redefining philanthropy: Alumna Carmen Rojas drives change
Alumna Carmen Rojas is the president and CEO of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and is a leader in the fight for racial, economic, and social justice.
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Creating community and change: Sharhonda Bossier’s path from UCSC to education leadership
Sharhonda Bossier, a UCSC undergraduate and graduate alumna and current CEO of Education Leaders of Color (EdLoC), credits the support and community she found at UCSC for shaping her career in education leadership.
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A car-free future? A Banana Slug alum is targeting one obscure regulation to get there
Alumnus Tony Jordan is a 2024 Grist 50 honoree, a list of climate leaders and innovators.
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Breaking barriers and breaking news
One year after graduating from UCSC, Ryan Loyola (Stevenson ’23, politics) is a news assistant and fill-in assignment editor at ABC7 Los Angeles where he reports on breaking news.
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Stepping onto the global stage
One year after graduating from UCSC, Samantha Moore (Merrill ’23, politics) recently completed an M.A. in International Relations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations.
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Peter Bratt announced as 2023 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award recipient
Rockefeller Fellow, Peabody Award winner, Emmy-nominated film producer, writer, director, community organizer, and social justice activist Peter Bratt is UC Santa Cruz’s 2023 Social Sciences Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.
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Representing her community
A daughter of a Vietnamese refugee and a Mexican immigrant, Kim Bernice Nguyen advocates for her community as the youngest person to hold a seat on the Garden Grove City Council. In Jan. 2023, Nguyen announced her run for Congress.
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Enabling women and girls to achieve their potential
Alumna Ann Starrs, director of family planning at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, came to reproductive health work from a steadfast commitment—strengthened by her time at UC Santa Cruz—to feminism, gender equality, and women’s empowerment.
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Proud Slugs making a difference through public service
A Superior Court judge. The director of the public art program for Los Angeles. A defense attorney. They all believe in public service, and they all say their time at UC Santa Cruz changed their lives in permanent ways.