
Student Experience
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A ripple effect of support: Alumna Bev Crair uplifts student success
Alumna Bev Crair (Stevenson ’83, computer science and mathematics) actively supports UC Santa Cruz philanthropically and currently serves as the co-chair for the university’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, Inspiring Change.
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UC Santa Cruz celebrates the Class of 2026 during commencement weekend
More than 5,000 graduating students and nearly 30,000 guests gathered at UC Santa Cruz across 11 commencement ceremonies, where student and keynote speakers reflected on resilience, community, and navigating an uncertain future.
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As the Pister Scholarship grows, two scholars reflect on their time at UC Santa Cruz
As the Pister Leadership Opportunity Program prepares to double in size this fall, graduating scholars Andrea Aviles Guzman and Cipriano Echezarreta look back on their experiences at UC Santa Cruz and the impact of the scholarship.
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Intergenerational keynote speakers Becky G and Olga Talamante inspire graduates at UC Santa Cruz Chicane Latiné Year-End Celebration
This year’s bilingual ceremony featured danzantes, live musical performances, and a powerful keynote conversation between global superstar and activist Becky G and lifelong organizer and human rights advocate Olga Talamante (Cowell, ’73).
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Go Bananas! Carnival brings high-energy fun to East Field
Students take a break before finals and enjoy the ultimate end-of-year bash.
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Second cohort of Sabatte Scholars celebrate first-year completion
The Sabatte Family Scholarship, established in 2024, provides full-ride scholarships to about 40–50 students each year. The scholarship was made possible through the generous support of alumnus Richard “Rick” Sabatte, who created the scholarship with a gift in his will.
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From kitchen to cognition: students put nutritional psychology into practice
A UCSC Dining collaboration gives nutritional psychology students a taste of the science they’ve been studying all quarter.
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Students create agentic AI at first UC Santa Cruz hackathon with NVIDIA, ASUS
Dedicated students spent 24 hours hacking, and had the opportunity to use cutting-edge AI hardware brought to UC Santa Cruz for the event.
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UCSC team places second in Embedded Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition
The result showcases the campus’s excellence among the cybersecurity community.
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From student, to alumna, to staff member: Tracy Murray reflects on the impact of giving
Tracy Murray (Porter ’94, feminist studies) is the corporate development and alumni career programs manager at UC Santa Cruz. Her giving directly reflects the programs she sees making an impact every day.
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UC Santa Cruz partners with NASA’s Ames Research Center to create opportunities for students and research collaborations
The partnership, established as a Space Act agreement, builds on a collaboration between campus and the government research center that was first forged in 2003
