Student Experience
-
ARCS Foundation scholarships support 14 outstanding graduate students in science and engineering for 2025-26
The scholarships are awarded to students who show exceptional promise of making a significant contribution to the scientific and technological strength of the country.
-
Celebrating First-Gen Slugs: Empowering students, strengthening community
UC Santa Cruz celebrates first-generation students whose perseverance and leadership transform families, communities, and the future of higher education.
-
Porter alum Cuauhtemoc Martinez and a life in sound
From East Los Angeles to UC Santa Cruz to leading sound production at Warner Bros., Porter alum Cuauhtemoc Martinez has built a life in sound.
-
From KZSC to national acclaim
How Jesse Thorn built a radio empire from his roots at the UCSC campus station
-
Breaking barriers and guiding others
As an outreach specialist with UC Santa Cruz’s Underground Scholars Program, Sammy Chavez (Rachel Carson ’25, Latin American and Latino studies and sociology) supports students navigating complex challenges in higher education. While completing his own degree, he was recognized with the Silver Slug Scholarship as a staff member pursuing his studies.
-
Rooted in education, expanding opportunity
Inspired by a shared love of learning and a family of educators, alumnus Roger Koopmann (Stevenson ’80, economics) and his late husband, Tom Bullen (Ph.D. ’86, Earth sciences), established scholarships that give UC Santa Cruz students the chance to pursue research and study abroad experiences.
-
Educational Partnership Center awarded $18.33 million in federal GEAR UP grants
UC Santa Cruz received two of the five GEAR UP Partnership grants in California, expanding educational access and opportunities for Central Coast students and families.
-
Two UC Santa Cruz Education Ph.D. candidates receive 2025 National Academy of Education fellowships
Micah Card and Emanuel Suarez Jimenez were awarded the 2025 Spencer Dissertation Fellowships to study crucial emerging issues in education.
-
UC Santa Cruz Alumnus Marty O’Reilly takes the stage on The Voice
Marty O’Reilly (Kresge ’12, environmental studies) turned three out of four judges’ chairs during The Voice blind auditions.
-
UC Santa Cruz earns Seal of Excelencia recertification for student-centered approach
UC Santa Cruz is one of 18 colleges and universities to earn the Seal in 2025, reaffirming its place in a group of nearly 50 institutions that are taking responsibility for advancing student success.
-
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.
