About:

For:

2007 MCC Conference

Arts and Media

I had some of the best years of my life at Santa Cruz. The student organizations, David Anthony, Eliane at Oakes, Don Williams, Sayo Fujioka are just some of the people who participated in my emancipation into adulthood. I made some good friends and gained great leadership skills! OOOOOAAAAKES!

Educator, Activist, Muralist

ARTIST’S STATEMENT I was born in Pasadena California in 1956. I began my life as an artist, in childhood. I was the child of a very creative mother. She taught me that life is about creating solutions to everyday problems. She went about teaching me how to design and build many sturdy and practical things for use around our home. And sometimes we created things that were, “just for fun”. I have taken those childhood experiences with me through my life. EMPLOYMENT IN THE ARTS Those experiences now serve as a framework for all of my design solutions. In 1974 after graduating from high school I went to both Barber and Beauty colleges and received professional licenses. From there I progressed into the Movie Industry as a Hair and Make-up Artist. On March 16th,1984 I received my first paycheck as a professional sculptor. The name of the company that I worked for was: Make-up Effects Labs, North Hollywood, Ca. (Our closest competitor was Industrial Light and Magic. That let’s you know the quality of work we produced.) Our company was one of three in “the industry” that was recognized as “cutting edge” having the best and most creative talent. I was very honored to be a part of that talent. I learned from some of the best sculptors, miniature makers, mold makers, and motion specialists in the business and shared my knowledge with them as well. I continued working for Make-up Effects Labs as an independent contractor. I worked in the movie industry till the late nineteen-eighties. When I took up photography. I worked as a Fashion photographer for clothing manufactures and magazines. In the early nineteen-nineties I began formal university education. EDUCATION In winter quarter of 1992 I began school at the University of California, at Santa Cruz. I had always dreamed of getting my degree and becoming a teacher. However, my plans were put on hold in the summer of 1993 when I had kidney failure on June 18th. Kidney failure really didn’t fit into the design plans I had created for my life. I used the strength and perseverance I had been taught and completed my degree in the fall of 1998. (Side note: I snuck in a sculpture class to fill my elective requirement.) 1998 - Bachelor of the Arts with a major in Literature (World and Cultural Studies) University of California, at Santa Cruz. In fall of 1998 I began Cabrillo College with emphasis in Engineering Technology, Art Design and Digital Media. This study is ongoing. I am beginning work in TV production at Community TV.

Business and Management

Loved my college experience. Studied in Costa Rica my junior year; graduated 1990, worked in marketing department of state-wide nonprofit agency, moved to Los Angeles and began work at Economic Development Agency in Pomona where I developed and implemented Housing and Business Assistance programs for 10 years. In 2001 became full-time Real Estate agent serving the Inland Empire, helping families achieve the American Dream of Homeownership!

I have established my career in Human Resources. I came into this field unintentionally and I have learned that its never too late to change your mind and once you have accomplished your goals, no matter how small, quickly set a few more! It is never too late to learn something new or go back to school! A good career is one that allows you to be your true self; embraces your diversity; consistently challenges you and helps you become a better person than who you already are!

I have been working since 1976 in Human Resources as an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action / Diversity professional at various companies to improve employment opportunities for people of color, women, and people with disabilities.

I spearhead Wells Fargo’s initiatives to provide investments and community development loans; and promote affordable housing initiatives throughout the Los Angeles metropolitan region. In addition, I oversee the Wells Fargo Foundation in Los Angeles that has donated more than $10 million to local-based nonprofits for the past five years. Previously, I served as senior counsel for Wells Fargo’s Los Angeles law department where I provided the primary legal support for the community development investment group. I joined Wells Fargo in 1993 to provide in-house legal support for the company's corporate real estate group. I began my career as Deputy Legislative Counsel in the Office of the Legislative Counsel in Sacramento, which serves as the nonpartisan legal advisor to members of the California State Legislature. I later became an associate attorney with a small law firm in El Paso, Texas. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, I was a business and real estate partner in the law firm of Kroloff, Belcher, Smart, Perry & Christopherson in the city of Stockton, California. Jerry will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Working Out: Queer Issues within the Workplace". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

Professional experience: 23 years as a management employee with Pacific Gas & Electric, San Francisco, CA. Positions held include Manager, Fleet; Manager, Learning Services; Manager, Quality Team; Change Management Team Lead, eBuy Project; Sr. Process Improvement Consultant; Quality Improvement Specialist; Supervisor, Administrative Services; Contract Administrator; Residential Conservation Auditor. Service on Council began in 1998 as Merrill councilor. Elected V.P. Internal Affairs 2001-03; elected Executive V.P. 2003-04, and 2004-05. Elected President 2005-06; re-elected 2006-07. Facilitated the organization of Filipino students at UCSC in the mid 70s, laying the foundation for today's Filipino Student Association. Participant and leader for the Multicultural Career Conference for approximately ¾ of the 20 years. Use this year’s MCC to practice taking risks—doing something to find out about a job or career that takes you out of your comfort zone. During the course of your work career you will choose, or will be forced, to change jobs. Many times taking that next step means taking risks. What better place to practice taking those risks than with people who understand what you’re going through, who won’t ridicule you and who will help you to understand and become comfortable with risk taking? At last year’s MCC I was unemployed—a reorganization and unemployment statistic. This year I’m in a different job field and in a healthier work environment. Risk taking was key to helping me transition. Although it can cause anxiety, our perceived notions of the difficulty of risk taking can make things more overwhelming than they actually are.

I have been working in higher education administration for over 15 years, specializing in student life, student development, academic success and housing and dining administration. I have nearly 17 years experience working at UC Santa Cruz, and previously worked at Santa Clara University. I began at UC Santa Cruz as a Credential Analyst in the Education Department (1990), then moved to the position of Acting Director of SOAR (1993). In 1994, I accepted the position of College Administrative Officer at Stevenson College, where I served for 7 years. In 2001, I moved to the position of Director of Residential and Dining Services; I assumed the Executive Director title with the addition of Child Care Services in 2005. Currently, I am the Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students in the Student Affairs Division. I have dedicated my professional career to higher education, and have done so with a commitment to multiculturalism and diversity. I encourage undergraduates to consider graduate school, as a means of furthering your skills and knowledge, and to better prepare you for your professional future.

Since graduating from UCSC I've worked in all three sectors of the economy: government, education, and business. I'm having the most fun today heading a small research center, a "think-tank", focusing on small business and their experience with new media, like the internet. The center is supported by a major university in Los Angeles and the fifth largest financial service company in the nation. I'll reveal the identities only if you come to the Multicultural Career Conference in March. There you can help me understand some of the subtle aspects of education and business partnerships. You can also find out why my UC education was so important to my work.

Health

I have been working in the fitness industry as a fitness trainer since graduation from UCSC. Currently, launched my website: www.fresh15.com and wrote my first book titled "Tackle the Freshman 15". Working in 2007 to break into the college market delivering my tackle the freshman 15 speaking program with the mission to prevent college weight gain and in increase self-esteem. If you need help overcoming a challenge related to your weight, fitness, or health I am here to help. My program and book will show you how to overcome those challenges. Included are the 5 foods that are known to increase body fat and the five things you must do to burn body fat fasst. Don't hesistate, visit me on my website. ** josue can not attend the conference this year because of another commitment, please view his web site if you're interested in talking with him and/or email him.

Since graduating from UCSC I had a great experience working at Planned Parenthood in Santa Cruz. I attended the UC Davis Physician Assistant/ Family Nurse Practictioner Program 2001-2003. Since then I have worked in a family practice and urgent care setting providing health care to those who are medically underserved.

My experience at UCSC is an unforgettable one. When I think back to those years it really brings a smile to my face because of all the wonderful people I was able to meet and still keep in touch with. All my gratitude goes to the support provided by SAA/EOP (name at the time), faculty John Borrego and Carter Wilson, and Sayo Fujioka who provided the guidance to make cultural events possible like the student organized UC Santa Cruz Pow-Wow. The Student Alliance of North American Indians (SANAI), truly was an enriching experience for me. It provided a connection with the American Indian students at UCSC to provide support, mentoring and study groups to keep us on track academically. Although smaller in size, I am happy to see the student organization SANAI still exists. I can’t forget to mention the hands-on field work I conducted to complete my thesis for the Community Studies program. I spent 6 months living near my family in Farmington, NM (Navajo Nation) researching health impacts of uranium mines on the Diné people. One of the main highlights during my undergraduate years was that I met my wonderful husband of 11 years and we are happy parents of a 2 ½ year old girl. Currently, they both support me as I begin my first year in the Health Behavior Research doctoral program at the University of Southern California. My interest is to preserve the tradition of tobacco used for ceremonial purposes and to better understand the high smoking rates among American Indians, specifically youth. Thank you UC Santa Cruz for paving the road I lead for myself and my family. Claradina will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Making Your Passion Your Career". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

I was a pre-med student at UCSC. Upon graduating from UCSC I received a Master's in Public Health at San Diego State and then went on to Medical School at UC Davis. I then did my residency in family practice at Santa Rosa (a UCSF affiliate). For the past 10 years I have worked moslty with farmworkers and their families and have manged a few non-profits. For the last year I have been on my own practice after doing a fellowship in functional medicine; a new branch of medicine that focuses on the function of the body, mind and spirit instead of focusing on disease.

Law

After gaining admission to the California Bar in November of 2004 I have had the excellent opportunity to practice real estate law and land use with the Law Offices of David G. Boss, now the Boss Law Firm. As an attorney I am able to assist a broad array of people while continuing my active involvement in the community. I learned that being active can start while in school, while at UCSC I was the MCC student coordinator and had the privilege of being the graduation commencement speaker. I maintained this active involvement while attending USF School of Law where I tutored other students and was fortunate to be the SBA President my last year at USF. I continue today to maintain my involvement, by working in local groups and having had the opportunity to be appointed to the State Bar's Ethnic Minority Relations Committee. The MCC is great place to learn from those who have been where you are now. In fact, I met one of my main mentors today at the 2000 MCC. So I look forward to meeting many of you this year.

My goal after graduation was to maximize every professional opportunity since I did not participate in 'field-related' internships. I have been fortunate to work with excellent head-hunters (professional recruiters) that have placed me with top rated law firms and Fortune 500 companies, in order to build a track record. Where I lacked in experience prior to graduation, I strived to make up in the work-place post-graduation and now see my efforts come to fruition. My suggestion to soon-to-be grads is 1) make the best of every job opportunity, 2) always seek the opportunity to do and learn more in the workplace, and 3) continue your education.

Christine will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Working Out: Queer Issues within the Workplace". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

Danielle, will not be able to make the conference as she need to work on Saturday, please email her directly with questions you may want to ask her. I have eleven years of experience as a civil litigator. My practice emphasizes the defense of employment-related claims in federal and state courts and administrative agencies, as well as representing private and public employers in arbitration and mediation proceedings. I also teach a law school pretrial practice course. The key to my professional development has been the mentorship of more experienced lawyers, judges, and law professors. I’ve sought out mentoring both in the workplace and from individuals in the various professional bar organizations in which I participate. My advice is to avoid doing it alone. I recommend seeking out guidance from others with experience in your area of interest and getting involved in organizations designed to support members of your desired career group.

I am a principal/partner in a boutique real estate service firm providing clients with transaction structuring advice and solutions to minimize tax liabilities. Becoming a lawyer has helped to provide greater standing in the real estate community; however, nothing beats hard work, diligence and tenacity (traits I learned to appreciate during my time in the Army). In retrospect the one thing I wish I would have taken advantage of would be a study abroad program and learning yet one more language fluently (i speak English and Spanish). Career Advice- in college learn to "learn" by excelling at your major; be concerned about working when you have a job. The process of learning how to do your job will be easy because you will know how to learn any subject matter- you will apply your learning skills to whatever the subject matter of your job.

Public/Social Services

My parents taught me that education and learning was a life-long project. I have found their advice to be true and find myself engaged in learning everyday. I made a mid-life career change from Nursing and returned to UCSC as a re-entry student to pursue a life goal. I completed a Latin American and Latino Studies major and am currently in the process of completing a Master's in Mexican-American Studies at San Jose State. I currently work as an academic adviser for undergraduates at UCSC and find the information I am learning useful when advising student around retention and success. My advice to students is that it is never too late to dream and work towards completing your goals. There are people along the way that will help you, and you will in turn, be able to help others. While I was completing my degree at UCSC, my faculty were a great resource. They helped me with my research, directing and guiding my projects. When it came time to apply for graduate school, my instructors helped me break down the process and taught me how to insert myself into the mission of the graduate program I wanted to enter. While at UCSC, the advisers at STARS program were an invaluable resource, encouraging me when I lost focus and life's big problems distracted me away from my academics. The STARs program also provided me with a network by hiring me as a peer adviser for transfer students. This was a pivotal moment because it lead to my entry into advising services at UCSC. I think one of the most important experiences a student can gain is direct experience through a job, an internship or field study.

Cheryl, a local Bay Area/ Sacramento native joined Public Allies after having attained her B.A. from UC Santa Cruz. She feels Public Allies is the best match for her personal and career development because she believes in social justice and the positive role a community's own members can have in their home. During her time with Public Allies places at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties Cheryl has and will increase food distribution to low-income households and engage community partners in developing collaborative projects that increase access to food resources in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Some of her major projects include coordinating the holiday food barrel drive for Safeways and Albertsons across two counties and establishing a new produce distribution program, Produce Mobile. Cheryl hopes to gain knowledge of the nonprofit world and inspire others to serve and believe in social action. Cheryl is interested in attending graduate school for a Masters in Public Health. She is particularly interested in community health, linguistic access, and health policy. In UCSC, she was very active in extracurricular activities. Asian American/ Pacific Islander Resource Center Intern Festival Lead Coordinator: Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Festival at Stevenson College Resident Advisor, Stevenson College Student Council: Council Rep. Core Council Rep. Student Union Assemblyman Stevenson Council Treasurer

I worked for 10 years prior to entering college. My educational experience was challenging. I was a single parent when I transferred to UCSC. While at UCSC, I worked for the EOP/SAA program for three years as a work-study student. I also became heavily involved in student organizing. Both experiences contributed to my retention. I completed an internship at a local nonprofit in S. Cruz Co. and studied community services, public policy, and advocacy. I transferred to UCLA and received a masters degree in Urban Planning. My studies concentrated on social policy analysis and education. I currently work for Center for Employment Training (CET), a national nonprofit organization. For the past 13 years, I have been involved with vocational training, operations, program and curriculum development, event planning, fundraising, collaborations/networking, outreach, human resources, proposals/contracts, state/federal regulations, emergency planning, etc.

I graduated from UCSC in 1997 with a degree in Sociology. I was unsure of the direction I would do after graduating from UCSC. I wish I had taken advantage of the field work or internship programs at UCSC in order to gain experience and give me a better sense of what I wanted to do after graduation. But my family background and cultural experience help shape my desire to work with ethnic and economically disadvantaged groups. I decided to work in the HIV/AIDS field and accepted a position as an outreach worker for a non-profit agency in Salinas. While working there for two years I helped provide health education and health promotion activities to Latinos, Sex workers, Injection Drug Users, and other populations at risk for HIV. I moved to the Sacramento area in 1999 and accepted the position as a Health Educator for Placer County Health and Human Services Community Health. Since graduating from UCSC I have gained extensive health education experience in pubic health and non-profit organizations with diverse and ethnic populations. I have been working in public health for 7 years. In my current job I develop and implement trainings on HIV/AIDS, Tobacco Control, and preventing child injury. I also monitor HIV/AIDS case reporting to the State of California. I also work part-time with Kaiser Permanente as a Health Educator Instructor providing Smoking Cessation classes. I will be attending graduate school in the fall of 2007 and will receive my Masters in Public Health in 2009.

My experience as a late student at UCSC was wonderful. I found myself facing a challenging situation. My learning experience was vast, despite the fact that English is my second language, making an extra effort with the help of excellent academic support, I managed to enjoy every single step of my career. My thesis was written in Spanish, with my advisor's approval, that gave me confidence to write a good final paper. I wanted badly for a few yeas to come back to school, to get a Masters in Literature or Linguistics, but ended up making a different decision to help improve the quality of my work at the Health Departament, therefore applying to SJSU to pursue a Masters Degree in Public Health. I decided to participate in this event for the first time, hoping to find people that underwent similar experience, willing to share their own student's experiences. This is probably not an autobiography, but an approach to my life path in the last ten years.

I was a Jr transfer, '71. I attended Williamette University, Salem Oregon '69 - '71. It is the oldest University in the No. West. I was recruited out of L.A., in the day when affirmative action was the norm. In '75, I graduated from USC, School Social Work. Earned a MSW (my wife, ditto & Stevenson '73 Community Studies). My hope then & now is to assist w/social change as I am able. Currently, 25 plus yrs w/No.L.A. Co. Regional Center(not affiliated w/L.A. county services) as a Case Manager for the developmentally disabled. The agency contracts yrly w/the State Dept of Devel. Services, there are 21 centers in the state. San Andreas Reg. Center, San Jose, reaches out to Santa Cruz & down the coast. A few terms as shop steward, '99 - '04. I service adults living in a variety of settings (residential, apts & a few living w/elderly folks). Keeping it real: new grads do not expect to start at the top with the 1st job, unless it is family business, self employed &/or just won the lotto. Dress for success as the culture of the job indicates. 2/28/06, was my last day of employment w/the Regional Center. 3/01/06 was my '1st' day of early retirement. Since then I've done lite jobs for family, friends & my church community as needed. I was able to befriend the local merchants in my 'barrio' that I've done business with through the yrs. I've maintained my volunteer position on the UCSC Alumni Assoc. Council for the 4th yr., as a Porter(College V) alumnus,'73. I continue to talk up the 'UCSC' univerisity experience to all upper division high school students considering a University of California campus. My daily bottomline: living w/in my means & keeping it real for my creator, spouse, adult kids, family, friends & church community.

My Father imigrated to the U.S. from Guatemala and married my Mother who was born in California. When I graduated from High School, I enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corp at 17 years of age. My grades were not exceptional and I had no money for school. When I returned from the military I started school at De Anza College and due to my GPA, I was accepted to UCSC. I started working at 15 1/2 and remained employed while attending college. I was the first in my family to attend college and UCSC was the best place to explore a degree in Psychology. I volunteered at the Mental Health Resource Center in Santa Cruz for one year before I could be employed in the field. I started working for Avenues to Mental Health in Santa Cruz which is now Alliance for Community care and I remained an employee for 7 years. I realized that I could not live independently without working two jobs, so I returned to school to earn a degree as a Psychiatric Technician; a two year psychiatric nursing degree. I continued to work in the Bay Area at El Camino Hospital in the PICU and ER. I later moved to Pismo Beach, where I worked at Atascadero State Hospital, which is a maximum security forensic psychiatric facility. I developed an interest in forensics and advocacy for the mentally ill. I moved to Arizona and began working for the Superior Court as a Probate Court Investigator. The development of a Comprehensive Mental Health Court was underway and my supervisor felt I was well suited to become a Clinical Liaison for the those Defendants who are mentally ill and deemed competent but require monitoring to stand trial. I have since been promoted to the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Mental Health Court where I can now assist with release conditions (when appropriate) of those in custody mentally ill Defendants and assist in their transition the into appropriate levels of care and treatment. I have recently been accepted to Argosy University where I can persue a degree on Forensic Psychology. Christina will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Making Your Passion Your Career". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

My experience at UCSC was life changing. I had the opportunity to build relationships with faculty and staff who became mentors and helped guide me in my education, career and life choices. Looking back, I know that these important people helped change my life for the better. As a student, it is extremely important to establish these types of mentoring relationships with faculty and staff, be proactive!

Ronald Pineda is a Senior Communications Associate for Children Now, a national research and advocacy organization based in Oakland, California. He works primarily in the areas of media relations and Web development. Previously, Mr. Pineda developed social marketing campaigns for a number of Bay Area organizations, including The Low Income Investment Fund, The United Way's Volunteerism Project, and Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center. He also writes occasional freelance articles for Colorlines Magazine, RaceWire and the Pacific News Service. Mr. Pineda holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Journalism from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

I always say that UCSC was the foundation to my later success. I learned to think independently at Santa Cruz, and that skill helped me professionally as well as educationally (when I went on to get my master's). While at Santa Cruz, I participated in clubs, collaborated with professors, completed an award winning senior thesis, and worked on-campus. It was a great experience! Probably one of the things I could have done more, however, was to become more acquainted with social service agencies and possibly to do some volunteer work with them. I'd have to say that was my weak area, and when one is a psychology major, it's extremely important to have practical experience! Perhaps I would have learned about volunteer opportunities if I had talked more with the department and college advisors, but that was something else that I wish I had done more of. Luckily for you, however, you still have time, so make the most of all the resources on campus....as well as off-campus. And you've made a smart decision by attending this career conference!

Maribel will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Making Your Passion Your Career". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

While at UCSC, I was very involved with student organizations, SOAR, and the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center (AA/PIRC). This was a great way to meet new people and build connections and your network. After graduation, I worked at AA/PIRC as the Program Coordinator for two years while preparing my graduate applications with the help from the Graduate Information Program (GIP) and Career Center. During my MSW program, I concentrated on community organizing (youth development) and interpersonal practice. Currently, I am the Youth Program Coordinator at Asian Health Services. My program provides free and confidential reproductive health services to teens in Alameda County.

Science

I am working to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering here at UCSC. It is very challenging and my duties are diverse: from dealing with government grants to making presentations on technical research accessible to K-12 and the local community. I also travel often and recruit for and review applications for graduate programs. I am here to be a resource, I hope the students take me up on.

We did a lot of writing—even in every biology class—good for developing critical thinking skills. College V core courses were far from biology! It is good to experience other fields. For intro poli sci, we read the "Power Elite" (Mills)—a must read classic. Non-science students should be required to take more science classes. Ray Dasmann (deceased) came to UCSC in 1977, after I had left. However, while at College V, I read his book, The Destruction of California, which turned out to be an important nucleating site for my intellectual development as a biologist, environmentalist, and citizen of the world. As an undergrad, I didn't work in a laboratory, but having had undergrads in my lab, I recognize the great value of such experiences. Though I worked many summers as a manual laborer to pay for college, after 3 years of biology, I landed a seasonal Ranger/Naturalist job at Sequoia National Park (and also at Lava Beds National Monument). I studied Environmental Education after those experiences. No Environmental Studies professors were interested in Env. Ed when I was a student, so I dropped the major. My recommendation is to do as many different things as you can. Develop your applied skills to tune your common sense. Hike and bike (backpacking is good for you). Go to the desert, far from developed areas; and at night, look up. I have been a professor of Plant Cell Biology. I am presently the director of the Environmental Sciences Professional Science Master's Program at Chico State. (257 words)

Teaching/Administration Higher Education

I have one of those jobs that I can't believe I get paid to do. I work at the UCSB Davidson Library doing all sorts of things. I teach classes about how to use the library and all the resources. I get to purchase materials for the Psychology collection. I spend lots of time at the Reference desk interacting with students and faculty. I also attend job talks, classes, and lectures on campus. I have so much fun that it all seems more like play rather than work. I have had many mentors help me get where I am today. They've helped me do everything from select the best courses to take to navigating my way around professional organizations.

When you are feeling like you just can't go on any longer, think of why you came to UCSC in the first place. Remember that you are not only doing this for yourself but also for those that will come behind you and someday stand on your shoulders. It seems daunting now, but when you get there it will be the greatest reward. The greatest gift you can give your parents and others who have stood by you this entire time, is an education. That is why people sacraficed for you to be here.

I work at San Jose State University as a Lecturer in the Education Counselor Department. I teach a multi cultural counseling seminar. I also work here at UC Santa Cruz in the Admissions office.

Academic/professional developments that have helped you: Taking advantage of programs such as URAP (Undergraduate Research Apprenticeship Program), FMP (Faculty Mentorship Program), and the Stevenson College Junior Fellows Program while at UCSC. Participating in the Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT) internship as a junior at UCSC. As well as volunteering in the Santa Cruz community and being a member of various student organizations on campus. Attending academic and leadership conferences as an undergraduate also helped me tremendously in graduate school.

Juan C. Garcia, Ph.D., LMFT, is currently Professor of Counselor Education at CSU Fresno where he has been on the faculty since 1987. He directs Fresno Family Ccounseling Center, which is the training clinic for the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at CSU Fresno. Dr. Garcia received his BA at UC Santa Cruz, a Ph.D. and M.A. from Stanford University in anthropology and an M.S. in clinical psychology from San Jose State University, last century. Juan and Ignacio Aguilar, founder of the Xipe Totec approach in Mexican Transcultural Psychotherapy, recently joined forces and founded the Xipe Totec Institute located in Fresno Califas Aztlan. Dr. Garcia is also Clinical Director at El Primer Paso Institute, a Latino based chemical dependency treatment program in the Central Valley. He consults with Health Provider Clinics and Agencies to provide mental health and drug treatment programs to the underserved in the San Joaquin Valley.

Switzer Environmental Fellow '96 Student Representative to UCSC Department of Environmental Studies '93-'94 Multicultural Initiative in Marine Science Program '93 Undergraduate Research Experience at UCSC, Scripps Inst. of Oceanography '93 SACNAS Member '92-present I would have taken advantage of the Educational Abroad Program at UCSC. Advice: Identify your purpose in life and manage/balance your time between professional & family associates in order to achieve your purpose.

Nicole M. Guidotti-Hernández was born and raised in the Salinas Valley. She is a community college graduate and received her Bachelor's degree in Literature with Honors from the Unviersity of California, Santa Cruz in 1997. She received her Master's Degree in English at Cornell University in 2000. She spent the 2002-2003 academic year as a Five Colleges Dissertation Fellow at Amherst College. She received the 2003 Frederick A. Cervantes Graduate Student Premio from the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies for her paper, “Stripping the Body of Flesh and Memory: Imagining Transnational Histories of Violence in Montserrat Fontes’ Dreams of the Centaur.” Submissions were judged on their contribution to the field of Chicana and Chicano Studies; strength of scholarship; and originality. Guidotti-Hernández is Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies at the University of Arizona. She is also a faculty affiliate in Mexican American Studies, Latin American Studies and the Department of English. She received her doctorate degree from Cornell University in English, with a graduate minor in Latina/o Studies in 2004. She is working on a book manuscript titled Unspeakable Violence: Narratives of Citizenship Mourning and Loss in Chicana/o and U.S. Mexico National Imaginaries. She is contributing to a forthcoming edited volume Techno/futuros: Genealogies, Power, Desire, edited by Nancy Raquel Mirabal and Agustin Lao-Montes, and author or, “Dora the Explorer, Constructing “Latinidades” and the Politics of Global Citizenship” forthcoming in Latino Studies. Research and teaching interests: US/Third World Feminisms, Transnational Feminisms, Critical Race Studies, Chicana/o/Latina/o Studies, Borderlands History and American Studies. Professor Guidotti-Hernández is committed to mentoring students of color to become academics. She has worked extensively with the Ronald McNair Scholars program as facult mentor and speaker at the University of Arizona. In 1995, she was a SOAR undergraduate summer research fellow at UCSC and also participated in the SROP undergraduate research program for minorities at the University of Chicago and wants to provide similar opportunities for minority students interested in academic research careers.

Before returning to UCSC as Director of the Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, taught Asian American Studies courses at UCLA, Scripps College, and CSU Northridge. Research interests include Asian American/Pacific Islander feminism, pedagogy, student development, social movements and coalition building.

Currently, I am an Associate Psychometrician at Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ. I recently completed my Ph.D. in education from UC Santa Barbara. The title of my dissertation was "Measuring the Black-White Achievement Gap in Racially Isolated Schools". My dissertation emerged from the program evaluation and research work I performed while employed as a research fellow at the Los Angeles Unified School District. Internships, conferences, and trainings I have attended over the past nine years played a key role in my development. In terms of developing your own career, seek out opportunities here and abroad. I have participated in career and training opportunities in Chicago, Montreal, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Tampa, D.C. and Princeton. Finally, be open-minded and network, network, network!

The thing that helped me develop as an educator was having a mentor and not necessarily of my own background. In pursuing a career I would strongly advise taking care of oneself before taking care of others, including family. Connect with a UCSC alum for support and motivation. I always look forward to attending this conference and it is the highlight of the year for me. I really enjoy connecting with both alum and students. Richard will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Making Your Passion Your Career". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

Teaching/Administration K-12

I have been a lecturer for UCSC since 1991. I have taught at Porter College (Dia De Los Muertos) and in the Theater Dept (Chicano Teatro). I have continued my work with El Teatro Campesino since 1971. I combine my love of Theater and Passion for Social Justice in all that I do. Daily you will find me at Rancho San Justo Middle School where I am a member of the administartion team. I also guide retreats for women at the St Francis Retreat Center twice a year. My life is full and because of my higher education I have been given opportunities to make choices along the way that have given my life much color and satisfaction.

After graduating UCSC, I spent three years teaching English in Japan with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program. It is a great opportunity to see Japan and try out teaching. Any college graduate can apply for the program.

I have been teaching math and economics for the past three years at a private school in San Francisco. After attending many workshops and trainings for economics teachers, I plan to go back to graduate school to understand economics better. I still have many other work interests outside of teaching, so I'm at a crossroads at this point in time. I am currently also a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. Patrick will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Making Your Passion Your Career". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

This is my 10th year of teaching Social Studies. Currently I teach World History, U.S. Government and AP U.S. Government. I am also a tech mentor and union site rep. My goal is to help students develop an understanding of and interest in the world they live in and empathy for others. Learn all you can. Nothing is useless when it comes to the teaching profession.

I had the wonderful opportunity to teach in the kindergarten classroom that I attended as second language learner at Mintie White School at the age of 5. My love is teaching and I resisted going into adminsitration for 20 years but made the decision when given the opportunity. I've had the opportunity to teach at UCSC as a Supervisor of Teacher Education and work with individuals who wanted to become teachers. One of my greatest appreciations has been the talented individuals who have encouraged me to take chances and make moves from the comfortable and known to the challenging and unknown. I believe that our lives go in cycles and I am now currently in the position of assisting to make decisons that impact the second language learners in our district.

Everyday is a culmination of past experiences so consistently striving to perform your best is the best advice I can offer. Compound this with integrity and fidelity to yourself and doors will open. This has been my experience. I love my current job and never imagined myself working where I currently work. After graduating from UCSC, I taught high school English in Japan via the JET Programme. When the desire to serve my home community strengthened I returned home to NorCal (Sacramento) and worked with Upward Bound, the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, and am now with SB Sacramento. SB is a college-prep program for students from Sacramento's most under-resourced schools. SB is also an opportunity for talented high school and college students to teach and explore a career in education. All of my experiences have built upon each other and I draw on the many different skills acquired in the diverse jobs and environments I've worked. My advice to future colleagues now is to follow your interests because the more you experience the stronger your resume/skills. Adolfo will be participating at the conference in the topical session: "Working Out: Queer Issues within the Workplace". This session will be available at the same time as the Career panel.

I currently work at two different levels of academia. I am a Drop Out Prevention Counselor at an elementary school and a general counselor at Ohlone Community College. The most important key about getting ahead in whatever career you are seeking is your networking skills. Keep in touch with whom ever is in your field and let them know that you are not only interested but determined as well.

I highly recommend working with SUA/student governments and SOAR organizations. In being actively involved in the UCSC community it allowed me networking opportunities and possibilities which lead to my current career. It is so key and crucial to take advantage of your academic/dept advisors, student/ professor mentors and your peers.

When I graduated from UCSC my plan was to go to law school and change the world, but thankfully I followed some great advice and decided to actually work at a law firm first. Four years, and some invaluable experience, later I realized being a lawyer was not for me. I have been teaching social studies for five years and working as an administrator at my high school for about a year and half. I am amazed that I actually managed to do what professors at UCSC kept telling us which was to find something you love to do and get paid for it! I never abandoned my goal of making the world a better place I just modified it to changing the world one student at a time : )

Technology

I have worked in the relational database field for over 20 years. I now work for a nonprofit organization, and have worked for Intuit, Novell, and Stanford Hospital, among others. Although I did not get a computer-related degree (and my first computer book was "Computerphobia: Slaying the Dragon"), I learned that there are lots of classes at UCSC Extension where I can learn the "hard skills". If I had to do it all over again, I would have gone to gatherings like the Career Conference! Career Advice: Do what you love. If you need help in figuring out what that is, talk to the Career Counselors about taking the various personality and interest tests that are available.

When I was four I came to California from Mexico with my mother, her plan was for me to get an education. During high school I decided that engineering would be the career path I would take, it sounded interesting and one of the things that intrigued me was that you must always keep learning to stay on top of the changing technology. When I graduated high school I choose to come to UCSC and major with a BS in Computer Engineering, I did not know what I was getting my self into but I was up for the challenge, and it was a challenge. During my time at UCSC I was involved with the Multicultural Engineering Program (MEP) and helped start the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) student chapter. These organizations helped me grow as a person and developed my leadership skills which gave me the confidence to continue my education and go to graduate school. I graduated with an MS in Electrical Engineering in 06 and I am currently working at Lockheed Martin as an engineer. The career advice I would give is: to always be as prepared as you can for what ever opportunity may come up such as graduate school, internships or job interviews. The people you are competing against for internships and jobs will not only be prepared in their subject but will have great leadership skills and have or are student leaders.