Alexandria Brown
Electrical Engineering
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job as a Sales Engineer I at Rohde & Schwarz in San Francisco, CA
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
Professor Ali Yanik. He genuinely cares about his student's success and served as a great mentor for me in my undergraduate. It makes a huge difference when one person takes the time to invest in a student and makes sure they can grow professionally and personally.
Jennifer Wood is someone who was always there when I needed someone to rely on. She is so patient and has an unmatched passion and care for her students. She makes sure that her students are reminded that they are welcome, and have the capacity to pursue their goals.
Tracy Larrabee was one of the first professors I met during my orientation week freshman year. Even though she wasn't overseeing my major, she approached me and was very welcoming. We'd always run into each other on campus and she was a warm spirit to be around.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I would like to thank my parents. They've made sacrifices to make sure I can accomplish everything I wanted to and served as a constant support system throughout my academic career. I also have a long-time mentor, Nora Dwyer. I am so grateful to have her as a mentor and friend to keep me afloat during my challenging times, and make sure I have all the resources I need to succeed.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
Stay true to yourself!
Marvin Gomez
Computer Science
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
Seshandri Comandur and Vishal Chakraborty were excellent instructors in their own way. I personally enjoyed Sesh's manner of completed my CSE 101 course due to his truly fair nature in testing. If you wanted to pass the class with a C, simply obtain above a C average on your exams. He would also provide the questions a week in advance that he would ask us to program during our exam. Then our exam would be to program only one of the questions.
Vishal was clear and understanding as an instructor in my CSE 102 course. It helps that he is still a grad student but more so, his manner of explaining concepts and algorithms is relatable and less formal (in a good way). He made me feel as if he were explaining the concepts like a student trying to teach another student as opposed to an expert in the subject expecting a student to reciprocate and comprehend.
Ray Jara
Electrical Engineering
Member of IEEE and SHPE
What are your plans after graduation?
Graduate School (Masters in STEM) at UCSC
We would like to celebrate seniors who made an impact. Please tell us about a graduating senior who you feel is worthy of special note, and why.
He is no longer at UCSC, but he was here for the first two years. James T. was one of my closest friends. He was also electrical engineering and without him, I do not think I would be the student I am today. He was one of the smartest people I knew and still know, he would always try to get the highest grade in the class which would motivate me to push ahead as well! Congrats to James T. a UC Irvine (and once a UC Santa Cruz banana slug) gradate of 2021!
We would like to feature seniors who participated in the research, a project, or achieved something during their time as students.
I am an undergraduate research assistant in Yanik Labs: UCSC NanoEngineering Group. I have been working in Yanik Labs since my second year, I was able to get the support and help from STEM Diversity and UC LEADS program (thank you!!). I have been working under various graduate students and will take on my own project during my graduate studies at UCSC.
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
Everyone in the STEM Diversity program (Yuli, Xingci and Dani). They were a great help when I was lost in research, they always had my back and other members of the program. Without their help, I would not be in a research lab or be planning to attend graduate school. I would also like to acknowledge Professor Ali A Yanik for always supporting me and continuing to support me in his research lab. He has been a great role model and such a great mentor.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I would like to thank the STEM Diversity staff and Professor Ali A Yanik for all of their support and help!
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
STEM Diversity, EOP, MEP, and SHPE. All were a great help and all provided a place of comfort whenever I felt overwhelmed.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
Living in the village my second year summer doing research for the first time under Professor Yanik. I made great friends and grew a lot from being by myself. Also the times I would plan intermural sports (basketball and soccer) with my friends. It would be a well-deserved break from studying all week.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
NETWORKING IS EVERYTHING. Get to know Professors, advisors, staff, and other students. This may be a bit harder with the current situation of the world. I was able to get into STEM Diversity by talking to a random dining hall worker about basketball. I then saw him randomly at the library and mentioned the STEM Diversity program to me and told me to apply since I was a STEM major. I applied, I was accepted, I got into research and now I am on my way to graduate school because I was able to talk to a friend from the dining hall.
Again, networking is everything, and most importantly stay positive, life is very hard, but it is harder if you are always negative.
Colby Leiske
Computer Science
Member of SHPE
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job at Adobe as Software Development Engineer in San Francisco
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
Jennifer of course!! Jen was always there as someone you could talk to about real things. It always felt organic and she really is such a treasure.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
Gabi and Tiffany! The truest of homies. Yall are stuck with me for life now. Also shoutout to Dean Takahashi for helping write the book that got me into programming over 10 years ago.
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
ACE and MSI was incredibly helpful. They helped solidify good studying habits early on in college that I kept with me till the end.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
One of my favorite moments was having my distributed systems class held on the beach. Drawing diagrams in the sand is hard but the nice air makes it worth it.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
Enjoy, it moves fast. If you're an incoming C.S. student, please write tons of code outside of class. It's worth it!
George Hernandez
Electrical Engineering
Bryan Lopez
Computer Science
Member of SHPE
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job
Johnny Mahmood
Technology and Information Management
Member of NSBE
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job as an Entrepreneur
(starting my own business)
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
I would like to give a huge shoutout to Danay W. for making a huge impact on my Journey through College. His kind and inspiring words have pushed me beyond my own limits. Not only does he use his words to encourage but he sticks his neck out for those of us who feel as if our voice is not fairly heard. A very big thank you for all you do!
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I want to thank my friends and family that have shown constant support and encouragement.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
Although College has its ups and downs, being able to share the struggle with the homies has lightened the burden.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
College to me was a place of discovery, don't stress about not having a plan or choosing a major that your 'passionate' about. Focus on elimination. Try out some new things, different courses or subjects and identify what you DON'T like, chances are if you don't like it now, you won't miraculously like it later. College isn't the final destination, it's the beginning of self-discovery.
Kenzie Milhous
Computer Engineering
Member of SWE, Tau Beta PI (engineering honors society) and SlugSat (UCSC cube satellite club)
What are your plans after graduation?
Graduate School (Masters in STEM) at UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA (SciCAM Program)
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
I have not known Pascale Garaud for too long, but for the time that I have known her, she has been nothing but helpful in my future graduate journey. Without her emailing me about everything the SciCAM program had to offer, I would not know what I would be doing for my Master's degree next year, so thank you Pascale!
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I want to thank my parents for being so supportive of my goals to obtain both a Bachelor's and Master's degree. They've always made sure that everything is taken care of so that the only thing I need to focus on is my education. I also want to thank all the new friends I've made at UCSC, both in person and remotely! They've made my college experience so much more memorable (and have kept me sane during quarantine!) and I can't thank them enough for that.
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
MEP has helped me tremendously during my time at UCSC. The MEP community of students has been nothing but welcoming and helpful with any questions or concerns that I have. Jen has especially been nothing but amazing to me. She always makes time for her students and is always there to give us an extra boost of confidence! I have also loved being a part of the Student Life and University Guide program as a tour guide for the university! I have made a ton of friends through this program and everyone is so encouraging of each other's accomplishments, and they really helped me feel welcomed to the university.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
I don't think there is anyone particular moment that I can speak on, there are just too many! Some of my favorite moments included going to the boardwalk before the school year started with other fellow Slugs, watching the sunsets at the Porter Squiggle, having a bonfire on the beach with my friends, spending late nights in the labs with students who later became some of my closest friends, and enjoying weekends downtown with good food and great friends.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
Enjoy it while it lasts! Your time in college will go by so fast, so just remember to enjoy everything college has to offer and find your community that will make your time at UCSC the best that it can be!
Evanjelin Mahmoodi
Computer Science
Member of SWE
What are your plans after graduation?
Government job as Post-Bac at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Jose Santiago
Computer Engineering
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job
Daniela Olano Guia
Computer Science
Previously President, Vice-Chair, Webmaster, and Social Media of SHPE
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
I'd like to thank Lydia for all her support and guidance during my first few years at UCSC. I would also like to thank Jen and Danay for all their help and for advising me whenever I needed help with figuring out my schedule or my major plans. Also, thanks to the Crown and BSOE advising teams! From meeting with me to discuss my progress to signing multiple forms throughout my time here, they were always very helpful and responsive.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I'd like to thank my family, especially my parents, for never giving up on me and for their endless support and encouragement. Shout out to my friends Chelsea, Sergio, Juliana, and Eli for keeping me sane through this pandemic.! I know I can count on them for anything. Lastly, I'd like to thank my SHPE familia, Lilee, Yasmín, and Dennisse. I am so happy they were part of my college experience and I know I couldn't have made it to where I am now if it wasn't for their friendship and support.
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
DRC was such a huge help for me. They. advocated for me and helped me get the accommodations I needed in order to do well in my classes. MSI and LSS were also a big help, I really appreciate the help I received from all the tutors.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
My favorite moments would have to be all the times I've spent in the SHPE. Whether it was studying until late at night or just hanging out with other SHPE/MEP members, I always had a great time.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
We all make mistakes, it's part of growing up. Just make sure you learn from them and don't give up. Don't feel bad about going at your own pace and always ask for help when you need it. Make the best out of your time at UCSC.
Aidan Smith
Computer Engineering minor in Computer Science
Member of Tau Beta Pi
What are your plans after graduation?
Graduate School (Masters in STEM) at UCSC
Brightfox Education, Mathematics Tutor, San Ramon, California
We would like to celebrate seniors who made an impact. Please tell us about a graduating senior who you feel is worthy of special note, and why.
Kailas. He has always been a good friend, study buddy, and someone who is always down to play games!
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
Jennifer Wood. She has helped me greatly in mentorship and resources and is someone I know that I can rely on.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
Omar Reyes. I believe he has graduated, but he saved my grade with his tutoring in CSE13, and he also helped me decide on classes a couple of years ago.
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
MEP was a huge help. To start my college experience with the Summer Academy was amazing. I got to meet tons of people, make friends, and get used to our campus. This made the transition to UCSC easier, especially with my new MEP friends living all around me. Through the years MEP continued to support me through mentorship and tutoring. I also greatly appreciated the tutoring provided by LSS.
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
My absolute favorite moments were when we lived in our dorm building in freshman year, and would gather to hang out and play games. Though the Crown dorms aren't the nicest, the closeness of the rooms made it so easy to hang out with classmates any time. The on-campus apartment life was nice as well, but we became more spread out.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
Have fun and study every now and then.
Cris Vasquez
Robotics Engineering, Electrical Engineering minor
What are your plans after graduation?
Entrepreneur (starting my own business), Industry job
We would like to feature seniors who participated in the research, a project, or achieved something during their time as students.
Diversity Facilitator Intern my 4th yr, Been a part of Michael Wehner's Research Lab since my 3rd year. Made over $300 selling MEP stickers that I designed.
Is there a faculty or staff person who made a difference for you?
I would not be where I am today if it were not for Young Kim, Jennifer Wood, and Michael Wehner.
We know that this journey has been long. Please tell us about anyone you'd like to thank.
I want to thank me. I want to thank me for believing in me, for doing all this hard work, for having no days off. I wanna thank me for never quitting. I wanna thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive. I wanna thank me for trying to do more rights than wrongs. I want to thank me for being me at all times.
Getting to graduation isn't easy. Are there any resources on campus that helped you make it this far?
MEP - community
CARE - safe space
CAPS - mental health support
Slug Support - financial support
Smith Society - community and financial support
Renaissance Scholars - community
SHPE - professional development and community
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
Watching the sun rise on my walk home to the village at 7am after staying up all night at Baskin Engineering working on CE100 labs.
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
it's not easy, and it's not going to get easier. that does not mean it is not impossible.
Faith Williams
Biomolecular Engineering and Bioinformatics
Member of IEEE and SHPE
What are your plans after graduation?
Industry job as Laboratory Assistant at Arc Bio in Scotts Valley, CA
We would like to feature seniors who participated in the research, a project, or achieved something during their time as students.
I was part of the 2020 iGEM team where we received a gold medal, nomination for "Best Agricultural Project", and a Dean's award for our research titled "Komaplastics: Cellulose-Based Biodegradable Agricultural Plastic."
College has its ups and downs. What is your favorite moment?
Driving up to San Jose and getting all-you-can-eat sushi with my friends!
Any advice for students starting in Fall 2021?
Go to office hours when you can! Your professors want to help you however way they can and you can form a great relationship with them through office hours as well.