Alumni

Andre Hardy's deep connection with football inspired him to create and publish his debut novel, "Tear the City Down." A former NFL player, Hardy's relationship with the sport has had its ups and downs, but the experience was fertile literary ground he ...

Kylie Eaton may not have always sought community as she traveled through the film world, but she found it at UCLA Extension, and she has since found a home at the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD). With a career spanning television, music videos and ...

Michelle Fisher grew up in a Virginia household that was immersed in the news. Her mother was a radio host and her father was a T.V. broadcaster. She would follow them to their jobs and watch them work on Take Our Daughters to Work Day. They taught ...

Eric Steere's interest in counseling was shaped and molded by the teachers he had growing up. Their ability to make him feel at ease and confident in new and challenging surroundings stuck with him and inspired his choice to work in education. Years ...

Daria Neretina grew up in Russia. It was where she discovered her passion for marketing, founded her first magazine and created who she was as a person. But she still wanted more. Her desire to level up led her to the Digital Marketing Certificate at ...

As a nurse aide, Stephanie Casimiro loved having a hands-on approach to healthcare. She loved the direct connection she had with her patients. But she also grew interested in the work less visible to the people she was helping. So after several years, ...

William Samayoa's rise within the entertainment ranks would have never been possible if not for the work he put in at UCLA Extension and the translation of those lessons into his day-to-day job. He began his journey with UCLA Extension in 2011. ...

Growing up in Mexico City, Dulce Gallardo was surrounded by everything she loved. Her friends, family and work were all in one place. She was comfortable. Life was good. But something still tugged at Gallardo's heart, and at age 30, she made the hard ...

At UCLA Extension, certificate graduates are offered career resources that can help them find the right job and take the best possible professional step forward. "It's our goal to help UCLA Extension graduates land the job that is perfect for them and ...

At times in Sean Flinn's life the task at hand can seem overwhelming and stressful. For the past four years, he helped steer Netflix's foray into online gaming. It is a prospect that is both an exhilarating challenge and a terrifying professional ...

Marissa Pianko felt restless. She had a good life. She had a loving family and a financially lucrative career. She was happy. But approaching mid-life, she wanted to feel passionate about her contribution to the wider world. One day, she stumbled upon ...

Krissy Warlich and Cara Sandoval have been best friends since high school. They went to community college together. And they even earned certificates from UCLA Extension just one year apart from one another. This year, they decided to embark on the ...

Dozens of UCLA Extension alumni gathered to ring in the holiday season and reflect on a year of professional growth. The Second Annual UCLA Extension Alumni Holiday Mixer took place on Dec. 12 at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center on campus. Alumni ...

In an evolving employment landscape staying ahead of the curve is essential, and having a strong professional network has never been more important. Earning a certificate from UCLA Extension and becoming an alumni member not only means staying ...

UCLA Extension alumni, friends and partners gathered on Oct. 9 for the inaugural event of the new UCLA Downtown Bruin Collaborative, a space that will serve as a gathering place for future classes, workshops, civic forums and more. That night, people ...

When the Olympics came to Arthur Goualin's hometown of Paris in 2024, the stars aligned to make his dreams come true. He already had a master's in sports business, and had worked the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia. In June 2024, Goualin ...

From the first day Kristina Kepner set foot in a fire station, she felt at home. She joined the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Explorers, a program for youth interested in fire service, when she was 15. Although being the one girl in the room ...

Plenty of good cheer emanated from Downtown Los Angeles as new UCLA Extension alumni members sipped and savored joining a network of more than 75,000 who have earned their certificates and their status as Bruin alumni. Approximately 100 people ...

Filmmaking has always been in Rosa Costanza's blood. Her grandfather Thomas Horton Sr. was vice president of Thalassa, the production company set up in Hollywood for Jacques Cousteau's T.V. series "The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau" and "The ...

By day Nathan Cayanan is a mild-mannered college instructor and UCLA Extension alumnus, but that belies the truth within - that the 40-year-old Southern California native is a fledgling comic book writer, donning the pen for truth, justice and a ...

In honor of Black History Month, we look at the pioneering work of one of UCLA Extension's most influential alumni.

Charmaine Colina feels like she's leading a double life. For the past 22 years, Colina has taught elementary school in Los Angeles, California, where she grew up after her family immigrated from the Philippines when she was less than a year old. ...

The newly formed alumni relations program kicked off efforts to connect former students with an event in downtown LA.

How UCLA Extension helped Peggie Fariss blaze a trail to Epcot and beyond.