The dozens of people gathered on an unassuming Tuesday winter night at the UCLA Career Center were given a mission – go find someone new to you, strike up a conversation and get to know that other person on a deeper level.

The gathering was the finale of the Bruin Network Program, which was a five-part professional development series developed by fellows of the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) who work for the UCLA Career Center and UCLA Extension. This pilot program formed a cohort of more than 50 UCLA undergraduate, graduate and Extension students – with a sprinkle of alumni. It was developed to provide students who might feel overlooked with access to valuable resources and opportunities to build confidence in networking in a space to grow their professional connections.

“I think at the core of this program is the guiding principle of it being student-centered,” said Elizabeth Gonzalez, UCLA HSI Initiatives director. “And the greatest honor is when you build a program where the students actually attend. They are so busy with classes, student organizations and family – the fact that everyone is here today means there is value in what we are doing.”

For UCLA Extension accounting student, Julie Chernesky, the ability to meet and network with a broad group of individuals from all over the professional spectrum, was too good to pass up.

“I’m always a huge advocate for networking,” she said. “My last career was as a Hollywood assistant. That’s definitely a place you can’t just blindly apply to get a job. I know a lot of Hollywood people, but I don’t know too many people elsewhere, so this will allow me to expand my network.”

Chernesky has one more quarter before she graduates with her accounting certificate and takes the next big step to a major career pivot.

“Getting to meet people, that’s the big thing,” she said. “You don’t know when you go into something like this, who you’re going to meet, but you can meet people you learn a lot from or someone who is really cool that you just want to keep talking to.”

The Bruin Network Program took place from January to March, with five one-hour sessions that covered topics like the basics of networking, professional branding, career communications, enhancing career readiness and building professional networks to support future success.

“The first thing that caught my attention is that we were going to be hands-on and in-person,” said Diana Garcia, a third year UCLA biochemistry student. “Sometimes you can fall into the trap of just sending emails and connecting on LinkedIn. But the Bruin Network Program made it so easy by bringing alumni and professionals to us.”

As undergraduate students talked to Extension students, and Extension students talked to alumni, and alumni talked to graduate students – the intermingling was exactly what the program creators were hoping for.

“Think about networking as you are not just building your community, but you’re also sharing what you stand for,” Gonzalez said as she addressed the crowd that Tuesday night. “Networking is connecting with people you might not normally connect with. You’re sharing your story and you’re listening deeply about other stories and what that person’s mission is. It’s a huge campus. There are silos, but this program aligns with a broader vision of lifelong learning and One UCLA.”