UC Santa Cruz may be nestled in the redwoods, but its alumni travel far and wide after graduation, bringing with them the values, experiences, and reputation of the campus. They can be found in every field—from science to government to entertainment, often incorporating social justice into their pursuits.
UC Santa Cruz graduates—from the 1960s through the 2020s—are taking the values they learned on campus into the larger world.
1960s
Championing access and diversity in higher education
With a long history in California leadership and politics, and as one of the students in the second graduating class at UC Santa Cruz, Art Torres (Stevenson ’68, politics) brought a distinctive perspective to discussions among members of the UC Board of Regents.
Creating a beacon for students
As a member of UCSC’s pioneering class in 1965, Bill Dickinson (Cowell ’68, philosophy) is considered to be the first former foster youth to attend the university. Over three decades later, he founded the Page and Eloise Smith Scholastic Society at UC Santa Cruz to support students who, like him, arrived on campus with little or no support.
1970s
Kathryn Sullivan (Cowell ’73, Earth sciences) has gone places that most humans will never see in their lifetime. Sullivan was the first American woman to walk in space, the first woman to reach the deepest point of the ocean floor, and the only person to ever do both. She was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2023.
Bonnie Garmus (Rachel Carson ’79, aesthetic studies/creative writing), author of the smash-hit novel Lessons in Chemistry, drew on many lessons learned at UC Santa Cruz on her way to finding the formula for success.
1980s
As the former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, Axel Alonso (Cowell ’87, sociology) once oversaw a world of superheroes, villains, and megalomaniacs who want to take over the world.
Martha Mendoza (Kresge ’88, independent major, journalism and education) is an Emmy award and Pulitzer Prize winning journalist with the Associated Press. Mendoza’s investigative reports have won numerous awards and prompted Congressional hearings, Pentagon investigations, and White House responses
1990s
Belonging to something beautiful
For Artemis Patrick (Oakes ’93, economics), leading the innovative beauty retailer Sephora North America has meaning that goes far beyond skin-deep.
Gillian Welch’s (Porter ’90, art) career as a singer-musician has been an odyssey of sorts. She learned to play the guitar, drums, piano, and ukulele, and listened to everything from her parents’ hootenanny music to James Taylor and the Beatles. It was during her time at UCSC that she was first drawn to bluegrass music.
2000s
Sharhonda Bossier (Oakes ’05 politics and legal studies) (MA ‘06, education) is the CEO of nonprofit organization, Education Leaders of Color, committed to multi-racial solidarity, and using their diverse network to make sure young people of color have the opportunities and resources to thrive and build generational wealth.
Famed folk singer–songwriter and storyteller John Craigie (Crown ’02, mathematics) credits UC Santa Cruz with expanding his mind, confidence, and creativity.
2010s
Championing community transformation
The first in his family to go to college, Abel Pineda (Oakes ’14, sociology) became the youngest person ever elected to the San Pablo City Council, and in 2022 became the youngest ever elected as the city’s mayor.
Abigail Lopez-Byrd (Porter ’13, fine studio arts and sociology) is the founder of nonprofit arts organizations Color Compton and the Compton Art and History Museum.
2020s
Leo Merle (Rachel Carson ’20, molecular, cell, and developmental biology) represented Team USA at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, competing in the T38 mid-distance race.
Kauchani Bratt (Cowell ’23, philosophy) made his acting debut in the Netflix movie Rez Ball, which started streaming September 2024. The film centers around a high school basketball team rich in Native American heritage.