The University of California is set to host the HireUC Alumni Career Summit on August 21 at the Fresno Convention Center. The event, which is free for UC alumni, expects to draw up to a thousand participants from all 10 UC campuses and more than 50 employers representing sectors such as education, health care, government, engineering, manufacturing, insurance, renewables, and robotics.
This year marks the first time the summit will be held in the Central Valley. The region is home to over 36,000 UC alumni but has fewer job opportunities compared to urban and coastal areas. The summit aims to address this gap by connecting graduates with potential employers and offering panels on career development.
Sponsors for the event include MKN & Associates, Bakersfield Family Medical Group, and Caltrans. All have current job openings.
Patricia Châu Nguyễn, director of systemwide alumni engagement for the UC Office of the President and one of the organizers, said: “Bringing together UC’s high-achieving graduates and some of California’s most desirable employers across a variety of sectors makes the HireUC summit a source of meaningful careers and connections for so many, especially our first-generation alumni. We wanted to bring the energy and success of last year’s event in Riverside to one of California’s most vital regions.”
The keynote conversation will feature UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz and Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of California State University, Fresno. Both are UC alumni. Derek Sabori will moderate their discussion about resilience and community impact in the Central Valley.
Panels during the summit will cover topics including health care growth in the region—highlighted by San Joaquin native Brian Komoto—and public service careers led by speakers such as Esperanza “Espe” Vilma from Stockton’s mayoral office; Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula; Fernanda Santiago Maxwell from HOPE; and Veronica Garibay from Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability.
Other sessions focus on building support structures within Central Valley communities. Linda Barreto and Josiah Beharry will discuss legal clinics and student advocacy programs that promote equity at UC campuses.
A panel on skill-building will address how artificial intelligence can help job seekers stand out in today’s market.
Additional offerings include free headshot photography for attendees. A networking mixer at Toca Madera Winery—a business owned by a UC alumnus—will take place before the main event.
The summit is organized by the systemwide alumni engagement team at the UC Office of the President in partnership with alumni relations offices at UC Merced and UCSF as well as each campus association. This marks the sixth HireUC career summit since its inception; previous events have been held in cities including San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Riverside, as well as virtually.
