More than a Mirage: Cal Bears Provide Real Community Support for Students in Coachella Valley
Being a new face in a big place can be overwhelming nearly all UC Berkeley students will tell you that. You try to find where you fit in, but nothing seems to fit quite right at first. Classes are challenging, you’re away from home for the first time it’s a lot to take in. Discouragement sets in and you might second guess your decision to be there. Then, maybe you meet someone from your hometown and they invite you over for dinner.
The Cal Alumni Association’s Cal Bears in the Desert Alumni Chapter started as a dinner during Homecoming and evolved into an organization serving students in the Coachella Valley. Since 2009, they have been guiding students from Coachella Valley, connecting them with resources on campus, and helping their families feel like part of the Cal community.
Quick facts about Ben de Guzman Degree: BA, Spanish and mass communications Currently: Director, Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, Washington, D.C.; member, Pilipino American Alumni Chapter
What was your life like at Cal?
I fully immersed myself into campus life and am glad that UC Berkeley has top-caliber offerings in so many different arenas. In the classroom, I was try-lingual: I “tried” to speak English, Spanish, and Tagalog. I took a two-year course at Berkeley and got accepted into a language immersion program in the Philippines. I was able to explore my identity through organizations like the Pilipino American Alliance, where I learned to be a student organizer and fight for racial and educational equity issues. As an athlete, I competed as a member of the Cal Men’s Volleyball Club and ran the volleyball program at Cal Intramural Sports. I am eternally grateful for the wide array of experiences Cal gave me.
Celebrating LGBTQ+ Alumni Career Journeys
“It was only in June of 2020 that the US Supreme Court ruled that federal anti-discrimination laws now protect LGBTQ+ leaders from employment discrimination in every state. This is a step in the right direction and a catalyst for us all to continue uplifting the rights and stories of our LGBTQ+ students and alumni,” says Cal Alumni Association (CAA) Chief Program Officer Anh Tran ’06. At a recent virtual career panel, Cal alumni in the LGBTQ+ community connected with our Alumni Scholars and student leaders from the Achievement Award Program, Leadership Award, Cal Pride Scholarship, Educational Opportunity Program, and Gender Equity Resource Center. Student leaders received advice on staying true to their values while working toward their career goals.
Each one of us can work toward true justice.
In May of 2020 17-year-old Darnella Frazier, in the regular course of her day, saw police activity and then saw a man in pain. She stopped, pulled out her cell phone, and began recording. During the trial, Ms. Frazier expressed, “When I think of George Floyd, I see my father, my brothers, my cousin, my uncle. They are all Black. It could have been them.”
As a wife, mother, aunt, and grandmother of Black boys and men, I live in fear for their safety. This fear doesn’t go away, though I was a peace officer, former assistant district attorney, police commissioner, and one who understands the dynamics of excessive force. I have seen law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities, and I have seen law enforcement officers represent the worst of what humanity has to offer.
Margarita Maggie Landeros 09: Leading On Campus and Beyond berkeley.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from berkeley.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.