The University of California is set to host the HireUC Alumni Career Summit on August 21 at the Fresno Convention Center. The event, free for UC alumni, will bring together up to a thousand graduates from all ten UC campuses and more than 50 employers representing sectors such as education, health care, government, engineering, manufacturing, insurance, renewables, and robotics.
Sponsors for this year’s summit include MKN & Associates, Bakersfield Family Medical Group, and Caltrans. All sponsors have current job openings. The event aims to provide lifelong support for over 2.5 million UC alumni and marks the first time the summit will be held in the Central Valley. This region is home to more than 36,000 UC alumni but often faces fewer job opportunities compared to urban and coastal areas.
“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,” said Patricia Châu Nguyễn, director of systemwide alumni engagement for the UC Office of the President and one of the event’s organizers. “We wanted to bring the energy and success of last year’s event in Riverside to one of California’s most vital regions.”
A keynote conversation will feature Juan Sánchez Muñoz, chancellor of UC Merced; Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, president of California State University, Fresno; with Derek Sabori moderating. They will discuss their career journeys and how their experiences as UC alumni contribute to positive change in the Central Valley community.
Panels at the summit will cover regional opportunities including health care growth in the Central Valley—highlighted by Brian Komoto—and public service careers featuring speakers like Esperanza “Espe” Vilma from Stockton’s mayoral office; state Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula; Fernanda Santiago Maxwell from HOPE; and Veronica Garibay from Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability.
Other discussions focus on building support structures within communities led by Linda Barreto and Josiah Beharry. A separate panel will address skill-building for today’s economy with an emphasis on artificial intelligence.
Additional offerings include free headshot photography for attendees. A networking mixer at Toca Madera Winery—owned by a UC alumnus—is scheduled for the evening before the main event.
The HireUC career summit is coordinated by the systemwide alumni engagement team at UC Office of the President alongside partners at UC Merced and UCSF alumni relations offices as well as each campus association. Previous summits have been held in major cities across California including San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Jose, Riverside, as well as virtually. More information can be found on the HireUC career summit page.
