Student Success Stories

UC Davis Forensic Science graduate Shane Williams and fellow alumni in cap and gown at graduation

Crime Lab Ready

  • by Michelle Risser
The combination of theoretical concepts and real-world examples, along with significant hands-on experience, allowed Shane Williams to graduate from the Forensic Science Graduate Program with the career-ready skills he needed to succeed in a crime lab.
Hero shot of Tapping Potential Pink IPA can on a bar top

What’s Brewin’?

  • by Michelle Risser
UC Davis Tapping Potential Pink IPA is a collaboration brew featuring a unique recipe developed by 2022 scholarship winner Chijindu Onwuchekwa and five regional breweries who helped bring her recipe to life.
UC Davis Master Brewers graduate Shae Vaughn poses outside Storm Peak Brewing Co

From Beverage Sales to Master Brewer

  • by Stephanie Trinh
Shae Vaughn knew he wanted to make a career for himself in the brewing industry. His beer odyssey led him to the UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program. Shortly after completing the program, he was hired by Storm Peak Brewing Co.
UC Davis Pre-College student poses with a horse

The Impact of a UC Davis Pre-College Program

  • by Michelle Risser
It's more than just a summer course, and according to high schooler Taylor, her experience in the Pre-College: Equine Science program was intriguing, fun and interactive. Hear more from Taylor and her instructor in the program, UC Davis Professor Amy McLean.
headshot of UC Davis Public Health Certificate student Youvanna Jimenez

On the Path to a Rewarding Career in Public Health

  • by Stephanie Trinh
Youvanna Jimenez says a career in public health aligns with her interests and her desire to improve health outcomes in underserved communities. As a student in the Public Health Certificate, she’s applying what she’s learning to her current work, while also becoming a more competitive candidate for an MPH program.
UC Davis Coursera student Theogene Semana poses in front of fountain in Bruxuels

Online Education Opens Doors for Rwandan Father of Two

  • by Michelle Risser
Theogene Semana enrolled in UC Davis on Coursera’s Coaching Skills for Managers Specialization so he could shape his career in the domain of leadership. Today, the skills he gained have not only helped him advance in his career, but also provide stability and security for his family.
UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac student Gabby Rich poses in her white coat

Student Spotlight: Gabby Rich

  • by Michelle Risser
According to Gabby Rich, the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac Program served as the backbone for her applications to med school. She is now in her first year at AT Still University's Physician Assistant Program.
UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac student Lucero Cordero

Student Spotlight: Lucero Cordero

Lucero Cordero spent most of their formative years prioritizing their brother's needs over their own and subsequently struggled to get into medical school. The UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac, helped Cordero gain the confidence and support to succeed at getting accepted to numerous medical schools, ultimately helping them achieve the next step in their dream toward becoming a pediatrician.
Coaching Certificate Program Jeff Heiser headshot

Student Spotlight: Jeff Heiser

Since completing the Coaching for Life and Work Certificate Program, Jeff Heiser has taken on increased responsibilities as an internal coach. As he nears his 100-hour coaching requirement for ICF Certification, he hopes to expand his weekend coaching gig and take on more of a professional coaching role.
headshot of Occupational Health and Safety Student Iman Leong

Student Spotlight: Iman Leong

Shortly after starting his career in occupational safety, Iman Leong's colleagues and managers recommended the Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program. Since completing program, he feels empowered to make a positive impact on his organization’s safety management system.
headshot of UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac student

Student Spotlight: Francisco Cordero

When Francisco Cordero began thinking about applying to medical school, he knew he needed to increase his GPA to be a more competitive applicant. He completed the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Baccalaureate Program with a GPA of 3.87 and has received his first acceptance letter with more decisions to come.
sensory science graduate May Cheung headshot

Student Spotlight: May Cheung

May Cheung is an assistant professor of nutrition sciences at City University of New York, Brooklyn College. Interested in learning how her skills and knowledge could be used in the food and beverage industry, she decided to pursue a certificate in Applied Sensory and Consumer Science.
Health Professions Post-Bac graduate Victoria Nze smiling

Student Spotlight: Victoria Odufuwa Nze

Victoria Nze received her first acceptance letter to her top-choice nursing school after graduating from the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Baccalaureate Program. She says the program not only helped her raise her GPA, it also boosted her confidence.
headshot of Health Professions Post-bac grad Rachel Becker

Student Spotlight: Rachel Becker

After struggling to get into medical school, Rachel Becker applied to the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac for guidance and structure to help her pinpoint what she needed to improve upon and how to position herself strategically as an applicant.
headshot of health professions post-bac graduate Vickie Chaimanont

Student Spotlight: Vickie Chaimanont

After receiving rejection letters from vet schools, Vickie applied to the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac program to make her a more competitive applicant. Since completing the program, she says she's become a better version of herself and thus a better healthcare professional for those she will help in the future.
headshot of health professions post-bac graduate Gabby Lee

Student Spotlight: Gabby Lee

After taking six years off following her undergrad degree, Gabby Lee pursued the UC Davis Health Professions Post-Bac to help her fulfill her dreams of becoming a physician. See how the program helped her take the next steps toward achieving her goal.
headshot of Paralegal certificate grad Christopher Simon

Student Spotlight: Christopher Simon

As an adult learner, Christopher Simon has been taking continuing education classes since his early 40s, focusing on subjects that he overlooked in his younger days. He recently completed the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program to improve his understanding of the legal process and help him as a political science professor and researcher.
headshot of Python Certificate Program student Jyotika Sharma

Student Spotlight: Jyotika Sharma

After moving to the United States, Jyotika Sharma discovered a new interest in computer programming. Looking to change fields from chemical engineering to computers, she decided to reskill with the help our Python for Data Analysis Professional Concentration.
UC Davis Master Brewers graduate Amanda Koeller poses the brewery at Las Vegas Brewing where she's head brewer

Student Spotlight: Amanda Koeller

Amanda Koeller is the head brewer of Las Vegas Brewing Company and holds the title as the only female head brewer in Nevada. See how the Master Brewers Certificate Program helped her get there and what advice she has for other women looking to break into the industry.
headshot of Executive Leadership Program grad Olivia Virgadamo

Student Spotlight: Olivia Virgadamo

A recent alum of the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program, Olivia Virgadamo says that the program helped her integrate her professional life with her personal one and understand the valuable role she can play as a leader.
headshot of Master Brewer grad Logan Jager

Student Spotlight: Logan Jager

Logan Jager wasn’t always a brewer. He actually started his career in finance. But desiring to do something new that would have a positive impact on his community, he heard the call of brewing and answered. He is a graduate of the Master Brewers Certificate Program and the founder and head brewer of Western Flyer Brewing.
Sensory and Consumer Science certificate grad Amanda Nobbe

Student Spotlight: Amanda Nobbe

Amanda Nobbe is a senior formulation scientist at Burt's Bees (Clorox). When she took on an expanded role leading and training a cross-functional sensory panel team she knew she needed a strong fundamental understanding of sensory science, so she turned to the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program to expand her knowledge.
Construction Management Certificate graduate Damariz Quezada

Student Spotlight: Damariz Quezada

Despite having 14 years of construction industry experience under her belt, Damariz Quezada felt that in order to fully achieve her career goals, she needed a formal education in construction management. See how the Construction Management Certificate Program helped her achieve her full potential.
LUNR certificate grad Jonathan Bobadilla

Student Spotlight: Jonathan Bobadilla

Jonathan Bobadilla is an energy commission specialist with the California Energy Commission in Sacramento. He recently received a promotion after completing the Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education (CPE). Learn more about his experience in the program.
photo of vineyard

Advice from our alumni: How to become a winemaker

If you've been dreaming of a career in the wine industry, consider this advice from our alumni. Whether they were fulfilling a lifelong dream in retirement or changing careers, they all shared a passion for winemaking. See what they had to say about their journey and how the Winemaking Certificate Program helped them get there.
headshot of OIV wine marketing student Perry Reyes

Student Spotlight: Perry Reyes

After a successful career in accounting, Perry Reyes decided to marry his love of wine with his experience in finance. He is currently the controller of accounting and finance at Korbel Winery. His experience in the OIV Wine Marketing Program gave him the foundation he needed to take the leap from CPA to wine business.
gavel with grad hat

Student Spotlight: Batool Fatima

After 12 years of being a stay-at-home parent, Batool Fatima decided to build an entirely new career path for herself. She turned to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education's Paralegal Studies Certificate Program to get the training she needed for a new start.
Human Resource Management certificate grad Noah Williams

Student Spotlight: Noah Williams

Noah Williams began UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Human Resource Management Certificate Program in 2020 to open the door for a new career path. Now, as a newly appointed human resources coordinator at Bain & Company in San Francisco, Noah Williams is a fresh face in the HR world.
Nathan Trauernicht, Executive Leadership Program graduate

Student Spotlight: Nathan Trauernicht

Nathan Trauernicht is an experienced leader who understands the importance of innovation when it comes to managing and inspiring teams. As a graduate of the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program and the chief of the UC Davis Fire Department, Trauernicht provides overall leadership and direction to a department serving a population of more than 40,000.
Construction Management Certificate Student Dan Kruger

Student Spotlight: Dan Kruger

As the regional manager at Royal Electric, Dan Kruger has been in the construction industry for a long time. When he landed a few promotions, he decided to supplement his practical experience with UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Construction Management Certificate Program. 
headshot of LUNR certificate student John Funderburg

Student Spotlight: John Funderburg

As a principal planner with the San Joaquin County Community Development Department, John Funderburg enjoys the challenge of managing large-scale development projects. Having taken a number of environmental resources classes at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, he recently decided to further expand his skill set and pursue the Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate Program.
Construction Management Certificate Student Jenni Castro

Student Spotlight: Jenni Castro

With exposure to the construction business from so many different angles, Jenni Castro understood the nuances and niches within the industry. She chose Continuing and Professional’s Construction Management Program as a way to explore everything the industry has to offer and to supplement her degree in environmental science. 
headshot of online Sensory Science Certificate graduate Kelin Bradley

Student Spotlight: Kelin Bradley

Kelin Bradley has always had a passion for food and an interest in science. The Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program paved the way for Bradley, providing him with essential training and opening his eyes to a new field.
Health and Safety Certificate grad Vicky Udomvaranon

Student Spotlight: Vicky Udomvaranon

Despite earning an industrial hygiene degree in her home country of Thailand, Vicky Udomvaranon had never worked in health and safety—that is until six years later when she found herself stepping into the role of health, safety and environment specialist for her company. Her research for health and safety training courses led her to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program.
headshot of online Sensory Science Certificate graduate Luz Nieto

Student Spotlight: Luz Inés Nieto

As a sensory coordinator with Griffith Foods in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico, Nieto needed to better understand consumer testing to help her excel at her job. As part of her professional development, her supervisor suggested she apply for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program to advance her skill set. “Talking with colleagues from other Griffith units, they highly recommended this certificate to me,” Nieto said.
Man speaking to a woman via videoconference on a laptop.

Online Course Format Doesn’t Diminish Learning and Networking: One Student’s Perspective

Amy Shuman entered the Professional Coaching Certificate Program in February, excited to spend the next five months in a classroom, getting to know her peers and instructors. But that’s not exactly how things went for the students in the Winter 2020 program. After the group met in-person for a few classes in February, all face-to-face meetings were canceled, and Amy and her peers found themselves looking at each other through their computer screens.
Winemaking Certificate grad Sanne Poulsen in winery

Student Spotlight: Sanne Poulsen

Sanne Poulsen had been working in agribusiness management and marketing when she moved to Marlborough—New Zealand’s wine country. After relocating, Poulsen made friends with people in the wine industry and became intrigued by the profession. Looking to invest in her education to balance the practical and technical skills, she found the UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education Winemaking Certificate Program.
UC Davis Executive Leadership Program Graduate Paul Adams headshot

Student Spotlight: Paul Adams

Paul Adams, director of Corporate Support and Underwriting at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento, is a seasoned leader with an understanding of how important good leadership is to the health of an organization. And so, when he asked himself, “How can I do better?” he turned to the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program for training.
Project Management Certificate Program grad Karen Mendoza headshot

Student Spotlight: Karen Mendoza

Karen Mendoza is Director of the Project Management Office at the California Chamber of Commerce and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program.

What most stood out to you about this program?
The instructors were highly engaging and knowledgable about their subjects. My classmates were all great leaders in their fields, as well, and they added another level of enrichment to my learning experience.

UC Davis Sensory Science and Consumer Testing Certificate Program grad Taruna Sanghi poses in office with laptop

Student Spotlight: Taruna Sanghi

Taruna Sanghi is a senior scientist in the Consumer Science Department with Mondelez India Foods Pvt Ltd in Mumbai, India. Sanghi worked in new product development for a decade before transitioning to consumer science. Inspired to expand her knowledge of sensory and consumer science, Sanghi decided to enroll in the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program. “This program offered exactly the kind of content I was looking for.”
Brennan Fleming at his bar with beer

How to Turn Your Passion for Brewing Into a Career

Are you a beer enthusiast or an avid homebrewer? Have you ever wondered what it would take to become a professional brewer and actually make a living doing something you love? We spoke with three professional brewers, all UC Davis graduates and alumni of the Master Brewers Certificate Program at UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, and an industry expert to find out how they translated their love for brewing into a successful career.
Professional Coaching Certificate and MAOLE grad Gavan Ambrosini headshot

Student Spotlight: Gavan Ambrosini

Meet Coaching Certificate alumna Gavan Ambrosini, who took advantage of CPE's partnership with University of the Pacific to put her certificate credit toward a Master's in Leadership with a concentration in Organizational Innovation & Change from UOP.
Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program grad Carmel Gacho headshot

Student Spotlight: Carmel Gacho

Moving across an ocean is daunting enough, but starting a new career in a new country was a task Carmel Gacho was more than capable of undertaking. Keeping her interest in health and safety in mind, a schoolmate from Manila recommended she take the Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program to help jump start her career here in the U.S.
Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate grad Julia Tyrpin headshot

Employer Spotlight: Julia Tyrpin, Griffith Foods

As part of its professional development opportunities, Griffith Foods has been sending its employees to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program since 2002. “Sensory is one of our greatest competitive advantages in the market,” said Julia Tyrpin, senior sensory manager with Griffith Foods. “All Griffith sensory scientists are encouraged to complete the program.”
Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program graduate Martha Castaño headshot

Student Spotlight: Martha Castaño

After more than 12 years of working in sensory and consumer science, Martha Castaño believes that she made the best decision of her life to pursue a career in the industry. “I bet on my passion,” she said, and applied for CPE's Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program.
Project Management Certificate Program graduate Jessica Johnson headshot

Student Spotlight: Jessica Johnson

Juggling a variety of tasks at the same time was never an issue for Jessica Johnson, a facilities and housing specialist for a community services organization in Northern California. But when she wanted to become a project manager, her CEO suggested she enroll in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Project Management Certificate Program.
Workplace Health and Safety Certificate Program graduate Karen Meistas headshot

Student Spotlight: Karen Meistas

Karen Meistas has worked in the construction industry for 25 years. After a workplace accident and a meeting with an OSHA consultant, she decided to pursue an education in health and safety with CPE's Workplace Health and Safety Manager Certificate Program.
Geographic Information Systems Professional Concentration grad Ben Campbell headshot

Student Spotlight: Ben Campbell

When Ben Campbell’s job brought him to Sacramento, he decided he liked it enough to make it his permanent home. However, he was working in the tech industry, and he wanted a position in the environmental sciences.

Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program grad Marcia Young headshot

Employer Spotlight: Marcia Young, Mondelez International

Mondelez International is one of the world’s largest snacks companies with more than 70 brands and approximately 80,000 employees. Marcia Young, the company’s senior director of consumer science, has been sending people annually to UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program since its inception.
Winemaking Certificate grad Rich McClellan

Student Spotlight: Richard McClellan

“It’s a landscaping project that got completely out of control,” says Richard McClellan, owner of Highland Hills Vineyard and Winery in Ramona, Calif., when asked about how he got into the wine industry. His “project” is a family affair that has grown into a successful boutique winery that produces 500-750 cases of estate wine each year.
Accounting CPA Exam Track Certificate Program grad Terry Taylor

Student Spotlight: Terri Taylor

Wanting a program that would work with her schedule, teach practical skills and provide a good return on her investment, Terri Taylor found what she was looking for in UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Accounting Program.
Master Brewers Program Grad Sam Hartwell

Student Spotlight: Sam Hartwell

Following a successful 30-year active duty and reserve career in the Army—which included time served in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as intelligence support for special ops—Sam Hartwell retired as a colonel and was ready for a different kind of “action” in his life.
OLLI member Gail Yokote

Member Spotlight: Gail Yokote

“Since I’ve been introduced to OLLI it’s been great,” says Gail Yokote. A member of OLLI at UC Davis for only a year, she is already volunteering as the interim secretary for the OLLI Board of Directors.
Winemaking Certificate grad Richard Krumwiede

Student Spotlight: Richard Krumwiede

As a landscape architect, Richard Krumwiede, now winemaker/viticulturist at Sycamore Ranch Vineyard & Winery, always enjoyed visiting the grounds of the many wineries he worked on. In 2007, he decided to plant a zinfandel vineyard on his own property after a beetle infestation killed off the native pines. As the vineyard developed, he began making wine, further cultivating his interest in viticulture and winemaking.
UC Davis Winemaking Certificate graduate Amy LaBelle poses in her winery

Student Spotlight: Amy LaBelle

4,083 days. That’s how long it took for Amy LaBelle to realize her dream of making wine full-time. She began her career as a corporate attorney, but five years into practicing law, she realized she had missed her calling. From that moment, until the day she opened the doors of her winery, she did something every day to move her dream forward, and now she is the founder and winemaker of the award-winning LaBelle Winery in Amherst, NH.
UC Davis Sensory Science and Consumer Testing Certificate Program grad Lauren Salazar looks at beer in brewery

Student Spotlight: Lauren Woods Salazar

Meet Lauren Woods Salazar, New Belgium’s wood cellar director and blender, otherwise known as the company’s chief curator. Salazar is also a graduate of UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s world-renowned Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program.