Student Success Stories

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.

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.

If you’re considering a career in the brewing industry, UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Master Brewers Certificate Program can help you get there. See what some of our graduates had to say about their experience in the program.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

Kelin Bradley has always had a passion for food and an interest in science. The Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program helped him define what he wants to do and gave him a foundation for understanding the breadth of sensory science.

Luz Inés Nieto enrolled in the Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program looking to deepen her expertise and grow in her field. Since completing the program, she has advanced her career at Griffith Foods—earning a promotion in 2022 and taking on expanded responsibilities in sensory science and consumer insights.

Master Brewers Certificate Program alumni from three Sonoma County breweries—Seismic Brewing Company, Third Street Aleworks and Fogbelt Brewing Company—kick off 2020 with a collaborative Helles lager. 

Thomas Cernac, a recent graduate of the Winemaking Certificate Program, is a retired U.S. Air Force mechanic and now a vineyard manager and winemaker in El Dorado County, California.

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.