Career change is never easy. It takes education and training, work, a belief in self and—sometimes—just a spark of confidence.
Student Stories
Therese Becker’s passion for helping others through counseling dates back to high school: “When I was a senior, we had an assignment in which we had to think about what we wanted to do in life....
The nonprofit’s dedication to empowering survivors of violence remains strong—and helping the cause is Heather Anderson. She began working at Live Violence Free as a legal advocate, discussing...
There’s an expectation that when you graduate college, you’re going to pursue a riveting career in your chosen major. But for some, a passion in college doesn’t translate to a passion in the...
On Wednesday, November 28, current students and those interested in our Certificate Program in Personal Financial Planning came to our San Francisco campus to hear how our esteemed panelists—many...
Not many people would think the roles of baker, musician and editor are all connected. But for Harlow Carpenter, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, life is all about...
Ivan Trujillo, the director of the Graphic Design and UX Design programs at UC Berkeley Extension, recommended that we talk with Ricky Pascual, one of his recent graduates. Ivan was impressed by...
If you want to keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening in tech, you might want to head over to TechCrunch, a website dedicated to reporting on news, opinions and analysis from tech...
With every step Brandon Lim takes, he’s getting closer to his dream job of working in a patient-centered role.
Medieval History is fascinating: manorialism, feudalism, Vikings, the Crusades. These are just a few of the highlights from this 10-century-long period that Aleisha Gottlund enjoyed teaching at...
One year and one month: The fast-track timeframe for Phillip to take his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis and jump-start a career in regulatory affairs. And this career...
While still enrolled in UC Berkeley Extension’s Certificate Program in Data Science, Swathi Annamalai started as a data scientist at edtech startup CreativeLive. She had already completed four...
Growing up in a first-generation, low-income immigrant family, Sooeun (Tiffany) Kim faced firsthand struggles and challenges due to social inequality. Her family had had difficulty with...
While Marissa Joy Clark felt unchallenged in her day-to-day work as an office manager, there was one shining light: She was able to work on marketing functions, even though it wasn’t part of her...
“Professionally, this certificate has earned me a promotion and respect from the owners of Veritable Vegetable,” enthuses Certificate Program in Accounting graduate Casey Velasco of her new...
The phrase “high-throughput screening” doesn’t initially grab your interest, but when you delve into it—the complexity and applications of its processes—you start to see why Joseph Walker is...
Mark Schreier is no stranger to the legal field. Since 1999, he’s held various legal assistant positions, primarily focused on intellectual property.
For as long as she can remember, Aliceanna Stopher has always been writing. At a young age, she wrote to keep herself occupied. Later on, she attended creative writing classes and an intensive art...
This story should sound familiar to anyone who is thinking of switching careers to accounting.
Despite traveling and working around the globe and working at lucrative tech startups, Bradley Heinz kept feeling the draw to medicine.
Like many starting college, Ankita chose a major where the expectations were known: Her father was a businessman, so she studied business. But Ankita always had a penchant for design.
It was during her work as an HR assistant that Yvonne Ayala realized that this was the career she wanted to pursue. The following year, Yvonne moved to Spain and began the next step in solidifying...
For Barbara Hanly, it’s all about making a difference in patient care and health.
Suzette Nubie has more than 21 years of professional experience working in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. During her tenure, Suzette has worked in both quality control and quality...
The sound of Todd Lawrence and his wife’s eight-month-old son crying as they dropped him off at daycare so they could go to work catapulted him toward a complete overhaul of his career. Instead of...
For a lot of people, a career in STEM is the end goal. But for Oscar Ko, a career as a software engineer at Boeing was just a launching pad.
This continuous flow of information and understanding are what brought Jennifer Cuvin to our Professional Program in Regulatory Affairs.
After working in IT for a number of years, Sterling Tai found that the work wasn’t his cup of tea. He was good at numbers and desired work that was long-term and stable. But to career-switch to a...
Brian Naylor knows a thing or two about online retail and project management, having worked with international brands across a range of industries around the globe.
Jensine Sneeden does not let geography hinder her career choices.
In 2012, Jensine earned a B.A. from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York, where she majored in government and...
North Carolina–based Elizabeth Bobst is more of a “rule-fudger than a rule-follower.”
A longtime educator—from middle- and high-school English teacher, to college admissions reader, to...
Because the Certificate Program in Project Management can be completed fully online, we see students who come from all regions of the United States—and even abroad. Such is the case with 2016...
Ehler Orngard’s career history is less of an arc and more of a squiggly line. For his undergraduate studies, he majored in economics, Spanish and music.
For almost six years, Kyle Takahashi worked at a private dental practice in Piedmont, Calif. There, he worked on the frontlines with the patients—from scheduling to interacting with insurance...
You can find Lyndsay Orwig starting the second rotation of her Accountant Internship Program with the City and County of San Francisco.
Donna Smith was only four years old when she had a life-saving surgery to repair a complex congenital heart defect—and her parents’ health insurance saved them from any resulting financial...
Jyotiska Chaudhuri’s résumé is impressive.
Like Marie Coreil, you might already have a long, satisfying career in one industry when you suddenly find yourself wanting to pursue something new. For 23 years, Marie had taught medical...
Back in 2015, Leslie Cachola was having difficulty getting accepted into medical school. She had a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University. She had full-time work experience in clinical...
We are proud to announce that we’ve been named “Best Continuing Education for 2018” in an Oakland Magazine reader's poll. An East Bay institution since 1891, UC Berkeley Extension now helps tens...
On Thursday, March 27, 2013, Ken Mandelkern had an aha moment. It was after supper, and he was on the couch reading A Farewell to Arms as his kids slept upstairs and his wife, Annie,...
In 2012, Ryan Barrett decided to go back to school. A variety of professional and personal factors led him to this career change. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a...
“I remember being unable to sleep one night—and thinking about the various inadequacies of the job I was working at the time—and somehow realizing that writing was something I had been denying...
For the past 12 years, Erik Bridy has held numerous financial consultant positions at Cushman & Wakefield to support various commercial real estate clients. His current role sees him primarily...
More than five years ago, Vincent Chu took an important step toward officially becoming a writer: enrolling in The Craft of Writing, a required course in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program...
Cara Sperry was about five years into her job as a vocational trainer at Computer Technologies Program in Berkeley, when her brother, a U.S. citizen, suffered a fall while living in South Korea....
In Nepal, agriculture is considered one of the major economic sectors—employing 66 percent of the total population and contributing 33 percent to the GDP. With such a high dependency placed on...
“This recognition is one of the highest honors granted by the Brazilian government to citizens of my country,” Mauricio enthuses. “It’s called Cruz do Mérito do Empreendedor JK, a reference to...
PingWah Poon is no stranger to the medical world. He has a bachelor’s in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from UC Davis. He worked at a biotech company for five years: first as a gene...
Our Voices blog features many students who have completed certificates and programs and are fully committed to continuing education and career change.
While Michele Davis may have transitioned from a profession in sales to one in human resources, the talents to be a successful and respected HR practitioner come easily to her.
When Victor Gavallos started his undergraduate education at University of San Francisco, his goal was to continue to his studies to become a doctor—specifically, a pathologist.
“It wasn't just one single moment that I had this cataclysmic kind of thought; it was more that I had a calling my whole life and then I finally yielded to it."
—Extension Honored...
For the past 17 years, Leonil Carreon has been enjoying a project management construction career with a local real estate company in his native Philippines.
We recently had the opportunity to visit Extension student and product specialist Lisa Jacquiot.
When Thomas Farley enrolled in Creative Nonfiction Workshop, he didn’t know what he was getting himself into. Already a published writer of nonfiction for magazines, newspapers and websites,...
When Robin Andrae and her siblings had to make decisions about their parents’ end-of-life care, they found themselves faced with puzzling questions and hard decisions. Nobody could agree on...
When pharmacist Swapna Deshpande moved to the United States in 2013, she had a Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Quality Assurance from her native India. One would have thought that she had the...
Marcela Corona was already leaning toward a design career when she first came to the United States with her partner, a graduate student at UC Berkeley.
As the manager of the solutions engineering team at OneLogin, Khizar Sultan is responsible for the output of his five solutions engineers. These engineers work hand-in-hand with an in-house sales...
To be a successful actor and voice-over artist, one must put themselves into their character's mindset in order to deliver a believable portrayal. "What is my character feeling during this scene...
Today, Anthony is fully invested in project management, working as an IT project manager at Agilent Technologies. There, he leads IT project teams to implement solutions that increase the...
Named after artist Paul Cézanne, Bay Area native Cezanne Rothberg turned to graphic design after a year and a half as a travel photographer and writer in Bali.
According to the latest Surgeon General’s Report released in 2016, 20.8 million people aged 12 and older in the United States had a substance use disorder in 2015. How many of those 20.8 million...
Nutrition is a complex multidisciplinary field that brings together the biological sciences, economics, politics, human behavior and environmental science. I chose to pursue a graduate degree in...
For marketing certificate graduate Jonathan Geilhufe, he's ready to make each potential lender a well-informed, educated and confident home-buyer. How? As the new Director of Digital Marketing at...
Yoko Tahara was inspired to start an artistic career when she viewed a series of woodblock prints by noted artist Shiko Munakata
Last year, Heather Paulsen won the “Building the Movement 2016” award at the annual B Corporation Champions Retreat for her stewardship and project management expertise in helping companies become...
“I've been at PG&E for about 10 years now,” says Fred Brew at the beginning of our interview.
Even when things are going well, it sometimes helps to take a moment, take stock and decide how you can take better advantage of your talents. For Gordon Ludwick, his job as a stationary engineer...
"I can't get a job if I don't have experience, but I can't get experience if I don't have a job." Writer Lorna Walsh became well aware of this catch when she switched gears to embark on an editing...
Evan Brookes credits his understanding of the legal process and his ability to dissect contracts to his training at UC Berkeley Extension.
At its base, music is a result of mathematical principles and logic. It's a set of formulas and theories to produce a set of notes that invoke, inspire and imagine. The same holds true for science...
Keeping your skills sharp and staying up to date with trends in your field are key in today's competitive climate.
You can be forgiven a dropped-jaw reaction when you learn about Sharon Hunter’s many accomplishments. A nurse for 30 years at St. Joseph Health in Eureka, Calif., Hunter gets a deep satisfaction...
For Jacqueline Flores, working as a paralegal comes with some great perks. As she finishes up her undergraduate studies in order to apply to law school, Flores is able to keep her head in a legal...
If you’re looking for a program to get a quick-and-dirty overview on the basics of teaching English, this isn’t it. But if you’ve never taught in a classroom before, or want to challenge yourself...
While J.P. Ouellette’s career path up until coming to UC Berkeley Extension’s project management certificate may seem a bit “nonlinear,” each position required him to manage a team
Many writers dream of one day being published. Not many people aspire to call themselves an editor. Yet editing is a competitive field, and the skills required to be a successful editor are very...
In the summer of 2016, Dawn Walton-Ary was promoted to Vice Principal of Curriculum and Instruction at The Conservatory of Vocal and Instrumental Arts (COVA), where she is responsible for creating...
They’ve studied Chinese. Learning Chinese has become more popular and increasingly necessary in today’s global marketplace, giving those who can speak Mandarin greater leverage in growing their...
Chances are, you’ve thought about learning a foreign language before. Did you know ... The benefits of bilingualism include improved cognitive skills and reduced risk of dementia. The annual...
In his finance days, Young Kang would feel a surge of pride every time his clients were on the path to meeting their financial goals. But he wanted to do so much more for them.
Ensuring that a conference is successful isn't just about getting the word out to fill seats. It's also not just about putting together a series of panels or events to draw in the crowd.
For 22 years, Vincent Scarlata had a successful career as a business analyst at a San Francisco financial services firm. But a sudden staff reduction meant new skills.
Now in the thick of University of San Francisco's M.F.A. in Writing, post-bacc writing grad Rose Heredia reflects on the good preparation for graduate school that she received at Extension.
You'd think writers would excel at filling out graduate school applications and submitting personal essays, right? Even if your writing chops are top-notch, you'll want to make sure you are fully...
Molly Mueller patiently built her knowledge and skills in a variety of positions that necessitated an eye and talent for design.
Nutrition plays a major role in our physical, mental and emotional health—a truism that registered dietitian Melissa Javaheri fully subscribes to. And her patients are the better for it.
It has been four years since Dennis Crawford completed the Certificate Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Although he claims to be fully retired, Crawford’s career...
As the Senior New Business Representative at PG&E, Certificate Program in Project Management graduate Kate St. Amour manages new commercial business and residential developments for gas and...
A graduate of UC Berkeley Extension’s Designated Subjects Adult Education (DSAE) Teaching Credential program, Drain is now one of a team of 12 teachers who works with newly blind adults at the...
Katie Fenton loved the high adrenaline that comes from being a military nurse—a path she's followed since graduating with a bachelor's degree in nursing
Location, location, location—that’s not always a requirement when you’re looking at schools to further your education. Living hundreds or even thousands of miles away from Berkeley, you can still...
Duane Kubischta received an advanced engineering degree from UC Berkeley and quickly entered the biotech field as an instrumentation engineer.
Getting her writing published didn't come easily to Lisa Riddiough. Rejected by agents and editors for a children's picture book, Riddiough found herself needing a formal program to strengthen her...
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages offers a window into other cultures, a way of better understanding your own, and an avenue to connect with your students and community. Nora...
Not everyone is sure if what interests them is what they are meant to do for a living. With the Certificate Program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Sylvia Cossar got her feet...
Hers is not the traditional success story. It is not one where a student completes a sequence of courses and then lands a job or a promotion soon after. Susan Stasi’s success story is one that...
Jeremy Kiene is in the process of reinventing himself.
The field of biological sciences is constantly evolving, what with new discoveries, research and novel techniques inundating a scientist on a daily basis.
Fourth-year medical student Daniel Shapiro successfully matched with Boston Combined Residency Program's pediatrics.
Not only is Lorna Partington Walsh enhancing her creative writing by learning the ins and outs of editing, she’s also helping other editors launch their careers in the field.
In five years, Pamela Rosecrance will be completing her final year in residence at the University of Tennessee Ph.D. program (where she was recently admitted to) and preparing for a clinical...
Mark Langton's years as a journalist left him with many great memories, both as an entertainment columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and as a theater critic for the Marin Independent Journal...
While working in China at an environmental nonprofit, Simon Feng Ou wanted a career that would sustain his interest.
No stranger to UC Berkeley Extension—he has taken classes to earn CEUs—John Edwards found that the Professional Program in Eating and Weight Disorders was a natural fit to better serve his clients...
While being a pharmacist is challenging work, Juyun Yim wants a career where she can express her creativity.
For many people, retirement provides the opportunity for leisure, travel, taking classes for personal enjoyment. But for Ben Lee, retirement means studying for a new career.
While working as a management consultant at a Big 4 consulting firm, Shilpi Agrawal was drawn to the interactions with different clients and team members on a daily basis.
Jason Miller doesn't have a moment to spare. As LinkedIn's group manager for content marketing and social media, and the recent author of Welcome to the Funnel: Proven Tactics to Turn Your Social...
Natalia Aranda Castro thought that when she moved to the Bay Area from her native Colombia, she would have to give up her legal career. But she soon found out that this isn't the case at all.
Unsure of making the career change to HR from a program coordinator role at a social enterprise accelerator program, Bocanegra started at the beginning: taking Essentials of Human Resources at UC...
As an undergraduate at SF State, Jarell Cruz was having trouble getting into classes—either they were only offered every other semester or they were full.
Since moving to the United States from his native Rwanda, he has completed a master’s degree in social work and public health, and a Ph.D. in social policy and social research from Loma Linda...
Kim Jones knows the importance of education. A high-school dropout, Jones returned to school to receive his GED, which was soon followed by an associate's and then a master's. After working in...
As the market shifts toward skill-centered jobs, calls for prioritizing career and technical education (CTE) increase. The U.S. Secretary of Education remarked, “CTE has an enormous, if often...
Poring through numbers to prove causes and correlations as a psychological-health researcher at UCSF and UC Berkeley, Colin Fyfe began to miss the one-on-one communication that is part and parcel...
After working in the nonprofit art sector for several years and discovering a penchant for human resources (HR), Gibson was hired as an employee benefits manager at a local nonprofit in 2007.
For Professional Sequence in Technical Communication graduate Dianna Bautista, it was during her final year of studying biochemistry and cell biology abroad that she realized she wanted to pursue...
After a short career break from being a software engiener, Sreevani Sreejith re-emerged with a career change to technical writing.
Working toward leadership and management skills often means taking continuing education courses to get certified in these professional competencies. José Tercero was one such person who followed...
While many teenagers try to figure out what they want to be when they grow up, Angela Sullivan knew right away in junior high: While taking a business course, she knew she wanted to be an...
Jennifer Lugris is at her best when she has a paintbrush in her hand. Lugris began taking art courses in Los Angeles, eventually moving to the Bay Area.
Making a career transition is no easy feat for any working professional. Between working full time and other responsibilities, making education a priority in order to learn skills can be...
"The great thing about the program is that it cuts across demographic lines," he says. "When you're getting feedback, you don't get it from a single demographic but from different types of people...
It takes a leap of faith to follow your passions—especially when you're an undergrad and have to declare a major. Aisa Valenzuela never faltered in her faith in writing.
Not content with easing into retirement by sitting, reading or watching TV, Ed Shockley has done some soul-searching as to "what's next."
For teachers, the key to engaging the minds of children is to expand on the information already included in the required textbooks. With that in mind middle-school teacher Liz Bodle seeks new...
When Jennifer Brandl first began the Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management online, she was a research associate and felt limited in career prospects as she lacked a...
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Visual Arts graduate Catherine Kiwala recently exhibited her artwork at our San Francisco campus.
For Corey Datz-Greenberg, making a career change from union organizer to psychologist isn't that much of a mind-shift.
"I had a lot of students from India and Korea, and I didn't know how to help them," he says. "They were really well-meaning and bright students, but they came in with such weak writing and...
Elena Ortiz began her professional career at Texas-based Houston Chronicle newspaper, setting type and designing layouts back when rulers and exacto knives were a printer's primary tools.
Communications isn't just about words, social media posts or newsletters.
Back in 2011, during evenings and weekends, Jeff McLaughlin studied, read and translated ancient Greek and Latin. "Work occupies so much of our time,” he says. "It's great to have this opportunity...
Originally a public finance instructor at Chabot College, before taking positions in the aerospace industry and as a software engineer, Briski is returning to his first love: teaching. Setting his...
In the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Writing, Laurie Blanton is gaining new tools and structure to finesse her psychological fiction novels.
Nora Mitchell compares her professional career to stages in a play. Act 1: A position in high-tech marketing communications for 12 years at Wind River Systems. Act 2: Working at a nonprofit and...
Stan Lewandowski—a corporate lawyer at K&L Gates working with startups, banks and energy companies—knows that success at his job requires being fully versed in the intricate financial aspects...
Daniel Levie's passion is cooking and has been since he was young. A sous chef at UC Berkeley's Cafe 3 dining hall, Levie not only pushes himself to further his own culinary adventures but also...
Instructor Tony Yeh's presentation at a Certificate Program in Finance information session continues to resonate with Josh Fiedler—specifically, Yeh's insistence that the curriculum emphasizes...
After 13 years in technical and product support at Bio-Rad Laboratories, Carla Terry welcomes a career change that she can feel passionate about.
With 25 years of experience in software engineering, Susan George is learning current methodologies to advance her management career. After completing the Professional Sequence in Agile Management...
With 20 years of experience in sales—the past 12 with BIA Cordon Bleu as VP of sales—Nathaniel Allen doesn't require new skills or knowledge to advance his career. Rather, he's looking for a new...
A move to the United States from her home country finds Tanvi Mahajani making a transition from dentistry to a new career in business. Currently volunteering in the American Red Cross’s Volunteer...
While some students take classes and then volunteer to get real-world experience, Phyliss Martinez, a UC Berkeley School of Law program administrator, is taking the opposite route. Already a...
Vanessa Vun is enjoying a successful career as a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) at the University of California, San Francisco, thanks in part to UC Berkeley Extension's Immunology and...
Ho's advice to others considering educational options is to always invest in your career. "As educators, we are paid—and bumped up—according to how many continuing education units we get. In my...
Amy Loewen transferred all of her credits earned in the Certificate Program in Teaching English as a Second Language to the University of San Francisco’s M.A. in TESL. Saving both time and money,...
Sometimes a degree isn't enough. For Samantha Edwards, the Certificate Program in Landscape Architecture is the perfect complement to her B.S. in landscape design.
With more than seven years of human resources experience at a Bay Area architecture firm, Iulia Moldovan is gaining additional HR knowledge with the Certificate Program in Human Resource...
Despite demanding 12-hour days as a construction project engineer, Ana Lazo is determined to complete the Certificate Program in Construction Management with distinction.
A graduate of the Certificate Program in Clinical Research Conduct and Management, Joyce Nortey is now a clinical research associate—a position she believes is the result of receiving the...
Previously working at engineering firm Integral Group/Rumsey Engineers since its start in the founder's garage, certificate graduate Maria Briggs Berta is now working at another engineering...
Eric Hon wasn't a passive student while completing the Certificate Program in Personal Financial Planning. Rather, he engaged his instructors and took that extra time to pick their brains for...
Re-entering the health care field after six years as a stay-at-home mom, Susan Dugan looks to the Certificate Program in Health Advocacy to supplement her Master of Social Work and Master of...
Learning in an online-only environment is certainly a different way to soak up knowledge than being in a physical classroom. But for Kyle Cameron, his determination to excel in the Certificate...
Stephanie Laila Tuxen Bisgaard draws on her experience as a clinical psychologist in Copenhagen, Denmark, to enhance the lively discussions in her Counseling and Psychology courses at Extension....