UCLA Latino Alumni Association Career Panel Part 2 - Limitless: From Pivot to Power

The UCLA Latino Alumni Association (ULAA) invites you to our "Limitless: From Pivot to Power" career panel. Hear from Latina Bruin alumni who are taking on the challenges of a fast-changing world through leadership positions in exciting fields such as strategic communications, research and science, and software engineering.

Our panelists include:

Moderator: Jennifer Mora Assistant Dean, Development + Alumni Relations for the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley. She specializes in higher education advancement and impact-driven philanthropic partnerships. Her expertise is in student support, from scholarships to experiential learning opportunities. Jennifer serves on the CASE DVII Cabinet and is the vice president for the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. She earned her B.A. in Chicana and Chicano Studies from UCLA and her Masters of Public Administration from Sonoma State University.

Candy Mavis Rivas is proud to serve her community as an R&D Scientist Supervisor at Agilent Technologies where she manages a team of all woman scientists who are a delight to mentor. There she works on projects related to cancer diagnostic assays that qualify patients for the most appropriate treatment options. With her previous employer, PathogenDx, Candy led a team to develop and gain FDA-EUA approval of a COVID test. She then went on to develop an innovative DNA microarray assay capable of identifying both currently known and as of yet unknown and rapidly mutating Covid variants as they emerge. This earned her a spot on the NIH COVID Variant task force where she reviewed data with top scientists from the world that included CDC and NIH officials. Before entering the world of biotechnology, Candy’s training ground was the University of Arizona where she utilized novel drugs developed by a collaborator to probe the role of a protein called Protease Activated Receptor 2 to better understand lung inflammation. All of this work could not have been accomplished without the strong academic/ research foundation provided by UCLA including the resources Candy often turned to such as those offered by AAP and URP. Candy is extremely grateful for her experiences as a Bruin.

Valarie De La Garza is a national public relations leader who is the first woman and person of color to serve as Fenton Communications’ CEO. Since Valarie assumed this role in 2021, the agency has doubled in size in both revenue and number of staff members. The agency has recently been recognized by PR Week for “Best Nonprofit Campaign of the Year” for Stop AAPI Hate; as Best Digital Team by PR Daily; and Valarie herself was recognized by PRSA-LA as a Sunrise honoree for her leadership in DEI. Valarie serves on the board of directors for Homeboy Industries and PR Council; served on the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles for 12 years and volunteered as a Big Sister herself; and has served as board chair for Self Help Graphics & Arts, the nation’s leading Chicano arts center. Valarie earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from UCLA where she was honored to serve as the first Latina editor-in-chief of The Daily Bruin.

Begoña Guereca, a double Bruin with a B.A. in Political Science and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) from UCLA, has embarked on two distinct and deeply fulfilling career paths.

During her MPP fellowship, she addressed child sex trafficking issues for the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations, strategizing policy and programmatic changes to effectively reintegrate 3,000 exploited children. As a Research and Policy Analyst at a child care nonprofit, she conducted vital research on the state of child care quality and access in California. Additionally, she drove lobbying efforts for policy changes, ensuring access to childcare for eligible families while they were in ESL or GED classes.

Her experience in advocacy ignited her passion for technology. During her time at the nonprofit, she learned Python while building GIS maps, recognizing the tremendous value of programming and deciding to pursue a career in tech.
Now, she works as a software engineer at Github, focusing on data migration tools. She is passionate about engaging with local communities to provide underrepresented groups with pathways into tech.

Outside of work, she indulges her love for mountaineering, recently conquering Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's tallest volcano. She has also recently kicked off a business flipping homes in Omaha, NE.