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The Fire Within: Leo Rochman’s Story of Resilience

One thing that Leo Rochman learned from studying philosophy is that human beings persevere through adversity. This life lesson has shaped his journey to the graduation stage this June after a tragic twist of fate. And yet, he marches on, filled with gratitude for where he has been and feeling at ease for where he is now.

Born and raised in Pacific Palisades, California, a hillside seaside community between Santa Monica and Malibu, Rochman dreamed of playing baseball in college. However, COVID restrictions in 2021 cast some doubt on whether he would get playing time in California schools so he went to play for Oberlin College, located in rural Ohio. He said, “It was a total culture shock. It wasn’t easy at times, but I ended up meeting some of my best friends that I’m still connected with to this day. I played a lot as a freshman and had that competitive atmosphere that I was looking for. But I also realized I’m a California kid.” With the passing of the coach who recruited him that year — and a new business opportunity with friends emerging — he made the decision to return to California.

Phoenix, AZ - June 21, 2023 (Photo by Jennifer Stewart)

Still interested in playing collegiate baseball, in his second year he enrolled in Santa Monica College and College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, but his passion was drifting elsewhere. Collaborating with his friend Dan, they worked on a YouTube channel called DSARM where they were able to tell stories about baseball. By November 2022, he said, “I decided to quit baseball, commit to pursuing an academic degree at the best school I could in the Los Angeles area and go all in on our YouTube channel at the same time. I saw a career in this and really enjoyed every second of it.”

Despite being accepted to Berkeley, UCLA had always been his dream school growing up. Both his father and aunt went to UCLA, as did his sister Sadie, who just completed her first year in law school. For Rochman, it was a no brainer: stay in Los Angeles, get a degree from the number one public school in the country and grow his business. He said, “It was the perfect culmination of everything.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, he chose to major in philosophy, which was a subject that’s always interested him. He said, “It helps in all ways of life. You understand people at a deeper level, you understand why you do certain things, how to get people to think certain ways and why people do what they do. I've always been someone who likes to have deep talks with my friends or thinks about abstract concepts.” Undoubtedly, when life took a dark turn down the road, philosophy gave him a deeper understanding about the human experience and overcoming tragedy.

By Rochman’s third year in college and first at UCLA, business was booming for him and his partners. They had launched three brand media ventures, the first being DSARM, which was a multimedia baseball YouTube channel with over half a million subscribers. The videos feature player interviews, game experiences and challenges throughout the sport. The second media conglomerate, Enjoy the Show, is two-pronged featuring creative YouTube videos and a podcast.

This past September, they launched their third venture, a sub-platform called DSARM Elite, which is a youth travel ball organization that he and his partners run together. Rochman described it this way: “Basically, we pull some of the best baseball players from around the country and bring them to a tournament for a weekend. They pay for their flights and hotels, but we give them a ton of gear with sponsors that we work with, like Nike and Rawlings, and get them cool custom packages.”

Rochman enjoys what this does for the kids. “We’re building the most fun weekend of their lives. They get to meet all these different kids, be on camera, see these stories told about them and it kind of prepares them for this new era in sports. It helps build their brand, because these kids are already building brands with their parents.”

"There's just no way my house would burn. It would have to burn through hundreds of homes to get to my house."

With his passion projects hitting their stride and Rochman attending his dream school, it was then that life took an unexpected turn. On the morning of Jan. 7, 2025, Rochman was in class on the first day of winter quarter. He knew that fire had broken out near his family's home in the Palisades, but didn’t think much of it since fires were a common occurrence when he was growing up.

At first there was denial from himself, his friends and family members that the fire could get that bad. Their exchanged text messages kept repeating the phrases “Everything’s going to be okay,” and “Our house is going to be fine.” Until the message came: “Mandatory evacuation for all of Pacific Palisades.” Stepping outside near Royce Hall, he saw the mountain of smoke in the distance and thought, “Oh my God, this is really bad!”

He hopped in his car to go home as fast as he could. His mother had left their house to gas up their car, but was unable to return due to roadblocks. His father was at work but would also hit the same closures. Out of caution, his sister had taken their dog and some clothing to a friend’s house when the fire was just beginning. Meanwhile, his friends were texting him, “These cars are stuck, and they're being bulldozed out of the way, because this fire is jumping erratically and completely out of control, flying down the mountain, burning houses and stores." The fire went from 0 to 100.

Rochman brushed aside the hysteria and kept telling himself, “My house is gonna be totally fine. They're gonna put this fire out. There's probably helicopters picking up water as we speak and dropping it. There's just no way my house would burn. It would have to burn through hundreds of homes to get to my house.”

"As we got closer, we were looking at unfathomable destruction that could never be unseen."

When his mother told him she couldn’t return home and their two cats were still inside the house, he knew he needed to save them. At this point, he ran into a police checkpoint where cars were not being let through. The officer told him, “I can't let you drive through, but you can park here, and I'll look the other way, and you can walk past me.”

So Rochman proceeded to walk a mile and a half on the side of the highway and up a hill towards his house. He said, “I'm passing an exodus of people coming down, like gardeners and neighbors, who were coughing from the smoke. They had masks, and this gardener told me, ‘Oh, it's bad, it’s bad, it’s bad! Here, take this,’ and he gave me his mask, because I didn't have anything, which was really nice of him.”

When Rochman reached his house, it was filled with smoke because all the windows were open and he looked for his cats. He grabbed a couple of photo albums and the cat carrier but couldn’t corral the cats inside it. He recalled, “I'm freaking out at this point. I'm like, ‘Mom, I can't get these cats in!’ I'm lifting up beds, but they're hiding because they're scared of the smoke, and there's fire trucks and people everywhere. There's also police in the street with bullhorns yelling, ‘You need to leave!’”

Luckily, Rochman was able to recruit a lady who was walking down the street to help him. She held the carrier while he put the cats inside. With cats and albums in tow, he made his way down the hill back to his car and drove to his godfather’s house where he and his family watched the horrifying news unfold.

The strong winds prevented the planes from flying, which meant the fire spread uncontrollably, burning down his elementary school and Palisades High School, wiping out entire neighborhoods. It was an emotional night for their family.

The next morning at 6 a.m., Rochman, his father, godfather and two friends went to Home Depot to pick up some safety supplies and they made their way back to their house to try and save it. Using the Watch Duty app, they were able to monitor the fire’s exact location and keep themselves safe. This time, the scene was much different than the day before. He said, “As we got closer, we were looking at unfathomable destruction that could never be unseen. It was so bad, there were structures on the beach that were burnt. And then you look to your right, and there's an entire mountain where houses used to be and mobile homes that were completely burnt and cars melted.”

"I felt like there was truly a sense of community of people who cared about each other at a deeper level."

When they reached the street where their house was located, they saw their neighbor’s house completely engulfed in flames with the windows blowing out. He said, “I witnessed some of the craziest stuff. I saw their walls falling down and propane tanks flying out of a yard and exploding in the air. It was madness.”

They finally saw their house, which was still standing, but it was surrounded by houses already on fire and they could see fire in their backyard. They hoped to use water to put out some fires, but there was none. They contemplated going inside but thought better of it fearing the walls could collapse in on them. In a last-ditch effort, they called 9-1-1 in hopes firefighters could be sent to save their home while it was still standing. The dispatcher’s response was, “I’m sorry. Firefighters are where they need to be right now.” 

With fire raging all around, the situation became dangerous for them. There was only one safe road out of their neighborhood and they couldn’t risk getting stuck. They started to drive down the hill when all of a sudden, a burning tree fell on the road, blocking their path. Near panic ensued. They immediately jumped out of the car and pushed a part of the tree that wasn’t on fire out of the way.

Rochman, his family and friends were able to get out safely. But he found out some devastating news. “My cousin had called his friend, who was a news reporter, and asked him to go to our house to see if there's anything else that he could do. When he got there, he said our whole backyard was on fire and everything was engulfed in flames. Basically, five minutes after we had left, it all burned.”

 In the immediate aftermath of the fire, their family was filled with sadness and shock. They stayed with family friends for a while and gathered basic survival necessities like clothing and toiletries from victim resource pop-ups, store giveaways and community events. People were generous and gave nice brand-name clothing, along with new hair dryers, makeup, skincare, etc. He said, “I felt like there was truly a sense of community and people who cared about each other at a deeper level. They rallied together for the people who needed support. That was a really heartwarming experience.”

Rochman explained it was difficult to feel like a victim, because it took a sense of vulnerability to receive help, but he said it was needed, and their family was very grateful for that stability. Moreover, he understood the privilege his family had because there were more people who had it worse, especially those who lost loved ones in the Altadena fire or had fewer resources to aid in recovery.

"My first priority was to support my family as much as I could and take care of myself mentally."

Keeping up with school was another matter. Trying to run a business, meeting course deadlines or focusing in class was nearly impossible after running around L.A. collecting supplies and dealing with the aftermath of the fire, including the mental and emotional trauma. Rochman took about a month and a half off from school and then came back part-time. He said, “My first priority was to support my family as much as I could and take care of myself mentally. I also tried to do my job, because that felt like something that kept me happy and creatively fulfilled during such a dark time. And I also worked towards finishing my degree, which was of the utmost importance.”

Rochman credits UCLA for being incredibly supportive during this time. Unbeknownst to him, he was assigned a case manager who met with him and helped him figure out how to navigate his academic responsibilities. He said, “They reached out to all my professors for me, and told them, ‘Leo has a tense situation, he's gonna provide more context as soon as possible, but we're letting you know he's not gonna be at school for the foreseeable future. And if you could coordinate sending any notes to him or any assignments, he wants to stay on top of it to the best of his ability, but UCLA is supporting him through this difficult time.’ That's possibly the best thing that happened for me.” Rochman met with his professors and counselors over Zoom without having to over-explain anything and they were all very understanding. He felt reassured he wasn’t going to fall behind completely.

Nearly a year and a half later, Rochman and his family are in the midst of recovery and rebuilding. His family is renting a place, while he stays in the Valley with his roommates. While dealing with insurance was not a smooth process, they did receive some money and plan to rebuild on the same property. His brand media business is thriving, and in a few weeks, he will close his UCLA chapter and graduate with the Class of 2026. It will be a moment filled with gratitude — not just for his family and friends, but also for the lady who helped him save his cats, for the gardener who gave him a mask so he could breathe, for the UCLA advocate who helped save him from having a mental breakdown, and for the countless community members and organizations who supported them in a time of crisis. Rochman carries with him a newfound resilience and philosophy, “No matter how stressful or how hard things get, you know you’ll always be able to figure things out. Everything’s gonna be ok. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.”   

***

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PRIME: Daily Bruin - After the Fire

Bruins Who Played in the Men’s FIFA World Cup



If we missed anyone, please email us at connectfeedback@alumni.ucla.edu. In 2027, before the Women's World Cup takes the stage, we will feature the Bruin women who have played in the tournament.

UC Inspires Honors UCLA Alumni

The University of California Regents gathered on the UCLA campus for their May 5 meeting, where UC Regent Chair Janet Reilly ’86 celebrated the impact of UC graduates as part of "UC Inspires: Leveraging the Power of UC Alumni."

Brian Lee ’93, J.D. ’96

The “UC Inspires” series was launched in 2024 to showcase the exceptional public impact of the University from its classrooms and research laboratories to its athletic fields and community town squares. At this Regent’s meeting, four prominent alumni, two from UCLA, shared how their UC education impacted their lives. 

In introducing the panel, Reilly said, “As a fellow alum whose time at UCLA helped shape me and transform my life, I'm especially pleased to welcome our four distinguished alumni who will now share how their UC experience influenced their journeys and how we can continue to amplify that impact for future generations. Their achievements demonstrate the enduring return on public investment, not only economically, but in advancing the broader public good.”

UC Regent and former Alumni Association President Ann Wang ’13 introduced entrepreneur and CEO Brian Lee ’93, J.D. ’96, the co-founder of LegalZoom, The Honest Company, ShoeDazzle and Arena Club. Lee holds a bachelor's degree in business economics and a juris doctor from UCLA.

Lee says that his father’s admiration for basketball coach John Wooden inspired him to attend UCLA. Among his most memorable experiences was a class he took outside his business economics major on poet Federico García Lorca. He said the poet's ability to "take the mundane and make it beautiful" deeply resonated with him. He also credited his time living in Saxon Suites with a diverse group of roommates for expanding his cultural horizons, saying “[It was] awesome! I never experienced anything like that. Learning about their different cultures and their traditions. I tried all their foods. This was eye opening for me. It was incredible. I had so much fun at UCLA.”

Cari Champion ’98

When it came time to graduate, Lee only applied to one law school. Fortunately, he was accepted to the UCLA School of Law, where he met Brian Liu, J.D. ’96. In 2001, the business partners founded the successful online legal technology and services company LegalZoom.

Regent Robert "Bob" Myers ’98 played basketball for the UCLA Bruins from 1993 to 1997. He introduced broadcast journalist Cari Champion ’98. Formerly an anchor at ESPN, she currently hosts the podcast Naked Sports with Cari Champion. At UCLA, Champion majored in English, minored in mass communications and was a writer for the Daily Bruin.

As Champion looked back on her time at UCLA she shared, “I begin with telling you a story about labels. People use labels to describe someone or to put packaging on a product and often if you are mislabeled, you're handled wrong. For me, I think the one thing that I remember most about going to UCLA is that I was always labeled correctly. I was always put in a position to succeed.”

Champion participated in UCLA’s freshman summer Academic Advancement Program (AAP). She says, “What it did for me is invaluable. Those two weeks really changed my life and set me up for success. And I look back at all of my experiences at UCLA and there was always someone, whether it was a counselor, a professor or a friend, giving me that help and that encouragement that I didn't even know that I needed.” 

Cori Close, M.Ed. ’95

The UCLA alumni were joined by UC Davis grad, master chef and author Martin Yan ’73, M.S. ’77, and UCSF grad and former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.S. ’77, M.D. ’79.

The alumni panel was followed by a celebration of the UCLA Bruins Women’s Basketball NCAA Championship team. Coach Cori Close, M.Ed. ’95 honored the team for their growth both on and off the court. “I hope when you see our team, you will see that champions really are made here, but always from the inside out. I want you to know that we take such pride in representing our incredible UC system. We are really proud of what we've been able to do on the court, and we think we're just beginning. But even more is the way in which we handle our business in the classroom and hopefully impact our community in a way that makes you proud.”

In closing, Reilly thanked the alumni saying, “You really epitomize inspiration and reflect the values of this great institution of service and curiosity, lifelong learning and community service. We are so grateful to have you here and to hear your stories.”


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Volunteer Gratitude Experience - 2026

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, the UCLA Alumni Association hosted a heartfelt Volunteer Gratitude Experience celebrating the incredible dedication and impact of Bruin volunteers. The event brought together alumni leaders, volunteers and staff in a warm and welcoming atmosphere centered on appreciation, connection and community. Through thoughtful programming and meaningful interactions, volunteers were recognized for the countless ways they strengthen and support the UCLA community around the world.

The celebration also highlighted the ongoing Bruins Around the World virtual scavenger hunt, which invites alumni to share stories, photos and memories that showcase their UCLA journey and Bruin spirit from wherever they are in the world. Alumni can still participate (ends June 1, 2026) and learn more at: https://alumni.ucla.edu/scavenger-hunt-2026/.

For Bruins interested in becoming more involved with UCLA Alumni, there are many opportunities to volunteer, mentor, support events and strengthen the alumni community. Learn more about how to get involved at: https://alumni.ucla.edu/get-involved/.

Alumni Mentor Program: Dinner in the Dorms

A celebration of Bruin community and meaningful mentorship, bringing together members of the 2025–26 Alumni Mentor Program cohort for a shared meal and connection.

True Bruin Traditions Keeper - 2024

We recently recognized 76 graduates who fulfilled all of the True Bruin Traditions Keeper qualifications ahead of their graduation with a special ceremony! The evening honored their program completion, highlighted memories from each tradition and awarded recipients one-of-a-kind medals to be worn at commencement. We can't wait to see their continued involvement as UCLA's newest and most spirited alumni! Learn more about the program here.

Bruins in the Bay Area: Leaders at the Forefront of AI

The UCLA Alumni Association, in collaboration with partners across campus (listed below), hosted Bruins in the Bay Area: Leaders at the Forefront of AI at a Bruin owned business, Palermo Italian Restaurant in San Jose, on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.

The event included the following panel of alumni leaders that gave an overview of AI and its application to strategy, and various industries, such as healthcare, finance, technology, and consulting: Betty Pio '02 Partner at Kearney, Nicole Loventhal '94, Managing Director at EY, Neil Hoyne, MBA '09, Chief Strategist at Google, and Sharad Aggarwal, MBA '24, Global Head, Strategy, Partnerships & AI Solutions at Google Cloud.

Mia Seleshi, Director, Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs, delivered the welcome address and moderated the panel. 

In Partnership With:

Building Community: UCLA Disability Alumni Network Focuses on Belonging and Visibility

For Leah Falcon ’17, finding her community took longer than she expected.

Diagnosed with dyslexia in first grade, Falcon had spent most of her life identifying as a person with a disability but rarely encountered others who shared that identity. It wasn't until she connected with the UCLA Disability Alumni Network (UDAN) that she found the sense of belonging she had been searching for.

Leah Falcon ’17

"I'd never really met people in the disability community before," said Falcon, who now serves as co-president of the network. "Most of my friends don't really identify as having a disability, so I don't really have those shared experiences in my everyday life. With UDAN, I finally got the community I'd been searching for."

UDAN was founded by a group of seven alumni who responded to an outreach effort by UCLA's Center for Accessible Education and the UCLA Alumni Association. Among the founders was Avril Frasché ’17, who recalls the founding as both demanding and energizing.

"In the founding stages, we spent a lot of time making decisions about how we wanted to build the network," Frasché said. "Some of it was tedious and tiring, but a lot of it was exciting."

Both women describe UDAN's core mission in the same terms: community. For Frasché, that meant connecting with people who had navigated UCLA and life in similar ways. For Falcon, who attended every on-campus sport at least once as a student through the athletics booster organization The DEN, it meant finally having a space where her full identity was understood.

Disability, Falcon said, is often an overlooked dimension of diversity.

"We're kind of the afterthought in a lot of ways, in making things accessible, making things comfortable, easy," she said. "Knowing that you're not alone is a really nice first step."

Avril Frasché
Avril Frasché ’17

Since its founding, UDAN has developed a mentorship program through UCLA One, maintained a consistent presence at the Disabled Student Union’s annual graduation celebration, and hosted various virtual events. Frasché, who served two terms before stepping back from the board, says this range reflects the network's values.

'There's something incredibly cathartic about being in a space with people who know what it's like to exist in this world, and at UCLA, as a disabled person,' Frasché said. 'I love the range of events we've held, from a panel on navigating disabilities to cozy craft nights. Events really bring us together and build our community.'

Falcon acknowledges the network is still growing and that visibility remains its biggest obstacle.

"A lot of people just don't know we exist," she said. "But once they find out about us, they get excited and want to be a part of it."

Get Involved & Join Us

Whether you are new to UDAN or have been looking for a way to get involved, coming to the network's next event is a natural place to start. In partnership with UCLA Alumni Career Engagement and UCLA Alumni Diversity Programs and Initiatives, UDAN will host “Disability Inclusion in the Workplace” on May 2, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the UCLA Labor Center.

Presented as part of the Alumni Diversity Programs & Initiatives’ EmPower Hour series, which brings UCLA alumni, faculty and staff together to explore social issues affecting local and global communities, the event will feature a panel of Bruin employers and employees sharing their expertise on navigating disabilities in professional settings, followed by facilitated tabletop discussions and light refreshments. The event is open to students, alumni, employers and allies.

"Navigating disability in the workplace is hard. I do it every day," Falcon said. "We really hope people walk away knowing they're not alone."


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Submissions: Photo and Video

Do you have a UCLA moment you’ll never forget?

Maybe it’s a photo that instantly takes you back, the friends, the laughter, the feeling of being right where you belong. Maybe it's video that captured a milestone, a quiet in-between moment, or the energy of campus life you still carry with you today. Or perhaps it's something you captured years later on a return visit to campus. Maybe it’s the energy of a game day, a quiet walk through familiar paths, or a full-circle moment bringing your child to UCLA for the first time.

Wherever your Bruin story continues, those moments matter and we’d love to see them!

We’re collecting visually captured Bruin memories, photos and videos, to showcase your UCLA experience across our websites, social media, and various communication channels. Share what makes being a Bruin so meaningful with thousands of others and help keep the spirit of UCLA alive across every generation.

Not sure what to submit? Please see the link below for some examples.

By submitting photos, videos or other materials (“Content”) to UCLA Alumni, you grant UCLA Alum Association and its affiliates a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable license to use, reproduce, edit, modify, publish, distribute and display the content in any and all media formats and channels now known or later developed, for promotional, marketing and communications purposes related to UCLA Alumni.

By submitting Content, you represent and warrant that you own or have secured all necessary rights, permissions and consents to share the Content and to grant the rights described above, including consent from any individuals appearing in the Content. You further agree that the Content does not infringe upon the rights of any third party.

You acknowledge and agree that UCLA Alumni is not obligated to use or publish the submitted Content and may remove or discontinue use at its sole discretion.

By submitting, you release and hold harmless UCLA Alumni Association, its officers, employees, agents and affiliates from any and all claims, demands or liabilities arising out of or in connection with the use of the Content as described above.


Bruins@Work Program Fosters Community

From campus to career, a UCLA education is the beginning of a lifetime of connection. Whether it’s networking with former classmates, mentoring a current student or forging an instant bond with colleagues, being a Bruin brings people together.

UCLA Alumni’s Bruins@Work program fosters Bruin communities within workplaces, industries and regions. It encourages career connections, creating opportunities for professional development and a chance to give back. With more than 700,000 alumni worldwide, there are as many ways to get involved and stay connected as there are Bruins. The Bruins@Work program has built relationships with companies including Amazon, Google, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Northrop Grumman, bridging the gap between education and employment. 

Jon Arenberg '83, M.S. '85, Ph.D. '87, entered UCLA as a commuter student alongside three friends from Santa Monica High School. Today, the triple Bruin is chief mission architect, Science & Robotic Missions, Civil & Commercial Space at Northrop Grumman. He has contributed to milestone projects, including the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest telescope in space, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and he co-invented the Starshade concept, a key tool in the search for Earth-like planets.

Jon Arenberg
Jon Arenberg

Arenberg is a co-founder and chair of UCLA Alumni Northrop Grumman. Northrop Grumman encourages a culture of giving back to build a strong community. He says, “UCLA played a strong role in my professional success and I enjoy giving back. I believe that's my role as a senior engineer ꟷ to share what I've learned to guide my younger colleagues.” 

His commitment to UCLA was recognized in 2020 when he received the UCLA Samueli Professional Achievement Award, celebrating both his aerospace milestones and his passion for the Bruin community. He says, “It is fun to go back to campus and talk to the young engineers about the practice of engineering, how we build things like James Webb and how they can contribute.” He returns to UCLA not just to speak to engineers, but to show students from every field how they can contribute to the future of space exploration. He says, “We have hired people with degrees from accounting to zoology, which is the A to Z of offered degrees.” 

This dedication to building career pathways is a common thread among alumni, from the sciences to the entertainment industry. Grace Moss '99, vice president of Inclusion Pipeline Programs for Warner Bros. Discovery, embodies the pay-it-forward spirit that defines the Bruin community. She says, “I’m a very proud Bruin. I had a fantastic experience and I wear the UCLA badge with pride.” 

Grace Moss

Moss majored in English and minored in Asian American Studies, studying Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. She participated in Samahan and Pilipino Cultural Night, took Tagalog the first year it was offered and received the Royale Morales Prize in Pilipino American Studies. As a fourth-year student, she attended the annual Entertainment Networking Night in Ackerman, which inspired her to pursue her current career. She says, “One highly impactful experience at UCLA was being an orientation counselor. I’ve never thought of it this way before, but it ties into what I do now. I create talent development pipeline programs, mentoring emerging writers and directors to give them a pathway into careers at Warner Bros. Discovery.”

Moss worked with UCLA Alumni to organize a Bruin meet-and-greet at Warner Bros. Discovery. The informal program connected Bruin colleagues, creating opportunities for networking and career growth. She has participated in Dinner for 12 Strangers, spoken at UCLA and is committed to sharing her expertise with students. She says, “When there’s an opportunity to hire someone from UCLA, I often consider it because I know they are smart, professional and reliable. It builds a stronger connection and touchpoint. Having a similar education and experience is just an additional layer of strengthening ties in this industry.”

Matt Jacobs

Every Bruin has a unique story and the power to make a difference. Matt Jacobs is a manufacturing engineer at Northrop Grumman, helping build the hardware for spacecraft. He’s also a current student at the Samueli School of Engineering, pursuing an M.S. degree in the Engineering Online Program (MSOL) on nights and weekends. 

Jacobs is the vice chair of the UCLA Alumni Northrop Grumman chapter, leading opportunities for members to connect with current UCLA students. They also build community through tailgates, donation opportunities and on-campus engagements. And members can show off their Bruin pride with jointly branded UCLA Alumni and Northrop Grumman merchandise.

Jacobs chose UCLA because of a family connection. “My wife attended UCLA as an undergrad, and had a deep connection to the Westwood community.” Although his program is online, when he has the chance to be on campus he takes it. “I love the energy of being on campus. That same energy is manifest when we have interns and early career people come onto our work campus. That's infectious.”

He helped establish Bruin Buddies, a summer mentorship program at Northrop Grumman that pairs staff members with a UCLA student. He says, “It gives them the chance to see how they connect to the bigger picture ꟷ and, of course, how the work connects to what they're learning on campus.” He continues, “At the end of the day, it's about the people you work with, and I find that to be very meaningful. Bruin Buddies has been a significant way of connecting with people and sharing that excitement about UCLA.”

***

If you’re interested in establishing a Bruins@Work program at your workplace, contact Alyson Beckman at abeckman@support.ucla.edu | Director, UCLA Alumni Career Engagement. If you already have a UCLA corporate community at your workplace, let us know.

If you’re interested in hiring Bruins or finding interns for your company, contact Mia Seleshi at mseleshi@support.ucla.edu to learn more about opportunities to meet top candidates.


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