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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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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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