Alumni Continue the Journey
We embarked on a transformative journey with the Brilliant Future campaign, aiming to raise $2 billion and engage 75,000 alumni to propel UC Irvine to new heights. Today, we’re proud to announce not only did we exceed our goals, we accomplished them ahead of schedule.
We’re celebrating this significant milestone and continuing to make change and drive impact. The Brilliant Future campaign officially ends in October 2025, and there is still time be a part of the momentum that shapes our Anteater legacy.
Be a part of the change and explore the ways you can engage with UC Irvine below. Get to know your fellow Anteaters through reading their stories that helped amount to the 75,000 alumni milestone we celebrate today. Know their “why,” and find a connection point that excites you.
$2 Billion+
Raised
75,000+
Engaged Alumni
WHAT IS ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT?
From volunteering in local neighborhoods to serving on boards, raising vital scholarship funds, and mentoring students and fellow alumni, our more than 75,000 engaged alumni are leaving an indelible mark on UC Irvine and beyond. This milestone is a testament to what our Anteater pride can achieve. Imagine the lives touched, the dreams made possible, and the legacies built because our alumni dared to make a difference. Be part of something bigger, bolder, and more brilliant—because the future shines brightest when we work together as one Anteater family.
CONNECT
EXPERIENCE
SERVE
GIVE
MEET SOME OF OUR ENGAGED ANTEATERS
“…I have engaged with the OC Alumni, School of Education and Social Sciences groups, because I want to be involved, meet others, and volunteer, so Orange County becomes the best community it can be. One highlight from my most recent alumni experience was that I could attend the Lauds and Laurels banquet and hand the reigns over to the next recipient. While I was the winner, I was honored to be the Mace Marshall for the SOE and Physics departments graduation ceremony. (As I said crossover, even at graduation. This was an amazing opportunity!”
“UCI continues to not only grow in size, but it has continually produced some of the top performers in many professions. The opportunity to connect and network with many of my fellow alums via the UCI Black Alumni Chapter is an awesome experience. One of my personal highlights was being the chairperson of the 2023 reunion. I was able to see the talents of five decades of alumni work together, and we honored individuals from all generations.”
“Mentees and mentors express lots of enthusiasm when joining and participating in the [College of Health Sciences Mentorship Program]…Mentorship helps to connect people from different stages in life and career. Taking the steps to attain a degree is surely an accomplishment, but it is very different from what comes next, whether that be establishing a career or going to school for a higher degree. Mentorship helps bring awareness to this transition.
No matter where life takes you, you will always be a part of the UCI Alumni community. This community will always be there for you and is constant. I think it is worthwhile to maintain this relationship because your engagement with UCI or a person in your alumni network may lead you to an opportunity. It can also simply be comforting to remember and keep in touch with your roots.”
“…My first interview [after graduating] went badly but I did learn a lot from it and luckily, through the UCI Engineering Resume Book which was passed out to local companies through UCI ASCE club back in those days, I was called back in for another interview.
This experience has been something which has driven my passion to help students avoid the pitfalls I made and hence why I created the Professional Development Workshop…This event has grown since its inception 3 years ago which had 30 students attend to now close to 300 students…”
“I’m proud to mentor students through UCI’s LeadHER program and inspire others with insights on digital credentials and Learner and Employer Records (LER) at the UC Alumni Career Fair. My mission is to empower UCI students and alumni to unlock the full potential of their degrees and thrive in the skills-first labor market.”
“I arrived at UCI in 1975 as a first year medical student. I was 19 years old and was the first person in my family ever to graduate from high school. I was shy, introverted, had never lived away from home, and didn’t even know how to drive. UCI believed in me when some doubted I would be a good doctor. Four years later, I graduated as a young confident physician, one of the youngest in the country. Since then, I have trained hundreds of doctors from throughout the world, including faculty members from every medical school that rejected me, published many scientific papers, lectured nationally and internationally, and won 2 international medical awards.
I love sharing my story with UCI students at Dinner with Anteaters (DWA)…The American Dream is alive and well and it starts here at UCI.“
“…I decided to engage as the London alumni ambassador because I realized that there were a good number of Anteater alums who lived in London that did not actively engage with the UC community. Many Anteaters don’t realize that the UC Irvine and the University of California networks are very powerful and influential all around the world, and London is no exception.
When the role of the UC Irvine ambassador opened up, I immediately jumped at the opportunity and took a chance because I wanted to let other Anteaters know about these amazing networks they could be engaging with…It has been one of the most rewarding and beneficial experiences of my time living in Britain.”
“I’ve been involved with the alumni association since I was a student, initially as part of the Student Alumni Association, then on the Young Alumni Council, and now on the Board. Throughout these various roles, I’ve continued to engage as a way to give back to the university that gave so much to me.
One of my UCI engagement highlights is having had the opportunity to represent the alumni association at convocation this fall, 20 years after my own convocation. Convocation is such a pivotal moment for our incoming students as they kick off their collegiate experience. It was a privilege to play a small role in that moment and to welcome them to our anteater community.”
“…Cooking and feeding people has always brought me joy, whether hosting potlucks for friends or sharing meals that become fond memories even years later…When I joined UCI and learned about Dinners with Anteaters, I naturally signed up!
As a student, I attended three dinners, each a unique experience. The first was an online gathering during the pandemic—a one-of-its-kind experience for its time. The second dinner, hosted at Eureka by Goran, offered more than just great food; he shared invaluable tips on building meaningful LinkedIn connections and maintaining relationships by showing up and fostering diverse interests across arts, sciences, technology, and entrepreneurship. The third was an elaborate dinner hosted by a family of accomplished doctors. They shared how UCI had been a transformational experience and a launchpad for their successful careers.
As a host, I wanted my guests to have similarly memorable experiences. For me, hosting is not only about my love for cooking but also a way to give back to the UCI community…”
“The UCI [Filipino American Alumni] reunion was about community and connection. It was an opportunity for Anteaters across five decades to recapture and relish the sense of belonging we experienced during our time at UCI and as members of our respective Filipino student organizations. And in the Filipino American Alumni Chapter, we want to strengthen those bonds of connection and to be a part of creating a collective legacy for our community.”
“…There were two [favorite moments servicing as the Alumni Mace Marshal]. 1. Holding up the anteater-head mace that I designed to fire up the crowd. That was quite the experience. And 2. Handing out the anteater pins to the graduates as they descended the stage. I was the first one to greet them and there was such excitement and joy in their eyes. It was amazing to be a part of their special moment.
Having spent seven years attending UC Irvine (two undergraduate degrees and one graduate degree), I have always felt a deep connection to the university. Those years spent there — particularly my year studying in England as part of UCI’s Education Abroad Program — were, without a doubt, the happiest and most intellectually stimulating of my life. Like family, remaining connected to UC Irvine allows one to remember, to cherish, and to even relive the shared experience of the place and people who helped influence and shape my life.”
“I am so grateful for the diversity of the UCI campus and the wonderful experience obtaining my degrees. Moreover, I am thrilled to witness my son graduate from UCI.
I keep coming back to engage with the New Student Sweatshirt Pickup and Dinner with Anteaters because it brings me so much joy to support our world-class university. I desire to contribute to Anteaters’ “Brilliant Future” as I had a “Bright Past”.”
“The college experience at UCI can be very empowering and a great stepping stone for the future, whatever it may hold. I reflect on it now and I am so grateful for my formative years at UCI. I was immediately drawn to the New Student Sweatshirt Pickup opportunity because my daughter is a new student at UCI and it was a great symbolic gesture to “pass on the torch.”
“I love our diverse community of students! I’m also grateful for the various career and personal development opportunities UCI offers.
The highlight [of being the [Alumni Mace Marshal] was seeing the smiling faces of my professors and being the first to welcome graduates into the alumni community!
It’s important to stay connected through learning, networking, and helping the next generations of Anteaters get the most out of their experience at UC Irvine.”
“When I was a student at UC Irvine, I was fortunate to receive immense support from faculty, staff, mentors and peers who equipped me with the skills and confidence to take on the next chapter of my life…
What fuels my passion for mentoring is the opportunity to give back and empower UC Irvine students and the broader UC Irvine community. I aim to provide them with the tools, training, information, and networks they need to succeed—not just for their own journeys, but so they can one day pay it forward to future students…
To the next generation of Anteaters, I want to say this: there is a strong network of alumni here to support you. Be open to learning, ask for help, and take full advantage of the mentorship offered. Together, we can keep this cycle of growth and success going. “
Alumni, like Vicki Vasques '81, stay connected with UC Irvine to celebrate shared memories, nurture lifelong relationships and remain part of a vibrant community. Watch her video and learn more about how you too can get involved.
Continue to Engage with UC Irvine Alumni
Discover the power of connection and community with UC Irvine Alumni Association! Whether you’re looking to network, give back or celebrate UC Irvine pride, your UC Irvine Alumni Association offers endless opportunities to engage.
Want to elevate your impact? Become a member!
