Alumni Stories

When asked about his favorite part of his current role as the Vice President of Animal Care at the Monterey (‘86, Biology) Bay Aquarium, Jon Hoech emphasizes working with amazing people who share his passion for marine conservation and the breathtaking view of the Monterey Bay from his office window, both mirroring his favorite parts about studying at Cal Poly Humboldt.

It has been over 80 years since Sarah (Southworth) Franklin (‘43, Education) was a senior at Cal Poly Humboldt, then-Humboldt State College.

Emily Pinckney (‘15, Marine Biology) is a dedicated environmental scientist, advocate, and leader committed to making the world a better place through her work.

Ron Holcomb ('76, Journalism, Biology, and Natural Resources) grew up near the Santa Barbara coast and mountains. He loved surfing the pristine beaches and hiking the Santa Ynez mountains.

Playing video games was always a way for Jade Takimoto-Soriano ('16, International Studies) and her family to connect and spend time together. Her love for video games has come full circle as she is now the recruiter of diversity and Inclusion at Bad Robot Games, a video game company founded by renowned filmmaker J.J. Abrams, who made films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Mission Impossible, and Star Trek.

The Humboldt Alumni Scholarship is a testament to the dedication of Cal Poly Humboldt's alumni in supporting current students.

Being part of the Privacy Leadership Team at Meta, Facebook’s parent company, which focuses on developing augmented and virtual reality technology, means thinking outside the box.

Ever since 1960, Cal Poly Humboldt has been honoring the accomplishments of its alumni through the inception of the annual Who's Who Award.

As a Senior Producer for NPR and WBUR Boston's "Here and Now," a news magazine program, Ashley Bailey Locke ('10, Journalism) is living her dream of telling impactful stories.

Since its inception in 2013, El Leñador, Cal Poly Humboldt’s bilingual newspaper, has given many Humboldt Latinx students a sense of belonging, understanding, and empowerment.

When a small pebble is dropped into a still body of water, it creates a small ripple. When another pebble is dropped, it creates another ripple. For Eddie Pate (‘88, Wildlife, ‘93, M.A. Sociology), dropping a continuous pebble of intentional inclusion, diversity, and equitable (IDE) actions gradually changes the flow of systemic inequalities for a more inclusive environment for underrepresented people.

When Kurt McCray ('93, Forestry) came to Humboldt in the late 1980s, he knew he didn’t want a career that kept him inside. 

Cal Poly Humboldt graduate Martin Arata’s (‘74, Industrial Arts) career studies have taken him all over the world, most recently to a small shipbuildling school in northeast Spain, where he’s spent

Sherman Schapiro (‘86, Environmental Systems) is proof that giving inspires giving.

Kari Marie Norgaard (‘92, Biology) got more than she expected out of Cal Poly Humboldt.

Her mother and father. Her sister. Her brother. Her other sister. Her sister’s husband. Her cousin. Her niece.And the list goes on.

Felix Quintana (‘14, Art), whose art has been gaining significant attention, says Humboldt was a huge influence on his artistic development and an important part of his life experience.

Katrina “Katie” S. Hagen (’94, Political Science and French) says no one knows what she does.

If you’ve got a saltwater aquarium with exotic fish and corals, there’s a good chance you’ve dealt with Cal Poly Humboldt alumnus Robert Miller (‘85, Oceanography).

A cup of coffee with a professor from the Telonicher Marine Lab changed everything for Dave Ebert (’81, Zoology).

Meg Godlewski (‘87, Journalism) is passionate about two things—aviation and writing—and she’s figured out how to combine the two into a satisfying career.

“I’m not a pure forestry guy.” So says “forestry guy” Cal Mukumoto (‘77, Forestry), who was appointed Oregon State Forester last year. “I’ve had a varied career and for me to be in this position is a surprise.”

On a cool, overcast day, Tim Karas (‘91, Geography) walked across the field in Redwood Bowl to receive his diploma, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college.

As a young student, Jennifer Kho (‘99, Journalism) jumped straight into the deep end at The Lumberjack, Humboldt’s student newspaper, where one assignment after another led her off campus and into the community.

Like many students, Cecil Rhambo (‘80, Sociology) arrived at Humboldt State University sight unseen.