Alum and LA County Deputy Public Defender Marcus Williams (BA, political science and government) chats up Anteaters Oct. 13 outside Irvine Barclay Theatre. The next image shows networking happening inside the lobby. Below that, an Anteater poses for a professional headshot. At the bottom is the Psychology Career Panel assembled onstage. Photos by Andersen Photography
Nearly 400 Anteaters connect with industry leaders, alumni and employers at Career Summit
By Matt Coker
On Oct. 13, a record 386 students gathered at the Irvine Barclay Theatre for the School of Social Ecology’s third annual Career Summit, shattering the previous attendance high of 325 Anteaters. The energetic turnout reflected a strong commitment from alumni, faculty, staff, employers, and community partners. More than 100 professionals voluntarily shared their expertise across targeted panel discussions and networking sessions, while more than 50 organizations lined the outdoor Career & Internship Fair.
As Stacy Skwarlo, executive director of development, noted, the event was not only a showcase of community engagement, but an essential bridge for students to connect directly with working professionals and explore possibilities beyond the classroom.
The summit kicked off in the morning with the Urban Studies and Environmental Science and Policy Career Panel, moderated by Professor Doug Houston. Joining Houston on stage were alumni and industry leaders, including Alyssa Gonzalez (’22, MURP), senior planner with the City of Dana Point; Aarushi Gupta, UCI senior sustainability planner; Alyssa Napuri, chief of staff to Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley; and Alba Velasquez, executive director of the Los Angeles Food Policy Council.
One of the event organizers, Career Services and Field Study Director Dmitry Tsukerman, was armed with a hot microphone as he bounced around the hall soliciting students’ questions for each summit panel. He found urban studies students who were eager to press their panel on practical realities, asking about post-grad compensation and the advice speakers wished they had received as undergraduates.
Iza Camarillo, research director at the UC Irvine Labor Center, offered a reassuring perspective on early-career missteps: “It’s OK if you make a mistake,” Camarillo advised. “It’s OK that your first job out of college is not this super dream job that you always imagined. You just have to stick it out. You have to develop that tough skin. ... Every step back, think of it as a spring forward.”
Echoing that sentiment, Southern California Edison Project Manager Cyrus Mirabueno urged students never to stop learning or lose heart. “If you have a dream in mind ... don’t expect to get it right away, but also don’t feel down if you don’t get it right away,” Mirabueno emphasized.
That spirit of practical guidance carried into the Criminology, Law & Society (CLS) panel, moderated by Associate Professor Brandon Golob. The panel featured a distinguished array of legal and law enforcement leaders: Criminalistics Technician Cristal Burkett (’06) of the Santa Maria Police Department; Lt. Brian Kim of the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office; Managing Partner Tenny Rostomian-Amin (’00) of Amin Law Group; Legal Services Advocate Maria Sarmiento (’25) of Mental Health Advocacy Services; and Deputy Public Defender Marcus Williams of the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office.
During the CLS session, third-year major Matthew Antonio asked how students could build daily micro-habits to master essential field skills like report writing and communication.
Alumna Natasha Kaliski (’21, MAS CLS), a federal probation officer, reassured him that classroom learning directly translates to fieldwork, sharing how her own capstone project on Risk-Need-Responsivity directly aided her during job interviews. Kaliski recommended utilizing faculty office hours and cultivating adaptable interpersonal skills.
Irvine Police Department Threat Mitigation Officer Justin Ortega (’07) added a call to dedication: “Whatever career path you choose, just understand that you chose it, and you should show up every single day and give 110 percent, especially in law enforcement because that’s what the community demands.”
The afternoon concluded with the Psychology Career Panel, moderated by Associate Professor Paul Piff. The panel featured prominent alumni and practitioners: Alicia Dominguez (’11, ’21 MBA), founder and CEO of Rise Integrative Wellness; Amy Hendrickson, customer education specialist at Handshake; Gabriella Nelson, CEO of Lively ABA; Winter McDaniel, assistant director at Nancy Clark and Associates (The Recovery Center); Marta M. Shinn, CEO of Variations Psychology; and Jenna Walker, clinical and forensic psychologist.
Anxieties about perfection and traditional career trajectories came to the forefront when a transfer student shared feelings of being overwhelmed by expectations to conduct research, pursue master's programs, and earn a doctorate immediately. Asked whether a “right way” truly exists to enter clinical work, clinical neuropsychologist and private practice owner Megan Maguire (’16) offered deeply empathetic advice. Drawing from her experience transferring from community college to UCI, Maguire admitted that she once felt burdened by high standards of perfection.
“I wish I had gone so much easier on myself on having it figured out right away,” Maguire shared, encouraging students to embrace setbacks as learning opportunities. “You must have resilience and perseverance to the process. But I wish I had told myself back then, ‘You will get there eventually. And you don’t have to have it all figured out. You don’t have to be perfect right away — or ever.”
By combining real-world perspective with encouraging, relatable counsel, the Career Summit did more than break attendance records. It equipped hundreds of Anteaters with the confidence, professional networks, and mindset needed to navigate their futures—reminding them that success is rarely a straight line, but rather a journey built on perseverance, continuous learning, and self-compassion.
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