Vibrant San Diego Alumni Chapter Welcomes New Members
UC Law San Francisco graduates shared good laughs and libations at a San Diego Alumni Chapter event at Stone Brewing in August 2021. (Photo by Adam Sloustcher ’13)
It’s just under 500 miles from San Francisco to San Diego, but UC Law San Francisco alumni in San Diego are shortening the distance by staying connected to graduates and current law students.
Former Alumni Association Board of Governors member Paul Yong ’88 recently hosted a 6@6 event – hosting six students for lunch – so local law students could meet each other, make professional connections, and ask questions. Yong, chief tax counsel at Sempra Corporation, said student and alumni events are a chance for him to pay it forward, and show his appreciation for the education he received.
“The students are very engaged in school. They join clubs, they’re all very, very engaged, but when they start work, a lot of times they don’t know the local alumni base,” he said.
The event was a hit for Lilian Macancela ’25, who wants to practice law in San Diego after graduation. As a first-year student, she jumped at an invitation to lunch with a practicing lawyer, “Involved alumni make a world of a difference and have the potential to open doors otherwise not available.”
The 6@6 event is part of a renewed focus of the San Diego Alumni Chapter of UC Law SF to connect students, recent grads, and seasoned alumni. With statewide COVID restrictions lifted, support of the law school’s alumni association, and a reenergized group of alumni, the chapter is poised to strengthen its network of 1,000 area alumni.
UC Law San Francisco alumni enjoyed craft cocktails and good company at a craft distillery in San Diego in December 2021. (Photo by Adam Sloustcher ’13)
Yong said he’s seen the ups and downs of alumni engagement over the years, and it is important that students and alumni recognize that a strong alumni association helps bolster networking opportunities and the prestige of the school.
On May 23, Summer Happy Hour and Bash is being organized by chapter leaders Adam Sloutscher ’13, Kent Sprinkle ’06 and Ron Zollman ’90, who is also on the Alumni Association Board of Governors. Stone Brewing and Raymond Gallenberg ‘05, assistant general counsel of Stone Brewing, are hosting at Stone World Bistro and Gardens at Liberty Station at 6 p.m., open to students and alumni. All ticket proceeds from this event go directly to support student scholarships. Those interested in attending, can RSVP here.
The enthusiasm of the San Diego chapter, one of the largest in the country, is matched by the law school’s Alumni Association. “We want to make sure people know their alumni association is there for them,” said Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement Charles Wollin. “We want to bring as many people together under the UC Law SF umbrella, and do that through happy hours, networking, museum tours, sporting events, music, theatre, and other forms of connection.”
Mackenzie Paskerian, another 1L student who attended the 6@6, said it was fantastic to see familiar faces from her section, meet new students, and get great insight from Yong. “We discussed what it takes to make a great impression in an interview and how to stand out among other candidates,” she said. “It was really cool to get to know how Paul made it in the San Diego market and how we can model that.”
Get ready, San Diego, because as Wollin notes, “We have some really impactful, poignant, special, and fun events to be a part of.”