Like so many other Cal alums, Adrienne and Warren Hogg treasure the memories of their years on campus: for Adrienne, people watching on Sproul Plaza and studying outside near the Campanile; for Warren, participating in Black Engineering and Science Student Association events and all-night computer programming sessions in the basement of Evans Hall.

Sustaining UC Berkeley’s excellence is especially important to Amit and Anju Sharma now that their two children, son Sumeet ’14 and daughter Priyanka ’16, are Cal alums.

Though they live near Los Angeles, Ann and John Dempsay remain in close contact with the Berkeley campus — quite literally, as they fly north for every Cal home football game. They’ve even gotten to know some of the team’s players and their families. 

Anne Grafft Stewart followed in her brother’s footsteps by deciding to go to Cal and ended up starting a legacy of Cal alums in her family. Those initial steps belong to William D. Grafft ’51 M.A. ’59. “My husband’s son went to Cal. My granddaughter went to Cal. We have grandnieces and nephews who went to Cal. I guess Bill and I started something,” Anne says.

Brian Van Camp has stayed connected to Berkeley for a lot of reasons, for starters: the lifelong friends he has made at his alma mater and his passion for giving back to the university that has enriched his life so much.

Charlene Chen grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her experiences more than 2,700 miles away in an almost perfect westward line changed her life trajectory. “My two years at Berkeley Haas were two of the best of my life,” Charlene says.

To help himself cope with his own transition to Berkeley, Eric Manzo decided to get more involved on campus by joining groups that help create a welcoming environment for other Golden Bears.

Gary R. Kilpatric says Berkeley is and always will be part of his identity. “Cal shaped my life in so many ways,” Gary reflects.

You could say the Silcoxes are Berkeley strong. The couple has been giving to UC Berkeley for more than 60 years. “Cal needs our help to achieve its mission,” Hugh says. “I got a top-notch education, and we want to help other deserving students benefit from all that the university offers.”

His last name aside, Jesse Gil has always been fascinated with marine life. He grew up near the ocean, recalls the first time he dissected a fish in third grade, and dipped his toe in other subjects before diving into the biological and marine sciences. “The science path is for me,” Jesse says.

As a tennis player at San Jose State University, Jim Fousekis realized he did not measure up to the other top players on the team. Lucky for us, Jim, the son of immigrant parents, transferred to UC Berkeley and has sustained his loyalty for over 50 years. 

When it comes to connections to Cal, Karen Leong Clancy leaves few stones unturned. She’s an alum, married to an alum, the parent of two graduates, a long-time volunteer, and a university employee. And it’s no surprise that her love for Cal extends to her philanthropic passions. For over 15 years she has provided support that reflects a life and values well spent on campus. 

Kate Song didn’t wait long to support Cal. She started her tradition of giving while still attending UC Berkeley.

As Berkeley undergrads, Paul and Diamond Haymon learned firsthand about the importance of private gifts to campus. They met while working at the Cal Calling Center, where they reached out to alums and parents in order to solicit support for the university. 

The motivation for Peter Tremblay to support Cal can be summed up in a single word: gratitude. “It’s really the best way I know to show my appreciation for what Berkeley gave me,” Peter says.

Rashmi’s family came to the United States from India because her father was admitted to Berkeley’s master’s program in architecture. Rashmi was just a one-year-old at the time. “My father is thrilled to have three generations of Cal grads: himself, me and his grandson, Ryan,” Rashmi says.

Roger Samuelsen has long held UC Berkeley close to his heart. “One of my last roles as ASUC president was to join Clark Kerr and other dignitaries in breaking ground for the new student center and expressing gratitude for the generosity of alums and friends,” he recalls.

Susan Lyne describes one of her most defining moments.

“Walking onto Sproul Plaza for the first time was one of the great highs of my life,” Susan says. “I knew I was in the right place.”

Berkeley alum Vera Chan says her Boston-bred roots and Chinese-American cultural heritage reinforced education as a path to opportunity, a way to rise above circumstances, and to “find new worlds.”

Being Berkeley Loyal holds a lot of meaning for Vinita and Naren Gupta. “It means we’re helping to support and nourish a place we consider a national treasure,” Vinita said.