Supporting Students with Career Preparation

By Cari DuBois-Wright 

I believe I speak for hundreds of colleagues when I say how excited I am to welcome your students to campus this fall. I am very much looking forward to interacting again in person—safely, of course!—to help UC Davis families get the most of their collegiate experience. 

Which brings me to a program I’m particularly excited about: Aggie Launch, an initiative taking shape at our amazing Internship and Career Center (ICC). I want to make sure families new to UC Davis learn about it as early as possible. And returning families, please take note: your student can get involved with the ICC and Aggie Launch at any time during their UC Davis journey. 

Why are these programs so important? Research shows that the earlier students connect with ICC—which offers professional development services including internship placement, networking events, resume workshops, career advising and more—the likelier they are to graduate with a career-track job in place. 

Aggie Launch will build upon the ICC’s decades of expertise by preparing all students for the working world through customized career exploration. The goal is to integrate career-exploration curricula and phased professional development into every student’s pathway, whether their goal is employment or entry into a selective graduate or professional program. 

As parents, you can play a big role in helping UC Davis move toward this vision, to the benefit of your own student and countless others. I am looking to partner with parents within their corporations and other organizations to: 

• Provide mentorship 

• Support internships, co-ops, and other opportunities for students to gain experience 

• Invest in technology and staff expertise that would expand students’ professional development 

• Launch comprehensive career-preparation programs 

• Help develop their organization as a recruiter/employer of UC Davis graduates

Many UC Davis parents recognize the value of Aggie Launch. One of them is Mardi C. Dier, who not only donates to Aggie Launch but also supports it by fostering UC Davis internship participation at the biotechnology company, Ultragenyx, where she is the CFO. 

“Aggie Launch is an incredible resource for our students to tap into as they look for opportunities while at UC Davis and after graduation,” said Mardi. “I am so impressed with the leadership team and the guidance they are able to provide across disciplines.” 

Feel free to contact me any time to make a gift in support of either of these programs or to help create opportunities for our students. And I’m always eager to provide or find answers to any questions you may have. 

Meanwhile, I wish you and your student the best possible start to a wonderful academic year! 

For more information about how parent giving makes a difference in students’ lives, contact Cari DuBois-Wright, Associate Director of Development in Parent Giving, at caduboiswright@ucdavis.edu, 510-388-3605. You can visit our Parents Fund website here as well as learn more about our Family Fellows. 

You can learn more here about Aggie Launch and the Internship and Career Center.