What do Humboldt political science alumni do? They work for – and start-up – non-profit groups that tackle social, environmental, and cultural challenges. They lead state and local governmental agencies. They join the Peace Corps. They succeed in outstanding graduate and law schools. They teach high school. They become college professors and administrators. They staff Congressional and the State Legislative offices. They become leaders in international organizations. They practice law. They establish businesses and consulting firms. They manage political campaigns. They get elected to public office. They remain active and engaged citizens who make their communities and our world a better place.

Meet our featured Alumni

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Christopher Bennett (2010) is Corporate Counsel/Corporate Compliance Manager with Brown and Caldwell, an engineering consulting firm.

Andrew Bevington (2010) earned an M.S. in Sustainability Management from American University and now works as a Utility Analyst for the San Francisco Utilities Commission.

Brandon Chapin (2010) was appointed as Legislative and Policy Advisor at the Delta Stewardship Council by Governor Newsom on July 1, 2022. He is responsible for maintaining the Council’s relationship with the State legislature and working on other special projects related to the implementation of the state's Delta Plan. He has previously been employed as the Manager of Meeting Services & Special Projects with the Delta Stewardship Council, a Program Analyst with the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, and a Legislative Analyst for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. 

Stefanie Chen-Welch (2010) is an Elections Services Technician/Clerk with the County Elections Office in Mendocino County.

Stephanie Goldman (2010) earned a J.D. in Environmental Law and Public Policy from University of the Pacific and is now the associate director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges.

Julia Grosby (2010) received her multiple subject teaching credential and is currently teaching 6th grade at Monument Middle School in Rio Dell.

Esther Harriot (2010) is a Guest Services Representative with Marriott Suites in Seattle, WA.

Cody Hobbs (2010) is Assistant Director of Marketing with Rambo Security.

Andrew Juarez (2010) is an English Second Language Coordinator with Canal Alliance.

Todd Jones (2010) is the Vice President of Shasta EDC, a commercial real estate company, and a former Account Manager with BloodSource, a non-profit blood collection and donations agency. He previously served as a Field Representative for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Erik Myxter-Lino (2010) is a Senior Researcher with Inclusive Development International, which works to advance social, economic and environmental justice by supporting communities around the world to defend their land, environment and human rights in the face of harmful investment projects.

Stacey O’Donnell (2010) is a Prospect Research Analyst for Massachusetts General Hospital.

Garrett Rains (2010) is a Creative Writer for SDL plc, an international content creation, translation and delivery company.

Steve Thiel (2010) earned a J.D. from Lewis & Clark Law School and is now a Deputy District Attorney with the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office.

Zack Beasley (2011) is a Political Organizer with Roofers Local 220. 

Seth Bradley (2011) is a Research Assistant with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness at Cal Poly Humboldt. Previously, he worked in the Office of the Dean of Students at Humboldt as an Administrative Support Coordinator.

Bryan Chase (2011) is a General Manager with Lyric Energy, LLC, which specializes in placing qualifying properties for the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects. Previously, he was Director of Business Development with Sustainable Tahoe.

Ravin Craig (2011) earned an M.A. in Social Science at Cal Poly Humboldt and is now a Peer Health Education Coordinator at Humboldt. 

John Folstrom (2011) earned an M.A. in Global Finance, Trade and Economic Integration from the University of Denver. He is a Product Owner for the General Services Administration based in Washington, D.C. He was previously a Program Analyst for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. After graduating from Humboldt, John volunteered in the Peace Corps.

Melissa Hutsell (2011) earned a master’s degree in Global Journalism and is now a Freelance Writer and Editor specializing in business and cannabis journalism.

Aaron M. Jeweler (2011) has had experience as a congressional and legislative intern for numerous political officials and now works as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal for PG&E.

Preston King (2011) is a Regional Sales Manager for Trackforce Valiant, which provides security workforce management solutions.

Huimin (Andrea) Li (2011) is working in paralegal services in New York.

Ryan Mallory-Jones (2011) is an attorney for the State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Chief Counsel, where he works on, among other things, issues of storm water pollution control and permitting. He earned a law degree at University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. [Note: Ryan was previously Ryan Hawley-Jones.]

Jordan McGowan (2011), a teacher with an M.A. in education, is CEO of the Neighbor Program, a Sacramento-based pan-Afrikan socialist organization working toward Black Liberation. The program's many projects include a grocery program, a community garden, and a community homeschool, among others. He is co-director of the docu-series "The Living Legacy of the Black Panther Party."

Gracie Perez (2011) is an Office Technician with the California Department of Water Resources.

Victor Reuther (2011) is a Staff Attorney with the Oregon Office of the Legislative Counsel, providing confidential and nonpartisan legal services to Oregon legislators.

Joanna Schultz (2011) is a Shore Excursions Assistant Manager for Royal Caribbean International.

Sarah Shoenberger (2011) is working at Casa do Caminho, an orphanage in Xerém, Brazil.

Jonathan Ashbach (2012) is pursuing a Ph.D. in political theory at Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Adrian Batres (2012) has had a history of work as an Environmental Service Aide for a number of health organizations. He is currently an EVS Aid for Kaiser Permanente.

Erica Blake (2012) received a master’s degree at the University of Colorado at Denver. She is an Oil and Natural Gas Fundamentals Analyst at Ovintiv.

Ryan Brisbin (2012) earned a Master of Business Administration from California State University-Sacramento and is a Retail Accounting Manager for MWG Holdings, LLC.

Shyamolika Dube (2012) earned a Master of Social Work from University of Southern California and is a Mental Health Clinician for Humboldt County.

Bryan Kelly (2012) is a Social Science Teacher at Sonoma Valley High School and CEO and founder of Edvoyage, a company that offers prospective college students the ability to take a campus tour online from anywhere.

Mitchell Limas (2012) is a Workforce Administrator at MAXIMUS, which offers business process, technology solutions, and specialized consulting services for government agencies.

Matthew Maltbie (2012) is a Senior Accounts Executive at Keadjian, a communications and public affairs firm. 

Trever McSwain (2012) is an Attorney at Law for the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps and previously worked as an Associate for Bockman & Associates LLC.

Roberto Mejia (2012) is a Program Manager and Behavior Therapist at Behavior Learning Center, Inc., in the Greater Los Angeles area. Previously, he was a Clinical Supervisor for the Autism Response Team, an Adaptive Skills Educator, as well as a Lifeguard for the City of Palmdale.

Grecia Rojas (2012) is a Labor Union Organizer for SEIU Local 1021.

Eloy Sosa (2012) is a Clinical Systems and Analytic Reporting Manager at Amgen, creating dashboards, conducting data wrangling and analysis, helping manage analysts, among other responsibilities. 

Hayden Thomas (2012) earned a J.D. from UCLA School of Law.

Evan Blair (2013) earned an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He is currently the Associate Director of Admissions at UC Davis Graduate School of Management. Previously he served as the Assistant Director of Enrollment and Recruitment at University of San Francisco. 

Jaycob Bytel (2013) works as the Deputy Chief of Staff for External Affairs under the Office of Mayor Darryl Steinberg of Sacramento. He previously served as Assistant Campaign Manager for the Darryl Steinberg for mayor campaign.

Cheyenne Cockrell (2013) is a Master Control Operator at NBCUniversal Media, LLC and former one for DIRECTV. Previously she has had multiple positions at DIRECTV and has coached girl’s lacrosse at Santa Monica High School and Alexander Hamilton High School. 

Rita Dunn (2013) is a J.D. candidate at the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and formerly worked as a Paralegal for personal injury law firm Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood and Campora.

Juan Fernandez (2013) is the Department Manager at the Arcata Ray’s Foodplace and serves on the City of Eureka Energy Committee. He graduated with honors and a double major in journalism. In 2014, he ran for the Arcata City Council and has written articles for the North Coast Journal, the last of which focused on the Humboldt student occupation of the Native American Forum.

Gabriela Garcia Cruz (2013) is a Policy and Enforcement Associate at YouTube. She earned a master’s degree in International Studies at the University of San Francisco.

Kyle McCarthy (2013) is a Recruiter with Transition Staffing Group.

Camille Morgan (2013) is a Director of Operations and Administration at Conservation Strategy Group, which provides political consulting services for NGOs, local agencies, and clean tech organizations to advance environmental goals in California. 

Jessica Munger (2013) is a Program Coordinator for the Move To Amend Coalition, a grassroots campaign that aims to amend the Constitution in order to regulate campaign spending in regards to businesses, unions and non-profits.

Nicole Naddy (2013) is an Associate Consultant at Linea Solutions, LLC. She previously did work for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System as an Appeals and Legislative Manager-Specialist for the Disability and Survivor Benefits Division. 

Alexander Paiva (2013) is self-employed as a Speculative Market Analyst. Previously he was a food sourcing activist with LabelGMOs.org.

Robert Vaughn (2013) is pursuing a master’s degree in Economics from American University.

Jacob Walsmith (2013) is a Senior Account Manager at CVS . He was previously a Health Product Manager at WageWorks and a Consultant for Aetna.

Emma Wright (2013) is a PACE Administrative Assistant/Medical Records Coordinator at the Humboldt Senior Resource Center.

Kaitlan Bowen (2014) is an Accountant for Los Bagels.

Jessica Buxbaum (2014) earned a Master of Arts in International Journalism from the University of London and is now a Freelance Journalist with articles contributed for several news agencies for a number of years. She previously worked as a Senior Editor at Carbonated.TV.

Edwin Cruz (2014) is a Paralegal with Telleria, Levy & Ayers, LLP.

Rosemary Deck (2014) earned a J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and is now a Deputy Public Defender with the Humboldt County Public Defender’s Office. 

Daryl Grable (2014) earned a J.D. in Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Law at Chicago-Kent College of Law and is now a Baum Senior Fellow at Chicago Legal Clinic, Inc.

Osbaldo Gutierrez (2014) is an English Second Language teacher for Wall Street English.

Kelsay Higdon (2014) is a Staff Services Analyst for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. She previously worked as an Elections Specialist for the County of Humboldt.

Jesse Hoskins (2014) is pursuing a master’s degree in Public Policy Administration at Sacramento State University. 

Ninamarie Jeffrey (2014) is a Social Media Marketing Strategist and Digital Creator with Kohanaiki, a private club community.

Morgan Leonard (2014) is a Legislative Assistant in Rep. Grace Napolitano’s (CA-32) Washington, DC, office.

Oscar Macias (2014) earned a Master of Public Administration from California State University-East Bay and now works as an Analyst for the Housing Authority of the County of Alameda.

Brandon Norris (2014) is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at San Francisco State University. He has also worked as a Legislative Assistant for the City of Berkeley’s District 5 director.

Robin Praszker (2014) is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from CSUDominguez Hills and working as an Administrative Assistant in the City of Eureka Parks and Recreation Department. Previously she was on the board for the Measure P campaign.

Kayla Samnath (2014) earned a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University and is now a Library Assistant at Liberty Union High School District.

Lino Sanchez (2014) earned a Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environment at University of Michigan and is now a Research Associate at Berkeley Lab.

Shawn Simon (2014) is a Blueprint Math Fellow at the Blueprint Schools Network, working with low-income, black and brown, and majority ELL youth to increase their math comprehension and confidence. Simon previously worked as a Recreation Specialist for the City of Arcata. 

Calum Weeks (2014) is an Administrative and Research Assistant with Bank Information Center. Previously, he worked as a legislative intern for Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02) and district representative for California State Assemblymember Marc Levine.

Trent Yuhas (2014) is a Graduate Student Research Assistant at the Health Equity Institute at San Francisco State University.

Ryan Bieker (2015) is an Associate Governmental Program Analyst with the California Public Employee Retirement System, where he administers the Affordable Care Act with public agencies and state departments. 

Ysamar Celedon (2015) is serving as a Civic Engagement Associate for Green Dot Public Schools, where she helps to identify and develop parent leaders in the East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights communities. Her department’s goal is to create an organization that can advocate for students and families. She also staffs non-partisan campaign events and tracks, enters, and maintains data on voters and event efficacy.

Alex Correia (2015) is employed as a Facilities Maintenance and Marketing Assistant at Verde Design, Inc., a landscape architecture and civil engineering firm.

Andrew Cowen (2015) is a teacher at Guiyang Happy Valley International Experimental School in China.

Kristin Fitzpatrick (2015) is an Account Executive for LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions. 

Caleb Henderson (2015) is a Regulatory Specialist with the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

Tony Lapiz (2015) is the Legislative Director for Representative Dan Rayfield (CA-16), and serves in the California Army National Guard. 

Amir Mendel (2015) works as a Sales Representative at Rock Island Refrigerated.

Kristin Nimmers (2015) is an Organizing Coordinator for the Black Census and Redistricting Hub. 

Kelechi Nwadibia (2015) is employed as a Growth Marketing Manager with Google.

Brenna O’Sullivan (2015) works as a Consultant for EDONCALL, an organization dedicated to assisting rural communities in Oregon, Arizona, and California, and previously worked for the County of Humboldt as an Economic Development Specialist.

Warren Smith (2015) is a Construction Specialist and Project Manager for Sean W. Smith, Inc.

Nathaniel Toering (2015) is currently working as a Lead Park Ranger for Cape Look National Seashore park in Oregon. He was previously a seasonal Federal Park Ranger with the National Park Service in Alaska, as well as a first responder for fire, EMS, and search and rescue calls. 

Joseph Wankmueller (2015) is pursuing a JD at University of San Francisco School of Law while working as a consumer law intern at Open Door Legal. He has also been a CivicSpark fellow.

Rocio Avila (2016) works as a Families Seeking Asylum Caseworker with International Rescue Committee. 

Kathryn Brown (2016) is employed as a Sales Operation Specialist with Ruby Receptionists, a company providing virtual receptionist services.

Aaron Louis Cobas (2016) has accepted a full-time position as a Park Ranger for New Mexico State Parks. 

Jake Cooper (2016) is a Human Resources Coordinator for the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. He has an M.A. in International Science and Technology from the Elliott School at George Washington University.

Camille Demilito (2016) earned a master's degree in International Development from the University of Edinburgh, with placement-based dissertation research led in Kisumu, Kenya, on Table Banking and women empowerment. 

Michelle Dowling (2016) is a Grants and Contracts Analyst with Internews Network.

John Hudson (2016) is a Client Associate with Redwood Coast Financial Partners.

Dominic Nordel (2016) is a Legislative Aide for the United States Senate.

Vanessa Silva (2016) works as an Administrative Associate for the Public Works Department of the city of Palo Alto.

Daniela Vargas (2016) is a Team Leader with the Center for Fathers and Families.

Christian Vierra (2016) is a Legislative Assistant for Assembly Member Evan Low in Sacramento.

Grace Becker (2017) earned a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Northern State University and is employed as a Hall Director at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Jacqueline Callaway (2017) is an Environmental Paralegal with Latham & Watkins.

Ciara Emery (2017) is the Field Representative for Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-02) in Humboldt, Del Norte, and Trinity counties in California. She is also a recent graduate of the Environment & Community Program at Cal Poly Humboldt, where she received a Master of Arts in Social Science with a thesis exploring the politics of offshore wind energy generation in Humboldt County, California. 

Kimberly Manriquez (2017) has worked as Development Director for the Public Interest Network, a field organizer for the California Democratic Party, and a deputy canvass director for Grassroots Campaigns.

Emily Nelson (2017) earned a Master of Science degree in Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona.

Jennifer Werthman (2017) After earning her degree in Political Science and credential in Social Science for Secondary Education, Jenny has taught high school history (mostly juniors and seniors) since 2021. She lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and teaches in the inner city of San Bernardino for mostly at-risk youth. She loves helping kids and teaching them about the real world. She uses everything she learned in Humboldt in her classroom and is forever grateful! She is now married with two young kids!

Edwin Campbell (2018) works in logistics at Qualcomm, which creates intellectual property, semiconductors, software, and services related to wireless technology.

Victoria Carmona Perez (2015) is a Child Support Specialist at YoungWilliams.

Jenesy Burkett (2018) is pursuing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Portland State University.

Xochitl Arce Perez (2018) is employed as a Legal Assistant for Hurwitz Holt Immigration Attorneys. 

Alexis Brown (2019) is an Organizer with SEIU Local 2015 for Long Term Care workers in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.