Academics

15 Famous Alumni From UC Berkeley

The University of California Berkeley doesn’t hold the rank of the number one public university in the country for nothing. Sure, it has been at the forefront of world changing inventions, such as the wet suit and robotic legs, but what you might not know is it’s capacity for producing some pretty famous alumni. Since it’s founding in 1868, many prestigious scholars have roamed the great halls of UC Berkeley, including some which have gone on to be quite well known. Here are a 15 famous alumni from UC Berkeley.

1. Chris Pine

Perhaps one of the best looking alumni, Pine graduate in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in English. Just two years after graduating, he appeared alongside Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, exposing the world to his bright blue eyes and smooth smirk.

2. Steve Wozniak

Ya know that IPhone in your hand? This is the guy who made it. Wozniak enrolled in Cal to complete his degree after leaving Apple. He graduated in 1986 under the name Rocky Raccoon Clark. Later on in 2015, he received the Alumnus of the Year Award from UC Berkeley’s Alumni Association.

3. Marshawn Lynch

Lynch majored in Social Welfare and was drafted in the first round by Buffalo in the 2007 NFL Draft. While at Cal, his powerful playing style earned him the nickname “Beast Mode” which is now a clothing brand sold in Cal’s student stores. Lynch later went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII as a player for the Seahawks.

4. Laci Green

Green graduated in 2011 with a double major in Education and Legal Studies. She now lives in LA and has made a name for herself as an sexual education YouTuber. She has even hosted online sex education videos on behalf of Planned Parenthood and Discovery News.

 

5. Brenda Song

Our favorite TV heiress, London Tipton — I mean, Brenda Song. After earning her high school diploma at age 16, Song took courses at community college, then online from UC Berkeley and earned a degree in Psychology with a minor in Business.

6. Adam Lamberg

Another favorite child star, good ol’ Gordo from Lizzie McGuire. Lamberg graduated in 2008 with a degree in Geography. He now lives in New York City and works for the Irish Arts Center. Fun fact: you can find him on LinkedIn.

7. John Cho

Friend, co-star, and fellow alumni of Chris Pine, Cho graduated in 1996 with a degree in English. He then went to LA where he taught English while working as an actor.

8. Alex Morgan

The professional soccer player and Olympic Gold Medalist graduated from Cal in 2010, a semester early, with a degree in Political Economy. She became one of the first female soccer players to appear on the cover of the FIFA video games.

9. Paula Patton

Bumping up our list of actors to five, Patton attended UC Berkeley for a year before transferring to University of Southern California’s Film School. She may have transferred, but hey Cal was where it all began.

10. Ki Hong Lee

The Maze Runner star graduated in 2008 with a degree in Psychology. He has been all around the globe: born in South Korea, raised in New Zealand and Los Angeles. He know lives in Los Angeles and is best known for his role alongside Dylan O’Brien as well as his role in UnBreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

See Also

11. Hannah Hart

Hart graduated in 2009 with a double major in English Literature and Japanese Language. She now works as a well known YouTuber, author, and actress.

 

12. Jaylen Brown

Brown committed to play basketball for the Cal Bears in 2015 and earned first team All Pac 12 honors as well as Freshman of the Year. He was then chosen in the first round of the NBA draft in 2016 by the Boston Celtics.

13. David Peoples

As a graduate of the English department at Cal, Peoples went on to write the films Blade Runner (starring: young, extremely good-looking Harrison Ford) and Unforgiven. He was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA award.

14. Nancy Tellem

As a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Hastings College of the Law, Tellem now serves as the Digital Media President of Microsoft and is the former president of CBS Television Studios.

15. Julia Morgan

Throwing it back to the 1800’s Julia Morgan enrolled in Cal in 1890 and was later the first woman to be accepted to l’École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris, as well as the first woman to be a licensed architect in California. She went on to design 700 buildings in California, including Hearst Castle. This was no small feat for a woman in this time period.

Who are your favorite alumni from UC Berkeley? Comment below!
Featured image source: tumblr.com
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