Cal Alumni of Coachella Valley
Connect with fellow Golden Bears, mentor incoming students, and help build a lasting Cal network in the Coachella Valley.
About Our Chapter
Cal Alumni of Coachella Valley, formerly known as Cal Bears in the Desert, connects UC Berkeley alumni throughout the Coachella Valley region. The chapter offers opportunities for local Golden Bears to build community, stay connected with Cal, and celebrate their shared Berkeley experience.
All Cal alumni, Cal parents, and friends of the University are welcome to join us. Our chapter events are free and open to everyone in our community.
Cal Alumni of Coachella Valley has a dynamic history of collaborating with local Cal alumni, parents, volunteers, and donors, alongside the UC Berkeley admissions office, Cal Athletics, and other campus partners, to support Cal’s tradition of excellence as the world’s number one public university. After nine years of grassroots community outreach promoting UC Berkeley throughout the Coachella Valley, the chapter was officially chartered as a member of the Cal Alumni Association in spring 2013. From the start, the chapter has focused on building a visible local presence for UC Berkeley alumni to support outreach at area high schools, college fairs, and College of the Desert.
Today, Cal Alumni of Coachella Valley continues to grow networking opportunities for alumni, current students, Cal parents, and campus groups, while deepening ties with local businesses and community organizations. Through mentorship and volunteer programs, the chapter is proud to empower the next generation of Golden Bears from the desert.
Rosemary Bautista, Esq.
Chapter President
calbearsinthedesert@gmail.com
Alumni News
The Universe Will Not Be Paraphrased
Cal astrophysicist Eugene Chiang has chased total solar eclipses across three continents. His advice: stop extrapolating from the partial you saw once, and just go.
The Secret Life of Oski
In honor of Oski’s 85th birthday, the Cal Alumni Association spoke with five alums who served on the committee between the late 1960s and 2025. What emerged was not one story but five overlapping ones, each shaped by a different decade’s idea of what Oski should be.
She Went for Six Months. She Stayed for a Lifetime.
She went to Guatemala for six months and ended up staying for two years. That question — what becomes possible when underserved young people get access to technology and learning — never left her.