Congratulations on reaching such a wonderful milestone! You’ll find that graduating from UCLA will afford you many opportunities to build your career and grow as an individual. One of these opportunities offered to alumni is participating in a UCLA alumni network, including other diversity, regional and affinity-based networks. By joining an alumni network, you can meet others on the same journey of navigating the world outside of UCLA and the Westwood community. Additionally, there are opportunities to network with other professionals and create strong friendships through virtual and in-person programs.
Launched in March of 2023, the UCLA Disability Alumni Network (UDAN) is UCLA’s newest alumni group, bringing together several UCLA affiliates. Recent graduates, alumni of UCLA and UCLA Extension, staff, former students who were unable to graduate, current students and those with a connection to one of the aforementioned groups are welcome to join the network. UDAN’s mission is to create spaces for alumni with experiences of visible and invisible disabilities to network and exchange knowledge. We strive to foster an inclusive alumni network that reflects the diversity of our members’ experiences and intersectional identities within the disabled community. This means that our members are not asked outright to identify their connection to a disability, visible or invisible, and never will be; the right to disclose that information is given solely to each individual member. Creating a visible space to foster partnerships, advocacy, community and teaching (P.A.C.T.) is vital to UDAN’s mission.
We greatly hope you will reach out, whether just to get more information or join the network, and once again we congratulate you on your huge accomplishment!
UDAN’s board members include:
James Ward (Co-President)
Avril Frasché (Co-President)
Angelina Mejia (Vice President of Communication and Interim Event Planning Chair)
Jordan Williamson (Vice President of Financial Affairs and Scholarships)