Carina Salazar ’00

Carina Salazar ’00 is a leader who has seen the power of preserving and learning from individuals' lived experience. Last fall, she was named the executive director for Career and Immersive Experiences, a position which provides direct leadership for the Career Center and oversight for First to Go and the Transfer Student Center. Salazar started her time at UCLA as a first generation, transfer student, which she says “connects her deeply to her work at the Career and Transfer Student Centers.”

After receiving a B.A. in sociology from UCLA and a master's in educational leadership and policy studies from CSU Northridge, her first job with UCLA was as a transfer student recruiter for undergraduate admissions. This jumpstarted her goal of removing obstacles so students are able to be the best they want to be. Then, she spent close to 20 years working for the Academic Advancement Program (AAP), which provides support services to first-generation students, low-income students, students with dependents, veteran students and many more. From there she began her work with the Career Center as the associate director of Career Education, where she was promoted to the associate director of the department.

Salazar has distinct goals, challenges and connections for each of her three departments, and maintains a wide-reaching network across campus. She always felt that her experiences at UCLA, both as a student and department leader, have been woven with similar goals, “How can we use our experience, our expertise, to make sure that students have a positive experience, while we connect them to opportunities that will continue to help them grow?”

The first line on the Career Center’s website reads “Everyone’s journey is different. We are here to help you on your journey.” Salazar closely relates to this in her life — that while her path was unique, she has been able to achieve success. She talks about the Career Center with a long-held passion, knowing it has the reach and capability to open doors for students.

With the large population of students and professionals on campus, Salazar launched the Inter College Career Advocates Network (ICAN) course which invited staff and faculty from across campus — academic advising, housing, facilities, transportation and many more — to engage with the campus community and encourage career conversations between professionals and students. In this course, professionals are trained how to engage in career discussions with their student employees, including imparting advice and providing awareness of campus career resources. Making those connections, in turn, widens the reach of the Career Center. Salazar says they hope to expand this ICAN model of embedding career readiness into the training of student staff, so students are aware of the skills they need to be more marketable once they graduate.

Another one of Salazar’s deeply held beliefs is in collaborating with groups across campus. She commended the work of Alumni Career Engagement, saying that by utilizing UCLA’s large alumni network, they are able to connect current students with alumni in their specific field. She says that providing an avenue for alumni to offer advice to current students introduces them early on to this network and community that will be able to offer opportunities and support.

Her team also collaborates with AAP and the Bruin Resource Center because they both cater to first gen students. She feels support from current alumni is crucial in these departments. They allow for a larger expansion and investment in the lives of the student body and overall UCLA community. The Career Center holds workshops and panels connecting current students with alumni, giving students the chance to meet people who work in their dream industry and gather insights from Bruins who have been in their shoes.

Salazar’s passion for the areas she oversees is evident, as she approaches each day with fresh excitement. She knows that the work she is putting in isn’t going unnoticed. In her interaction with students, she can observe them utilizing the skills she teaches. She says, “The richness and the beauty of the work lies within the diversity of the student population.” Reflecting on her time as a student, she recalls the importance of feeling seen and heard. So every day, she strives to support students by delivering the resources they need through the centers under her leadership.

After serving more than two decades in different roles at UCLA, Salazar hopes students and alumni know the value of their unique experience. She says, “As someone who immigrated to the United States, whose first language was not English, as a first gen student, I certainly questioned whether or not I could bring value to this space. But now, I realize it’s actually because of who I am that I can bring my unique perspective.”