Although Kathleen Stasulis lives far from Berkeley today, she grew up in neighboring Oakland — and knew all about Cal’s excellence and rich history long before enrolling as a student. “Although my parents didn’t attend Berkeley, we had friends and family who did,” she recalls. “They often hosted a party for the Big Game, so I sort of grew up with the Cal traditions.”

A proud Cal alum, Dr. Ravi E. Dattatreya says that the doctoral work he pursued at Berkeley changed the trajectory of his life — but it almost didn’t happen at all. It was purely due to donor generosity that the native of Bangalore, India, was even able to attend Berkeley.

Although Zachary and Joy Liang Kruth hold degrees from private institutions, it’s Berkeley — where Zachary earned his undergraduate degree in political economy — that benefits the most from their philanthropy.

It was during his time at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business — including a pivotal summer internship at Microsoft Game Studios — that Paul Ibarra resolved to parlay his love of video games into a viable career path.

The proud parents of a Cal graduate, Jennifer and Doug Claman maintain a big-picture approach when it comes to supporting the university. “We give to Cal because of our personal commitment to higher education and because of Berkeley’s perpetual pursuit of academic excellence,” says Jennifer. “Where else can you find Nobel Laureate-only parking spaces?”

As the first in his family to go to college, Bak Chan appreciates everything that Cal and its world-class reputation gave him. “I’m forever indebted to the students who uphold and enhance the quality of the university. It’s benefited me immensely during my career,” says Bak, who worked as a mechanical engineer before transitioning into financial management after acquiring his MBA degree from Haas. “And now, it’s give-back time.”