Chancellor Richard Lyons wrote in his August 13, 2025 Berkeley Brief:
Dear Cal alums, parents, and friends,
Nseke Ngilbus faced several complex challenges when he started at Cal. He was an older student, a transfer student, and interested in product design — a field he knew little about. “For me, the academics were not the most difficult part,” he wrote in a blog. “Instead, it was understanding the things that are outside of academics … the hidden curriculum.”
An Oakland native, Nseke found his footing through two programs that, he said, “fed my soul.” NAVCAL helped him understand the hidden curriculum — the unwritten, unofficial lessons that students learn — and navigate financial aid and other supportive offerings. The Fung Fellowship deepened his knowledge of product design and design research. Now a graduate student in information management and systems, Nseke is one of only two students in his department to have received a prestigious fellowship — a testament to his persistence and ability to transform challenges into opportunities.
Nseke is just one example of the exceptional undergraduates who choose to make UC Berkeley their academic home. We announced in July that more students gained admission to the first-year and transfer classes this fall compared to last year — and they did so while competing with a record number of applicants. Approximately 14,500 first-year students were offered admission (787 more than last year), and 5,600 transfer students were admitted (128 more than last year).
Story continues at this link.