Real impacts on the real world
By Matt Lazier
Learn-by-doing means getting a taste of how the real world works – taking what is learned from books and lectures and applying it to real-life situations.
It’s the essence of the Cal Poly education. It’s why our graduates leave campus ready to contribute their first day on the job – because what they find in the workplace, they’ve already experienced in the classrooms, dairies, workshops, studios, vineyards and other living laboratories at Cal Poly.
In this issue, our six recently-named Honored Alumni tell you how this aspect of the Cal Poly education led to their professional successes.
Elsewhere, graduate Arvin Daeizadeh explains how it led him first to Dubai to work on the world’s tallest building and then to Afghanistan to build structures for the troops. And Robert Tapella discusses how at a Congressional hearing on his confirmation as the nation’s 25th Public Printer, his Cal Poly Graphic Communications degree was what ultimately nailed down the job.
Making a difference, though, isn’t only for our graduates. Our students, as part of their studies, have ample opportunity to make their mark on the world long before they graduate. In this issue, we introduce you to an impressive collection of students making a difference:
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Every year, students in the Orfalea College of Business learn how to manage a stock portfolio, investing real Cal Poly Corporation money in real companies for real, successful returns.
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Biology students and faculty are helping to determine the source of chronic high bacteria levels in the ocean that prompt regular closures of the waters off Pismo Beach.
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Dairy Science students are producing delicious ice cream, butter, eggnog and more, turning profits as they sell their goods in local stores.
And please visit the middle of the magazine for a list of our friends who have given generously this year to ensure that this kind of hands-on learning continues every day at Cal Poly.
Thank you for reading Cal Poly Magazine. We hope these features and photos help you remain connected to Cal Poly. As always, if you have comments, questions or concerns, please e-mail me at mlazier@calpoly.edu.
Matt Lazier
Editor
(B.S., Journalism, 1997)
