Justin Gerboc

Justin Gerboc

Director, Alumni Engagement


Cal State Fullerton

Fullerton, CA USA


Money isn't the only satisfaction you can get from a job/career. I find that working in a field where I have a passion allows me to see my job as more than just tasks to accomplish.

Milestones

My road in life took a while to figure out.
Went to a high school program for international studies - Decided I wanted to help companies set up in foreign countries using local culture as baseline
First in my family to go to college to study international studies and economics - set boundaries with my parents even though I was only 30 minutes away from home
Studied abroad in France - first time on a plane and first time out of the country
Met up with a friend from high school program who had gone to business school - decided grad school for business
Realized I was most excited by the leadership opportunities I was afforded as a student including educating and facilitating others' learning
Decided to go to grad school for student affairs after talking with some mentors - I wanted to focus on student leadership development
Spent 12 years in student affairs working with student leaders, student activists, and student government
Wanted to expand my expertise and take a step toward nonprofit work - chose to move into Alumni Engagement to stay connected to a university but work with a different population

Education

High School
Bachelor
International Studies & Economics
Allegheny College
Graduate
Higher Education and Student Affairs
The Ohio State University

Career

Director, Alumni Engagement

Connect Titans across generations with one another and help them maintain a strong relationship with the university

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Non-Profit Organizations
Education
Communicating / Sharing Stories

Day to Day

I am constantly building relationships with colleagues, students, alumni, and local businesses. I jump from meeting to meeting with some planning and organization in between. Typically a few times a month I have evening or weekend events where I get to make personal connections, meet new people, or represent the university.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

Take some time to talk with professionals who are doing the kind of work you want to be doing to learn about all the details.

Recommended Education

My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:

undergrad
Bachelor
International Studies & Economics
graduate
Graduate
Higher Education and Student Affairs

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Family:

"You will never make any money and will be pigeon-holed in your career."

Challenges I Overcame

Stretching my bubble