Like many of their fellow engineering grads, Cal Poly alumni Daniel (Aerospace Engineering, ’05) and Carlene Iverson (Industrial Engineering,’05) trace their career success to their undergraduate experiences. Now senior managers at Apple and Stryker respectively, they both credit their Learn by Doing education as the foundation for their professional success and are giving back to the College of Engineering where their stories began.

“I took an IME 101 course (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering) and was sold,” said Carlene. “It was the perfect fit for me because I am passionate about process improvement and Lean. A lot of the principles that we learned at Cal Poly are very applicable to my day-to-day job and to life in general.”

Daniel said that his exposure to a range of engineering fields and practices during his time at Cal Poly has benefitted him throughout his career.

“Being able to go into the EE (Electrical Engineering) lab or the ME (Mechanical Engineering) lab and know my way around or speak the language of the engineers and technicians that are working in there has always given me a leg up, both in the aerospace field and now in commercial tech,” he said.

They also credit the College of Engineering for being at the root of their relationship.

“Dan and I had mutual friends, but we really started spending time together on the Engineering Student Council, and that's where we met,” recalled Carlene.

Now that their kids are a little older, the couple has begun giving back to their alma mater through time, talent and treasure. For the past couple of years Carlene has served on the Industry Advisory Board for the IME Department, sponsored student senior projects, and referred Mustang graduates who have been hired at her company. The couple also established the Iverson Family Scholarship which supports an IME student with a $1,000 annual award.

“It has been super rewarding, both personally and professionally," said Carlene. "Cal Poly has brought so much value to our lives. Beyond launching our careers and bringing us together, it gave us the gift of lifelong friendships. I feel like it's important and the right time to give back.”

Carlene is originally from Sacramento, while Daniel grew up in Arizona before completing high school in Lompoc. Both were active in Greek life on campus; she was president of Sigma Kappa while he was a member of Kappa Sigma. A first-generation college student, Daniel was also part of the Cal Poly Honors program. Today, the couple make their home in San Jose, where they are surrounded by plenty of fellow Mustangs.  

“There are a bunch of Cal Poly alumni here that we've met through our kids’ schools and sports teams,” Carlene said. “We've met other parents that were there at a similar time to us that we didn't even know. So we've expanded our Cal Poly network here. There's a lot of pride, a lot of Cal Poly bumper stickers and license plate frames.”

The Iversons also share that pride, as Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo continue to be a special place for their family. They were married in Avila Beach and today they own a vacation home in the area, returning often to attend games and campus events while hoping their kids might also one day be future Mustangs. They eventually plan to settle down on the Central Coast.  

“We just love it down there. It's eventually where we'd like to be for our long-term home, once we're retired,” said Daniel.

For now, Carlene and Daniel are grateful for the careers they’ve built and for being in a position to pay it forward to the next generation of Mustangs.

“I could never have predicted the value of going to Cal Poly,” said Daniel. “Having that degree has been invaluable — the life that we're afforded to live through our careers, careers we were able to get into through our experiences at Cal Poly. We're very fortunate. We've done well. And giving back feels like the right thing to do."

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