Fundraising

Meet the Bermans, Co-chairs of The Parents Fund

By Julie Chiron

Elizabeth and Rick Berman Peg Skorpinski photo

Fall 2005 | Elizabeth and Rick Berman joined the extended Cal family when their son Eddie became a freshman at UC Berkeley in 2003. This year, as co-chairs of The Parents Fund, they will lead fellow Cal parents in an effort to raise a record $1.2 million for the university. Elizabeth, who teaches creative writing to youthful offenders, says they are grateful that The Parents Fund has given them a meaningful way to participate in the Cal community.

Rick, a television and motion picture writer/producer, attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He’s delighted to see one of his three children attend a public university in an urban environment, just as he did. “There is so much available to students here,” says Rick. “We’re pleased Eddie’s wide-flung interests could be met by all the choices at Cal.”

During his first year on campus, Eddie explored Cal’s academic offerings by taking a Freshman Seminar — a program partially funded by gifts to The Parents Fund. The Bermans were impressed by the seminar’s small class size and the increased interaction Eddie had with his professor. “Having gone to a large school, my impression was that the professor was someone you see far away on a stage,” says Rick. “These seminars create an intimate learning situation for students.”

The Bermans liken their participation in The Parents Fund to their son’s experience in his Freshman Seminar. “Parents who participate in the campaign create a small community within the bigger Cal family,” says Elizabeth. “This makes the experience of being a parent at Cal a little more personal.”