From Community College to Advancing AI, UCLA Engineering Transfer Student Carves His Own Path

Before Zachary Joseph arrived at UCLA, he was juggling courses in several community colleges and a retail job — all in an effort to fulfill a longtime dream: to one day call himself a Bruin.

Now, the rising fourth-year electrical engineering student at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is a developer at a UCLA-incubated AI startup, a recipient of the Louis Levoy Engineering Scholarship and a leader among UCLA Samueli’s transfer students.

“UCLA was always my dream school; it offers the perfect confluence of academic rigor and student life balance,” Joseph said.

Growing up in San Diego with a father who worked at Qualcomm, Joseph was exposed to technology, sparking an interest in electronics and innovation. That early exposure, combined with a drive to create real-world impact, set him on a path toward engineering.

“Out of high school, I applied to a dozen universities and was only accepted to a few,” Joseph said. “My dad always told me ‘It’s not about where you start, it’s where you end up.’ Taking that to heart, I decided that instead of settling, I wanted to carve my own path.”

Joseph took classes at both San Diego Miramar College and San Diego Mesa College and cross-enrolled at other campuses to complete UCLA’s demanding transfer requirements — all while working 20 to 25 hours a week in retail to help pay for school.

“One of the biggest challenges was building a consistent schedule,” Joseph said. “Another challenge was the significant gap in engineering resources. Whether that be dedicated classes, clubs or pathways for internships, community colleges are severely underserved.”

Instead of waiting for better opportunities to come to him, Joseph created them. He recruited his peers and formed teams, entering competitions including a 3D-printed hovercraft building competition and an international remote submarine contest.

After finishing work one spring day last year, Joseph was sitting outside a Mexican restaurant with his dad, discussing whether he should return to community college in the fall when he received a text message that UCLA admissions decisions had just been released.

“Honestly, I was prepared for disappointment. UCLA was my dream school, but I always thought it was a long shot,” he recalled thinking. “As I opened the portal, I saw ‘Congratulations.’ I felt two years of stress and frustration slip off my shoulders. My dad and I both exclaimed in excitement and shock. He wrapped his arms around me, and I sat there, letting it sink in. That moment was everything.”

The only person who will advocate for you is you,” said Zachary Joseph. “Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you — take the reins and steer your course.”

Because of his own experience, Joseph is drawn to those like him who have taken nontraditional paths to UCLA. He makes a point to bring other transfer students onto his projects, aiming to create teams that reflect the background and values that shaped him.

On campus, Joseph found community through engineering organizations including the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Eta Kappa Nu Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society (HKN). Through late-night lab hours with his IEEE “FamilIEEEs,” he connected with peers who shared his passion for developing software and problem-solving. Through HKN, he was paired with a mentor from Google who prepared him for technical interviews and shared his experiences working on Google Chrome.

Academically, Joseph credits Xiaofan Cui, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UCLA Samueli, who teaches Circuit Analysis II (EC ENGR 110) class for helping him bridge the gap between abstract theory and hands-on engineering practice.

“Until his class, I had a difficult time synthesizing my circuit theory with practical applications,” Joseph said. “His explanations of the practical applications of circuit-filter design and two-port networks have been significant in advancing my learning. Not only that, he has been one of the kindest and most approachable professors I’ve had so far.” 

Now, Joseph is applying that coursework and his passion for real-world innovation as a software and firmware developer at Asearis Data Systems, a startup housed in the UCLA Anderson Venture Accelerator that is developing distributed computing technology to reduce reliance on unsustainable, environmentally damaging data centers.

Through the Venture Accelerator, Joseph has also gained exposure to the business side of tech by participating in pitching seminars and alumni-hosted events, where he has started building his own professional network.

In recognition of his hard work and academic pursuits in electrical engineering, Joseph was awarded UCLA Samueli’s Louis Levoy Engineering Scholarship Fund in 2025.

Looking ahead, Joseph plans to pursue a master’s in electrical engineering and business administration while continuing his work at Asearis. His long-term ambition is to build intelligent robotics and real-time computer vision systems that change how people interact with the world.

From community college classrooms to UCLA lecture halls, Joseph said he is proud of the path he has taken and wants to encourage others to carve their own.

“The only person who will advocate for you is you,” Joseph said. “Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you — take the reins and steer your course.”