From managing student budgets for BRRC to working for a major Netflix series, Sociology alum Sunny Dae is proving that one life can contain many brilliant chapters.
Interview by Ammie Giang; article by Ashley Villanueva
For Sunny Dae ’14, the journey to UC Berkeley began with a Southwest flight and a leap of faith. During "Senior Weekend," an immersive program for admitted high school seniors hosted by the bridges Multicultural Resource Center, she fell in love with the "small but mighty" communities on campus.
"I visited the dorms, saw the resources, and by Sunday, I just knew," Sunny recalls. "Being from LA, it felt far enough to give me independence, but close enough to feel safe."
While her degree says Sociology, Sunny’s Berkeley education was defined by "third spaces." (A third space is neutral ground outside of one’s home or workplace where people can relax, express themselves, and connect with others.) Whether she was lounging in the African American Student Development (AASD) office or managing a $90,000 programming budget for the Black Recruitment and Retention Center (BRRC), she was learning the fundamental skills of an experiential marketer: anticipating needs and amplifying voices.
The bookstore revelation
Despite her natural knack for event planning, Sunny spent most of her undergraduate years as a pre-law student. The turning point came in a campus bookstore, holding an LSAT prep book and realizing her heart wasn't in it.
"I actually cried," she admits. "I wanted stability and prestige, but one of my professors asked: ‘If you had to do something you didn’t get paid for, what would it be?’ For me, the answer was events. That grounded me in the idea that this could be a career."
That revelation led to the first major "pivot" of her life. Sunny spent the next decade becoming a powerhouse in the marketing world, most notably project-managing CultureCon, a massive conference for Black and Brown creators.
"Overseeing programming for 10,000 creatives in New York and seeing brands like JP Morgan and HBO Max invest in people who look like us was incredibly fulfilling," Sunny says. "But I also learned that you aren't pigeonholed by the decisions you make at 21."
Writing the next chapter
At age 32, Sunny decided to pivot once more. Having always been a storyteller, from writing Degrassi fanfiction as a kid to publishing an op-ed in a local paper as a sophomore at Cal, she decided to pursue screenwriting.
The transition was swift and successful. After a screenwriting residency, Sunny was hired as the Showrunner's Assistant for Season 2 of the hit Netflix Series, FOREVER, an adaptation of a Judy Blume novel created and executive produced by the legendary Mara Brock Akil.
"I’m 33 and in an entry-level position again, but I wake up feeling like I’m at Disneyland," she says. "To be on the precipice of creating something that someone will look at 25 years from now and feel influenced by, the way shows influenced me, is an honor."
Sunny’s advice for the next generation
Sunny’s career is a blueprint for the modern, non-linear path. Her advice for current students is rooted in the "fearless" spirit of Berkeley:
- Negotiate from your first job: "It’s a practice you need to start early."
- Nurture your relationships: "Every job I’ve gotten has been because of an organic relationship I nurtured."
- Stay curious: "The landscape is changing so quickly that your dream job might not even exist yet."
"Start on the page," Sunny says as a final message to student creators. "Your story and your perspective are unique. They deserve to be heard, but you have to write them first."
From the Afro Floor to the Netflix set, Sunny Dae continues to embody the "power of the pivot," proving that at UC Berkeley, alums don't just follow the future, they write it.