Alum Jonas Rivera: Still Moving 'Up' at Pixar

GOLDEN GATE XPRESS -- From a monster-filled factory to talking cars, alumnus Jonas Rivera continues to expand our imaginations and inspire up-and-coming animators. Since his last class at SF State, Rivera has been a part of the Pixar family, living out his childhood dreams. With no regrets, he missed his college graduation to start working at his dream job as a producer at Pixar Animation Studios. “I told myself ‘I’m gonna work so damn hard they’re never gonna get rid of me,’” Rivera said. His motivation turned an internship into a full-time job the day after his last college course. Approaching his senior year, Rivera called Pixar searching for an internship. The day following that phone call became the first step in Rivera’s journey to becoming a producer. In 2009, Rivera received a nomination for Academy Award for Best Picture as the producer of “Up“ and was awarded at the Producers Guild Awards for Producer of the Year Award in Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures in 2010.