2005 Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Kevin Diestel is currently a fourth-year student at UCLA majoring in Business Economics and minoring in Accounting and Political Science. This past summer Kevin worked as a Summer Analyst at Merrill Lynch’s Investment Banking division and presently works part-time at the John Wooden Center on campus.

Future Plans: Kevin has accepted an offer to continue as an Analyst with Merrill Lynch upon graduation. After working for a few years Kevin plans to attend business school and continue in a finance related occupation. With the help of his sister and three brothers Kevin hopes to one day create “Diestel Enterprises” that will specialize in a variety of fields and industries.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: The Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship means a tremendous amount to me. The scholarship has helped me as a student who struggles to pay rising tuition costs, but more importantly it recognizes students who put a great deal of effort into school at UCLA and strive for excellence in all facets of life. The honor that goes with such an award greatly outweighs the financial sum that accompanies it. That being said, this award has made it possible for me to pay my own way through a second year at UCLA. Coming from a family with five children, I have always wanted to lessen the burden on my mother and father with respect to college tuition. Working part-time during the school year can only do so much and a great deal of time must be devoted to school. Receiving this scholarship has allowed me to continue my education while not having to worry about all of the expenses that come with it. Thank you once again to Patricia and Harry L. Bruce and anyone else who contributed to this or any other scholarship.