2006 Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Ryan Houck is a fourth year student at UCLA and will graduate in June 2007. He is a double major in Business Economics and Psychology with a minor in Accounting. After his second year, he worked with The Mercanti Group, a mergers and acquisitions firm in Santa Monica. He interned at Navigant Consulting in Los Angeles this past summer. In 2005, he received the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. In addition to his academics, he is Director of Consulting for UCLA’s Undergraduate Business Society and a member of Concerts Staff of the Campus Events Commission. Ryan is also a four-year member of UCLA’s club rugby team. He was born and raised in Fresno, where he attended Clovis West High School. Ryan was that school’s B’nai B’rith Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2003,, placing third in the state of California in high school wrestling.

Future Plans: Ryan thoroughly enjoyed both of his internships over the past two summers at The Mercanti Group (M & A) and then Navigant Consulting (Consulting), where he acquired invaluable “real world” work experience within two different fields. Upon graduation, Ryan plans to enter management consulting on a full-time basis. After a few years of work experience, he hopes to enter graduate school to earn an MBA before returning to his field.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: Receiving the Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship is one of the highlights of my academic career. I am deeply honored and grateful. The Scholarship award will relieve financial stress and allow me to focus on academics and community service during my fourth year at UCLA.