2009 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Nick Rasines is a third-year Business-Economics Student from the small town of McKinleyville in Northern California. Nick was a decorated athlete in baseball and basketball at McKinleyville High School; however, after his attempt to walk on to the UCLA baseball team was ultimately unsuccessful, he began to focus more on academics and his eventual career aspirations. He has held internship positions at SBE Entertainment, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and completed a summer internship with Ernst & Young LLP. He is also Vice President of the Undergraduate Business Society at UCLA and a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.

Future Plans: Nick is planning to complete his B.A. in Business-Economics over the next two years and is looking forward to recruiting this upcoming Winter Quarter for investment banking internship opportunities. Upon graduation, he is hoping to become a part of a bulge bracket investment bank and work as an analyst. After his time in investment banking, Nick is looking to work at a private equity firm and then go back to school to get his MBA. Nick is watching the actions of many of his mentors, including investment bankers and private equity executives, in order to better plan his career path to accomplish his career goals. He is eventually looking to become a CEO or founder and president of a firm.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I feel honored to receive the John J. Peterson Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year. This scholarship will help lighten the financial burden of tuition, rent, books, and other educational expenses levied upon myself and my family. More importantly, this scholarship is important to me in that it recognizes my dedication to my academic pursuits. I am extremely grateful for this scholarship award as recognition for my continued commitment to my education and my extracurricular activities here at UCLA. I want to sincerely thank John J. Peterson for his support of my future educational endeavors.