2011 Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Chengappa Kodira is a third-year Business-Economics student from Davis, California, a small suburb of Sacramento. At Davis Senior High School, Chengappa excelled in the classroom and was also a decorated soccer player. At UCLA, Chengappa has gained experience working at the Anderson School of Management and also interning for Senator Barbara Boxer and KPMG. Currently, he is looking forward to beginning an internship program with Merrill Lynch. Chengappa is also actively involved the student-led consulting group Bruin Consulting Solutions, the UCLA Mock Trial Program, and the Undergraduate Business Society.

Future Plans: This year, Chengappa plans on securing an internship in either the financial consulting or banking industries. After graduating with a B.A. in Business-Economics, Chengappa plans on pursuing either consulting or banking for full-time employment. Chengappa is receiving advice from many of his mentors, including investment bankers and financial executives, in order to better plan his career path to accomplish his career goals. After gaining substantial work experience, Chengappa plans to pursue a Masters of Business Administration and eventually become a CFO or president of a firm.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am truly honored to receive the Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship for the 2011-2012 school year. I am thankful for this scholarship for recognizing both my dedication to extracurricular activities and academic pursuits. More importantly, this scholarship lightens the financial burden placed upon myself and my family, and gives me further motivation to remain focused on my career goals. I would like to sincerely thank both Mrs. Patricia Bruce and Mr. Harry L. Bruce for their financial assistance and support of my future educational endeavors.