2019 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Peter Ju is a third-year UCLA student pursuing his major in Business Economics and minor in Accounting. Born in New Jersey, Peter moved to Taiwan at the age of five and later moved to the Los Angeles area when he was eight-years-old. At UCLA, he found his economics and accounting classes very interesting, eventually deciding to major and minor in those areas. He wanted to use the knowledge he gained through those classes to make a difference in the community, so he joined VITA and helped low-income households file their tax returns. Besides having a part-time job on campus, Peter also held leadership positions with UCLA Club Golf and Beta Alpha Psi, as he continues to teach beginners the game of golf and to mentor new accounting students.

Future plans: Peter will be an Audit and Assurance intern at Deloitte this summer in the Los Angeles office. After graduation, he plans to become a Certified Public Accountant. He is considering a Master’s degree after gaining work experience for a few years. He hopes to serve as a mentor through UCLA’s alumni network to continue guiding new students.

What does this scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely honored and grateful to receive the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. I work on campus to try to pay for educational and living expenses, but this scholarship will help lessen the financial pressure and allow me to work fewer hours. I will have more time to focus on my academic interests and continue to make an impact in the organizations I’m a part of and in the local community. This scholarship award showed me the importance of giving back, and I will work even harder towards my goals and make a difference in my community.