2020 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

 

Biography: Katia Arami is in her third and final year at UCLA, graduating with two degrees in Economics and International Development. Katia’s passion for economics began in high school as she became founder of the Young Investors Society, teaching principles of financial literacy and investment to her peers. Since coming to UCLA, Katia has become involved in the Undergraduate Economics Society through which she led several initiatives. She is most proud of founding the first undergraduate economics journal on campus, the Bruin Economics Journal, leading a team of writers as Editor-in-Chief and writing articles on economic subjects and trends. In her final year, Katia was accepted to the Undergraduate Student Initiated Education program through which she is creating her own course “Political Economy of American Empire” which she will teach this Spring.

Outside of UCLA, Katia has explored the financial world through her varied internship experiences. Throughout her college years, Katia has interned in venture capital, private equity, community development banking, and financial consulting for the entertainment industry. She is grateful for these experiences which have allowed her to apply what she has learned of economics at UCLA outside of the classroom. In her free time, Katia enjoys researching topics which include settler colonialism, slavery, and other key issues in preparation for her upcoming course, as well as obsessively reading through her library and dancing, a new lock down hobby.

Future plans: In her final year, Katia’s future plans include enjoying her last quarter at UCLA and taking some classes in varying departments, as well as teaching her weekly course, “Political Economy of American Empire.” Upon graduation, Katia has accepted an offer from wealth and asset management consulting firm, Alpha FMC. She greatly looks forward to beginning her work with the firm and continuing to learn from real-life applications of economics. Before beginning work in September, Katia is excited for her first summer “off” in quite some time, though knowing herself, she knows fully well it will not end up being quite so idle.

What does the scholarship mean to me? I am extremely grateful and honored to have received the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. The generosity of the Wark’s in securing my education in this challenging year is a help beyond my expectations. I left my student job at the Hammer Museum in Westwood at the outset of the pandemic, and this scholarship will be a great aid to me in my final year of education. This scholarship also serves as an inspiration for me in continuing my passion for life-long learning. In my first year at UCLA, I began to doubt whether I was fit for the Economics program here, but this recognition is an affirmation that sometimes it is worth taking the difficult path. I would like to extend my sincerest appreciation to the Wark family for their generosity and continual support of students like myself.