Biography: Shannon Leo is currently a third-year undergraduate double majoring in Business Economics and Financial Actuarial Mathematics with a Specialization in Computing. As a very organized and detail-oriented person, she loves playing around with numbers and solving problems through calculations and analytical thinking, and she has always been curious about how the economy works. Committed to exploring her passion for mathematics and intellectual curiosities in the world of business and healthcare, Shannon quickly became drawn to the actuarial field as an empowering and innovative discipline that combines mathematics, statistics, and finance to analyze and minimize the risks and costs of uncertainty. Within UCLA, Shannon is also a member of the College Honors program and has been actively involved in various student organizations, including Bruin Actuarial Society, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Alumni Scholars Club, and Club Badminton. Besides focusing on her academic and career endeavors, she enjoys music performance, badminton, skiing, traveling, and DIY crafts.

Future Plans: With her mind set on pursuing a career as an actuary, Shannon will be participating in her second actuarial internship this summer with UnitedHealth Group. Following her graduation from UCLA, she hopes to continue to expand her actuarial knowledge, particularly in the healthcare industry, and develop her leadership and technical skills by connecting with the actuarial community, gaining exposure in various actuarial areas of practice, and seizing opportunities to participate in leadership conferences and high-visibility projects. On top of that, she hopes to complete the rigorous series of actuarial examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries (SOA) to attain her Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) designation and be well on her way towards acquiring her Fellowship of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) designation. Additionally, she is considering pursuing an MBA degree after gaining more work exposure to continue expanding her business knowledge and skills. Post-graduation, she also wants to give back to the UCLA community by keeping in touch with various student organizations and participating in volunteering and alumni events.

What does scholarship means to me? I am incredibly grateful and honored to be selected as the recipient of the Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship. As a third-year undergraduate student and an aspiring actuary, I recognize the financial burden on students and their families in the pursuit of higher education and understand the costs for actuarial science students as they continue along the pathway to becoming a full-fledged actuary. This scholarship will help me, as a full-time college student and part-time worker, reduce my financial costs of education and enable me to devote more time to focus on my studies, extracurricular activities, and career development while allowing me to expand my network of connections with diverse and vibrant groups of accomplished individuals, thus presenting opportunities to engage in leadership, research, and global experiences.

Biography: Megan Hoang is a third-year majoring in Business Economics and is originally from Houston, Texas. As a first-generation college student, Megan has always been driven to succeed and to give back to her community. She strongly believes in closing the resource gap for students from underrepresented backgrounds and is dedicated to making a difference in this area. Megan is the Chief Operating Officer of a non-profit called HeadStart and is an assistant in the UCLA Division of Graduate Education Fellowships and Finances. Outside of academics, Megan enjoys trying the newest restaurants in town, going to the ballet, doing Pilates, and cooking!

Future Plans: Megan is actively pursuing a career in investment banking and private equity. She will be interning at Rothschild & Co. in New York City office this upcoming summer. She hopes to gain valuable skills during the role and gain a clearer view of what specific role in the financial services industry is the best fit for her. Megan is passionate about entering the financial services industry because she believes it offers the opportunity to create meaningful change in the world through wealth creation. One of her primary career goals is to be involved in impact investing for non-profit organizations that aim to empower the under-represented communities of society – particularly in the education sector and those who come from similar backgrounds as she did.

What this scholarship means to me? As a recipient of this scholarship, I am deeply grateful for the financial assistance it provides and the opportunities it has opened up for me. Without this scholarship, pursuing my academic and career goals would have been a significant financial burden. Now, I can focus on my studies and participate in extracurricular activities that will enhance my personal and professional growth. Moreover, this scholarship means more to me than just financial aid. It is a recognition of my hard work and dedication to my education and future aspirations. It gives me a sense of confidence and motivation to continue pursuing my goals, knowing that my efforts have been acknowledged and supported by others. I am truly honored and humbled to have received this scholarship, and I will strive to make the most out of this opportunity to achieve my full potential.

Biography: Ziyan Bhamani is a fourth-year student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), set to graduate this spring with a major in Business Economics, a minor in Accounting, and a concentration in Value Investing. Born and raised in Camarillo, California, Ziyan was a fan of  UCLA basketball from a young age and would frequently attend games. During his time at UCLA, he was actively involved in several campus organizations, including serving as a manager for the Undergraduate Business Society’s Leadership Development Committee. In this role, Ziyan spearheaded a new office hours initiative to provide students with more opportunities to seek advice and mentorship from the society’s leaders. Additionally, he was a member of the Student Accounting Society, the Sigma Nu fraternity, and the UCLA Information Technology team. He also completed an internship at the school’s Endowment at UCLA Investment Company. Beyond academics and campus involvements, Ziyan enjoys a range of hobbies and interests, including playing basketball, camping, trying new restaurants, and traveling. These activities have allowed him to explore new places and cultures, and he values the perspective they have given him.

Future Plans: After graduating from UCLA, Ziyan Bhamani has exciting plans for the future. He intends to travel around Europe and experience different cultures before starting his full-time job at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Los Angeles. As someone who is passionate about learning and trying new things, Ziyan looks forward to continuing to develop his skills and gain new experiences in the field of management consulting. He also plans to attend business school in the future to further his education and enhance his career opportunitie

What this scholarship means to me? Being selected as a recipient of the Gumbiner Savett Inc. Endowed Undergraduate Prize is a truly humbling experience. It is an honor to be recognized for my academic achievements and extracurricular activities, especially by an organization that is highly respected in the business community. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication I have put into my education, and it is a reminder that my efforts have not gone unnoticed. Receiving this scholarship will be immensely helpful in supporting my academic pursuits and helping me achieve my goals. It will provide me with the financial stability I need to focus on my studies and pursue opportunities that will allow me to grow both personally and professionally. I hope to use my education and experiences to make a positive impact on the world and inspire others to do the same. This scholarship will enable me to continue this path and give back to the community that has supported me throughout my time at UCLA.

Biography: Daniel Day is a Southern California native who is a second-year student majoring in Business Economics with a minor in Accounting at UCLA. He works as a Grader/Proctor/TA for Mgmt. 1A, 1B, and 120A. He was part of the UCLA Deloitte FanTAXtic team that placed 3rd nationally for UCLA. Daniel is also involved with many other student organizations including the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, the Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Fraternity and a project manager for Bruin Ventures which provides business analysis to companies. Daniel also stays active by using his tennis skills as a formerly nationally ranked junior tennis player by volunteering as a practice hitter for the UCLA Women’s team.

Future Plans: Daniel is excited to be joining a small private equity firm as an analyst during his Summer 2023 internship. After his 3rd year at UCLA, he will join Deloitte as an intern in Audit and Assurance during the Summer 2024. During both internships he looks forward to not only learning new skills but also to acquire first-hand business experience regarding a variety of industries in order to better assess his future long term business interests.

What this scholarship means to me? It is my honor to be a recipient of the Donald Lipshutz Scholarship for the 2022-2023 academic year. I am extremely grateful to the Donald Lipschutz Scholarship Donor and the Department of Economics Awards Committee for providing me with this opportunity. This scholarship not only provides significant financial assistance, but it also provides a welcomed acknowledgement of my past achievements and encouragement to work harder going forward.

Biography: Joyce Chen is currently a senior at UCLA with two degrees in Business Economics and Statistics, and a minor in Digital Humanities. She was born and raised in Jiangsu, China, and came to Los Angeles four years ago to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at UCLA. On campus, Joyce served as the President of Ascend at UCLA, a student chapter of Ascend with a mission to foster community and engagement for Pan-Asian students and business professionals. She was also a senior consultant and project manager at 180 Degrees Consulting, where she worked on three pro-bono consulting projects for non-profits and social enterprises. Beyond campus involvements, Joyce has completed internships in various fields, including consumer goods, startups, market research, and consulting through the school year and over the summer. During her free time, Joyce enjoys traveling, baking, hiking, photography, and watching American TV shows.

Future plans: After graduation, Joyce will begin working at Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant at the Shanghai office, broadening her knowledge about business and helping clients solve their business problems and increase their social impact. In the long term, she plans to pursue an MBA after a few years of work experience.

What this scholarship means to me? I am incredibly grateful to receive the Donald Lipschutz Scholarship. I would like to sincerely thank the donor of the scholarship and the department for making this scholarship possible. This scholarship will help me ease my financial burden, serve as a recognition of my past academic and professional achievements, and give me an opportunity to focus on improving my academic performance, building my professional skill sets, and ultimately becoming a well-rounded professional. I will consistently strive to exceed expectations and make positive contributions to the UCLA community.