UCLA Professor Juliana Londono-Velez was awarded the Spencer Foundation Large Research Grant on Education for her project “Merit financial aid for low-income students and social mobility.” The grant supports education research projects that contribute to the improvement of education.
More details can be found here.
UCLA Professor Martha Bailey was interviewed by PBS News Hour to discuss the increase in the U.S. fertility rate during the COVID pandemic.
The PBS video can be found here.
A Washington Post article discusses the paper “The COVID-19 Baby Bump: The Unexpected Increase in U.S. Fertility Rates in Response to the Pandemic,” by UCLA Professor Martha Bailey and coauthors Janet Currie and Hannes Schwandt.
The Washington Post article can be found here.
The paper, which studies the relationship between the pandemic and fertility rates can be found here.
Biography: Sonia Yan is a third-year student majoring in Business Economics and Statistics with a concentration in Value Investing. At UCLA, she serves as the External Vice President for UConsulting, an undergraduate consultancy focused on increasing accessibility to the management consulting industry, and Bruin Asset Management, a student-run investment organization. Outside of school and work, Sonia enjoys reading, visiting art museums, and hiking.
Future Plans: This summer, Sonia will be interning in Lazard’s Technology Investment Banking Group in San Francisco. She is interested in pursuing a career in finance and is looking forward to learning more about the industry.
What this scholarship means to me? I am incredibly grateful and honored to receive the Donald Lipshutz Scholarship. This scholarship will help me work towards my academic and professional goals with less of a financial burden and motivates me to work even harder to honor the support I’ve received from the donor and the Economics Department. I hope to pay it forward by giving back to the UCLA community in the future.
Biography: Elisa Xu is a third year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Economics and minoring in Accounting. She has been working as a Digital Marketing Intern at UCLA School of Law since her freshman year, which sparked her interest in the impact of communications and other related business activities on brand image and reputation. Throughout her college career, Elisa has actively participated in various extracurricular activities, holding key positions such as Chief Marketing Officer of Bruin Capital Management, Director of Fashion at Business in Entertainment Association, and Editor at Bruin Political Review. In her free time, she enjoys pranking her friends, binge-watching TV shows (her favorite is Better Call Saul), scrolling through memes, thinking about philosophy, listening to punk rock music, and working out when she feels like it.
Future Plans: Elisa’s future plans involve pursuing a career in strategic sales and advertising, inspired by her experience interning at Amazon last summer. Upon graduation this summer, she will be returning to Amazon as a full-time Account Representative. Elisa is excited to combine her comprehensive education in economics, accounting, and business concepts to contribute to the business development and operations associated with technological innovation.
What this scholarship means to me? I am incredibly honored to be selected as a recipient for the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. This scholarship will allow me to focus more on my academic and career goals without worrying about the financial burden. I am deeply grateful to my donors for their inspiring generosity. Knowing that others believe in me and my potential is incredibly motivating, and I feel more committed than ever to pursuing my passions. In the future, I hope to pay it forward by supporting others on their own paths to success. This scholarship is an incredible opportunity and I am thankful for the chance to make the most of it.
Biography: Nika To is a fourth-year student at UCLA studying Economics and Accounting. She was born in Long Beach, California and is a proud first-generation student. From a young age, Nika was inspired by her father’s business acumen and sought to develop her skills independently. While she initially wanted to pursue real estate development, she found accounting to be much more practical and enjoyable and decided to pursue a career in tax. Despite this, Nika holds many interests–she currently works at the Center for Impact located within Anderson School of Management, where she engages in sustainability awareness and net-zero strategies. Outside of school, she loves to take part in creative projects such as photography and painting.
Future plans: After graduation, Nika is moving to New York to work as a Tax Consultant at a business advisory firm and hopes to attain her CPA license as soon as possible to expand her skills in business. After some time, she plans to go back to school and earn a life sciences degree so she can successfully transfer into biotech consulting. Somewhere down the line, she hopes to return to her community in Long Beach and guide low-income students towards higher education by promoting youth development.
What this scholarship means to me? I am more than grateful to have been selected for the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. With this scholarship, I will be able to relieve myself of the financial burdens related to attending school, and I am now more comfortable in pursuing a CPA license without having to worry about piling expenses. To the donor(s), thank you so much for making this opportunity possible and for contributing to this journey of mine.
Biography: Noah is a second-year student studying business economics at UCLA. He is from San Diego and grew up as an athlete playing baseball from four years old until graduating high school. At UCLA, he is currently part of Bruin Asset Management, a Sharpe Fellow in the investment banking cohort, and a participant in the UBS Investment Banking Workshop. He has previously completed internships in venture capital, strategy & finance, and investment banking. Outside of his academic and professional endeavors, Noah enjoys playing golf with friends, going to Dodger games, and competing in poker tournaments.
Future Plans: Noah has accepted an offer to be a Private Equity Summer Analyst at StepStone Group this upcoming summer, where he will be focusing on fund & co-investments. After gaining more experience within the private equity field after UCLA he hopes to one day create his own private equity firm. He is especially passionate about private equity as he loves the intricacies of helping businesses become more efficient and being able to be a part of enterprises that form the basis of the American economy is exciting to him.
What this scholarship means to me? I am honored to receive the John J. Peterson Scholarship – thank you to the Petersons for their support of my academic endeavors. This scholarship inspires me to continue working hard to achieve my goals and to help other generations achieve their aspirations. I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life and hope to give back to UCLA as much as others have done for me.
Biography: Joel Santiago is a 4th year Business Economics major, minoring in Accounting. He was raised in Anaheim, California and is a first-generation student in college pursuing a career in the business industry. Joel became fascinated by the art of entrepreneurship and accounting from a young age and is always looking for innovative ways to succeed through business while also helping his family and community in the process. In his spare time, Joel makes music with his bandmates and enjoys teaching others about several different subjects, always trying to find a way to entertain others and hoping to make a positive impact.
Future Plans: After graduating, Joel plans to work at an accounting firm while also pursuing to become a CPA and eventually obtaining a Master’s in Accounting. This is all to gain the experience needed to eventually start his own business to help others and his family live a better life. One day he hopes for him and his dad to start a non-profit in Mexico to help those in need and truly make a difference where it matters the most.
What this scholarship means to me? I am extremely honored to have been selected for the Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship. I am truly grateful for this opportunity since now I don’t have to stress out about my financial situation, and instead put my full attention into pursuing academic greatness and search for opportunities that will enhance my career in the future. This scholarship truly inspires me to keep moving forward and overcome any obstacle placed in front of me and reminds me of how proud I am to be at UCLA. I really appreciate the support, and I’m extremely thankful for the scholarship and the Economics Department for all their help.
Biography: Samuel Sankisov is a Fourth-Year Undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Business Economics and minoring in Entrepreneurship. Originally from Walnut Creek, CA, he graduated from Northgate High School in June 2019. At UCLA, Samuel has been an active member of several notable on-campus organizations, including Bruin Investment and Trading (BIT) Group, TAMID Group, and the Undergraduate Entrepreneurs Association (UEA). He has also interned at Grant Private Wealth Management, TELEO Capital, Band of Angels, and Pacific Western Bank.
Future Plans: After his graduation in June 2023, Samuel plans to begin his career at Carta, a San Francisco-based technology company that specializes in capitalization table management and valuation software. In the coming years, Samuel hopes to join one of the Bay Area’s top Venture Capital firms, get his MBA degree, and potentially start his own company one day as an entrepreneur himself.
What this scholarship means to me? It is truly an honor and a blessing to be the recipient of the 2023 John J. Peterson Scholarship! By reducing the amount I need to spend on tuition to complete my Bachelor’s Degree at UCLA, this scholarship will allow me to focus on completing my undergraduate coursework to the best of my ability, graduate, and get a head start on paying off my student loans. It will also help me save up for my future MBA tuition.
Biography: Samuel Sanchez is a third year Business Economics major from Riverside, California. Being a UCLA fan since childhood, Samuel enjoys being able to study everyday at his dream and school and always makes the most of any opportunity he can. He is currently the captain of the UCLA Track and Field club as well as a mentor of the UCLA Mentorship Program. Away from campus Samuel enjoys snowboarding, screenwriting, and playing music in two bands.
Future Plans: For the upcoming summer, Samuel will be participating in an economics work-study internship program in Prague, Czech Republic. Being paired with a company for three months will allow him to gain hands-on experience and knowledge of real life scenarios that will allow his potential in the United States to skyrocket. With the experience gained during the internship, Samuel hopes to be able to join a sports front office and work every day in an environment that he loves.
What this scholarship means to me? Being able to be the recipient of such a generous blessing in the name of two wonderful people, Ralph and Shirley Shapiro, truly is an honor and a privilege. This scholarship is more than money to me, it is a sign that I am on a path filled with potential and that there are those out there who believe that I have the ability to make a difference, which is what I truly plan on doing. This award truly does give me the opportunity to make the difference I have always dreamed of making.
