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

 

Biography: Christine Tseng is a third-year Pure Mathematics and Economics double major. Having seen education rescue her immigrant parents from a life of poverty in the countryside of Taiwan, Christine grew up in awe of the unparalleled power of education and now strives for the highest academic excellence at UCLA. Though fascinated by both math and economics, Christine initially only planned to earn her math degree. However, engrossed with the elegant overlap and applications of math in economics, she has since also immersed herself in the Economics Department courses and enjoys every second of it. Despite early doubts from others, Christine has excelled as a woman in mathematics and economics, and she is particularly thankful for her parents’ unfaltering support of her seeking any education she loves.

Outside of school, Christine works to share this same support from her parents with her peers: as a member of the UCLA Learning Assistants Program, Christine strives to spread joy in learning as she works directly with students in math courses and also UCLA faculty who seek ways to make their STEM courses more inclusive to students of underrepresented backgrounds. She is also a member of the USAC Finance Committee and works to allocate funds to support the fantastic programs put on by student organizations. Having found so much opportunity at UCLA, Christine is incredibly proud of all of her academic and leadership accomplishments thus far.

Future plans: Passionate about the role of mathematical modeling in economics, Christine Tseng intends to continue pursuing a future career in economic and financial modeling. After studying all Winter quarter on various mathematical models, Christine will launch an individual project on modeling financial market volatility in Spring quarter alongside a mentor graduate math student. In addition, this summer, she will join the UCLA Computational and Applied Math Research Experience for Undergraduates program to investigate applications of mathematical modeling to identifying quality claims for the California Innocence Project, an organization that works to free the wrongfully convicted from prison. Ultimately, Christine looks forward to continuing in her studies — to receive her PhD, research in modeling, and someday come back to teach at UCLA.

What does the scholarship mean to me? I am beyond grateful to receive the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Award. With COVID-19 having taken a financial toll on my family, I am deeply appreciative of the generous scholarship from Mr. Walter Wark. This support has allowed me to cut back work hours for my campus jobs and instead focus more on seeking and preparing for yet higher education, especially as I hope to earn my PhD. I am indebted to Mr. Wark’s generous commitment to education and academic excellence in the Economics Department; I cannot wait to return as a researcher and educator to support future generations of UCLA students too.

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.

2020 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

 

Biography: Aeji Hyun is a third year Economics major and Accounting minor. At UCLA, Aeji is involved in various organizations including Korean Culture Night, Youth Empowerment Program, Kristos Campus Missions, and Spoon University. In her free time, Aeji enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and reading new recipes.

Future plans: This summer, Aeji will intern at Ernst & Young in their Assurance Services Practice. After graduation, she plans to obtain a CPA license and work in public accounting. Even as a working professional, Aeji hopes to be involved in giving back to her community, specifically the youth.

What this scholarship means to me? I am extremely grateful to be a recipient of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship. Especially during a time like this, this award means so much to me as a student by allowing me to pursue my academic interests without any financial burden. I want to thank the generous donors for this award and will continue to express my gratitude by doing my best as a student and as a working professional.

2020 Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship Recipient

 

Biography: Gautham Pasupathy is a third-year student at UCLA. Gautham was born and raised in the Bay Area, and came down to Los Angeles to study Business Economics. Gautham enjoys studying at UCLA, and really enjoyed courses such as business law and accounting. Within UCLA, Gautham is involved in multiple organizations, such as Bruin Asset Management, Bruin Ventures, and the Indian Student Union. Outside of UCLA, Gautham enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing poker, and watching movies.

Future Plans: Gautham plans to intern in the field of finance this sumer. He is excited to collect a plethora of experience across the financial services industry, and wants to continue gaining more experience in as many ways as possible. Gautham is not fully sure what he wants to do in the long term; he does have an interest in public accounting and the financial services industry, but wants to explore all of his options.

What does this scholarship mean to me? I am really grateful to have been given this opportunity, and it really means a lot to me. I am very excited that I was awarded this scholarship, and I want to thank the Economics Department and the donors of the Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship once again. I will be able to put this money to good use in covering part of the cost of attendance at UCLA, which is something that I am very appreciative of.

2020 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

 

Biography:  Nehariika Kakkar is a third-year Business Economics major with a minor in Statistics. At UCLA, Nehariika serves as the President of Bruin Women in Business, one of UCLA’s largest business organizations with a mission to empower the next generation of female leaders. Nehariika also serves as the Internal Vice President of 180 Degrees Consulting and as a Senior Consultant at Bruin Consulting. Beyond campus involvements, Nehariika has completed internships in various fields, including digital marketing, business development, product management, and data analytics. Outside of her academic and work commitments, Nehariika enjoys veganizing old family recipes, practicing yoga, and chocolate making.

Future plans:  Nehariika has accepted an offer to intern in consulting this summer. She is excited to begin working at Bain & Company as an Associate Consultant Intern in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Nehariika also plans to pursue an MBA to build upon her undergraduate business curriculum.

What does the scholarship mean to me?  I am incredibly grateful to have received the John J. Peterson Scholarship. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the donors of the scholarship and the department. This scholarship will help to reduce my financial burden and allow me to focus on pursuing my subsequent academic and professional endeavors. I am eagerly looking forward to this next chapter.