Linda Su

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2017 Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Linda Su is a third-year Business Economics major and Accounting Minor. She teaches high school students financial literacy, plays club tennis, co-leads a mentorship team in Beta Alpha Psi, and supervises all marketing and promotion for UCLA Studio 22, a multimedia studio at UCLA. During her free time, Linda enjoys hiking, baking, and exploring LA with her friends.

Future Plans: Linda participated in various public accounting leadership programs the summer of her sophomore year. She accepted an internship in core assurance with PriceWaterhouseCoopers this summer in the Los Angeles office. She plans to pursue a career in public accounting after graduation, and she may pursue an MBA in the future after gaining work experience.

What does this scholarship mean to me?: I am very honored to have been selected for the Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship. This scholarship will support my academic work in economics and accounting. I am also grateful that I will be able to focus on my studies and future career with less of a financial burden. I am thankful for Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro’s support and hope to pay it forward one day as well.

James Setiadi

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2017 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: James Setiadi is a sophomore with a major in Business Economics and minor in Accounting. He was born in Jakarta, Indonesia and raised in Northridge, California. He developed a strong interest in business after taking accounting classes in high school. At UCLA, he deepened his accounting knowledge and joined the Student Accounting Society. During summers, he worked as an intern for the Kellogg and Andelson Accountancy Corporation and for a local, small business. Alongside accounting, James has an interest in community service and marine biology. He is a member of the volunteer organization Circle K and its fundraising committee. He also volunteers at the Aquarium of the Pacific where he has logged 410 service hours over the past 5 years.

Future Plans: After graduating, James plans on becoming a Certified Public Accountant. To gain some CPA experience, he hopes to attend summer leadership programs at Big 4 and mid-tier accounting firms. Later, he plans on interning at an accounting firm in his junior year and accepting a full time offer by his senior year. Currently, he is most interested in working in the field of auditing.

What does this scholarship mean to me?: As I have learned in my business classes, “there is no such thing as a free lunch.” Covering my educational expenses will be a challenge that conflicts with my accounting studies over the coming years. I will have to face this challenge on my own since I am the first person in my family to attend a university in the United States. Therefore, I feel extremely grateful to receive the Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship. The Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship will help me tremendously by being one of my support systems at UCLA. This scholarship will help me achieve my career goals by allowing me to focus on my accounting studies and less on my financial burden. Thank you to Mr. Mortenson and his family for supporting my education. I will not take this award for granted and work hard so that I can give back to my community.

Pooja Saran

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2017 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Pooja Saran is a second-year Alumni Scholar studying Business Economics at UCLA. She has a passion for learning and problem-solving – thriving in environments where she can continually challenge herself. Pooja’s quantitative background in finance, accounting, and economics has provided her with a strong aptitude for logical and critical thinking. On campus she is part of Bruin Investment & Trading Group, where she thinks critically to analyze the effects of current market conditions on companies’ financial health. Pooja is also a Presidential Associate of the Alumni Scholars Club and an Event Manager at the Anderson School of Management, where she uses her exemplary leadership skills to execute large-scale events and build meaningful connections. In her spare time, Pooja enjoys hiking, DIY crafting, and spending time with her family and friends.

Future Plans: Pooja is pursuing a career in finance, where she can use her analytical mindset to solve challenging problems. After graduating with her undergraduate degree and gaining more industry experience, she plans to continue in higher education by pursuing a MBA. Pooja looks forward to using her technical knowledge for positive change.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I would like to thank Mr. Mortenson and the Department for supporting my academic endeavors and believing in my successes. This generosity strengthens my belief and commitment to feed-forward. Knowing others are confident in me and invested in my education further motivates me to continue holding myself to exceptional standards – always challenging myself to do more. This scholarship will help me achieve my goals by letting me focus on my studies, rather than financial stresses. I am grateful for the generous support of Mr. Mortenson and the Economics Department. Thank you for this honor!

Aileen Sanchez

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2017 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Aileen is a third-year Economics major with an emphasis in Accounting. She is currently working two jobs as an office assistant at the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and as a sales assistant at ASUCLA Catering. Aileen has interned as a Launch intern at Ernst & Young and will be an incoming tax intern at the firm this summer. When she’s not busy with school or work, she enjoys visiting new restaurants and trying different foods.

Future Plans: Aileen plans to become a tax accountant at a big four accounting firm and hopes to also pursue a law degree. She has always had an interest in law and believes that this would be a great way to work in two fields that she is passionate about. It was during her most recent internship that she learned how law and tax work together. She became even more motivated and inspired to pursue a law degree in order to expand her skills. Aileen hopes that after a few years of work experience at an accounting firm, that she can then go back to school and bring the two together.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. I have worked two jobs throughout my college career in order to relieve the financial burden on my family. This scholarship is going to allow me to focus on achieving my academic and career goals. The award has also provided me the reinforcement needed to work even harder towards my goals. I am thankful for the Wark Family’s generosity and hope that one day I can pay it forward.

Michelle Thaovy Phan

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2017 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Michelle Phan is a third-year Business Economics major and Accounting minor. Born in Vietnam, she moved to the U.S. at a young age and grew up in Orange County. Michelle graduated from Bolsa Grande High School in 2015. Throughout her academic career, she has put every effort into maintaining the highest level of academic achievement possible. Experiencing the disadvantages that financial challenges bring about as she was growing up, she has learned the value of financial independence and realized the value of a college education. Michelle is a first-generation college student in her family. She endeavors to pursue her career success, become a role model for her sister, and repay her parents for their sacrifices. This past summer, she attended the Big Four’s Summer Leadership Programs and received early internship offers, of which she picked Deloitte.

Future Plans: Michelle will be interning at Deloitte this summer. She will be joining the Orange County Audit Team to gain exposure to the corporate world and receive hands-on training within the professional service. After graduation, Michelle plans to become a Certified Public Accountant. She is also considering becoming a Certified Financial Planner. After a few years, she would like to pursue an MBA. In the long run, she wants to start her own business. She hopes that her knowledge in business, economics, public accounting, and finance will substantially benefit her in pursuing her long-term career goals.

What does this scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. I feel extremely grateful for the Wark Family’s generous financial support and investment in my education. I am humbled by their recognition of my past achievement and confidence in my potential for future successes. I now feel even more driven than ever to continue working hard and strive to honor this recognition. This scholarship will help reduce my financial burden and allow me to focus on pursuing my educational dreams. One day, I hope to be able to pay it forward to the community.

Julia Miller

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2017 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Julia is a 4th year Economics major and Accounting minor. Her past experience includes interning for KPMG’s Economic and Valuation Services department, as well as Paramount Pictures’ Compliance department. She has competed in various case competitions during her time at UCLA, including being part of the winning team in the campus rounds of KPMG’s International Case Competition and a semifinalist in PwC’s Challenge Case Competition. In addition, Julia co-founded and served as the CEO of Bruin Investment Banking, and she also volunteers with UCLA’s Colleges Against Cancer. She plans on graduating in June 2018 as part of UCLA’s College Honors program.

Future Plans: After graduating, Julia will work as an Economic and Valuation Services Associate for KPMG the Los Angeles office. She hopes to gain valuable experience in the field of public accounting before pursuing an MBA.

What does this scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to have been selected as the recipient of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting—the scholarship provides me with immense help in continuing to pursue my Bachelor’s degree. My family and I are extraordinarily grateful for the scholarship, as it will help reduce the financial burden of tuition, and it will allow me to reduce the number of hours that I need to work during the academic year so that I can put an even greater focus on my coursework. I am so thankful for the generous contribution that makes this scholarship possible.

Kriti Mathur

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2017 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Kriti Mathur is a junior at UCLA with a major in Business Economics and a minor in Accounting. She was born in Delhi, India, and raised in Singapore from the age of 10. She then moved to the United States to attend UCLA in 2015. Kriti loves being a part of UCLA’s diverse and inviting community, and taking advantage of  the various opportunities it offers. She has internship experience working in a startup in Singapore. She holds that experience in high regard as she truly feels like she has learnt about mobile application development from it. Kriti has been interested in event planning and accounting since high school. To get more experience in these fields she worked on campus in the ASUCLA Events office, and the Student Government Accounting office. With a deep passion for volunteering, she continues to be an active member of UNICEF at UCLA and Volunteer for Income Tax Association (VITA). In her free time, Kriti enjoys exploring the beautiful city of Los Angeles, travelling, and watching movies with her friends.

Future plans: Kriti’s experiences with VITA and the UCLA Travel Study Program she was part of in France have inspired an interest in pursuing public accounting, specifically as a tax professional. She will be interning at Deloitte as a tax intern in the summer of 2018. Upon graduation, she hopes to continue working as a tax professional for a few years before going to graduate school for a Master’s degree. Even though she plans to go into public accounting, she wants to always be connected with her community and continue to give back in any way she can.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It is a great honor to receive the Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship award as a recognition for my academic achievements. I am deeply grateful for the generosity and support of Mr. Harold R. Mortenson. The scholarship will greatly contribute towards reducing my financial burden as an international student, and allow me to pursue my personal and professional goals without any worry.

 

Natalia Dias Ferrao Levy

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2017 Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Natalia was born and raised in Rio, Brazil and was the only sibling of four to decide to study abroad. When leaving Brazil, she was certain of only a couple things: that she made the right decision and that she wanted to study Business Economics. Her favorite courses at UCLA are astronomy, finance, and – mostly because of the professors – accounting.  At UCLA, Natalia became involved with the Brazilian Student Association, an international business association that helps Brazilian students abroad connect and advance their careers.  Her experience in college helped her realize that what moved and fascinated her were the human connections: inspiring professors and friends from completely different backgrounds. Now at her final year at UCLA, Natalia aspires to work in finance, do a whole bunch of traveling and always prioritize exchanges with great individuals.

Future Plans: Natalia plans to work as a financial analyst in New York or Los Angeles. She wishes to get a CFA and specialize in international capital markets, such as Latin American and Asia-Pacific. Natalia wishes to add value by understanding complexities outside the US and open doors to new scopes of investments. Because of her entrepreneurial side, she also hopes to have her own business venture in something she is passionate about (maybe a Brazilian acai shop in Los Angeles). In the long term, Natalia hopes to work for a philanthropic cause in Brazil, helping low-income Brazilians pursue education and high-skilled careers.

What does this scholarship mean to you?: For me, this scholarship means a few things. It means there are people in the world that believe in encouraging others. It means that hard work pays off. It means that I can remove a part of the financial weight on my family. I am immensely grateful for being the recipient of the 2018 Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship. I am humbled that someone looked at my achievements and saw something worthwhile. Receiving the award email was definitely a moment in time I felt the world was smiling back at me. Scholarships represent something that always bring the best in people: others believing in you. I hope one day I can do the same for someone else.

Yu Na Lee

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2017 Venu and Ana Kotamraju Endowed Scholarship Award Recipient

Biography: Yu Na Lee is a senior Economics Major and Digital Humanities Minor at UCLA. Since coming to UCLA, she has worked as an Instructional Consultant at UCLA Library, along with volunteering at VITA for income tax returns of low-income populations in Los Angeles. With having diverse work and internship experiences, she learned accounting, marketing, finance, and data analysis skills. During her free time, she educates herself coding language and statistical tools.

Future Plans: Yu Na Lee is searching for a work that will sponsor her visa in the U.S. upon her graduation, so that she can stay with her family and build professional experience in Finance and Data Analysis. She also plans to study in graduate school further in Statistics or MBA in her future, and meanwhile, hopes to be involved in Business Development department of tech or entertainment field.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am very grateful and honored to be a recipient of the Venu and Ana Kotamraju Scholarship award. As an international student from South Korea, paying for all costs for living and education has never been easy due to limited access for aids and employment for foreigners. This award will not only relieve the financial burden on my family but also encourage and support my achievements in academics and career. It also reminds that I am member of the UCLA community and the Economics department, which is such a strong motivation for me to be determined to stay connected to the school even after I graduate. The scholarship drives me to keep working hard and searching for any opportunities available. I hope I would be able to give back to the community in my future as Venu and Ana Kotamraju did. I want to express my gratitude for their generosity again.

Eun Gyu (Andy) Lee

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2017 Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Andy Lee is a fourth year Economics student minoring in Accounting and pursuing the College Honors distinction. He is involved in campus as the Student Ambassador at the UCLA Department of Economics. Andy is passionate about learning and wants to make a positive impact in the community with the knowledge and perspectives he gains at UCLA. He is trilingual in Korean, English, and Chinese and hopes to use his multicultural quality to expand his career opportunities.

Future Plans: Upon graduating in Spring 2018, Andy intends a career in the accounting industry. He has formerly completed an Accounting internship at a mid-tier insurance company and plans on pursuing CPA certification to advance his career. In addition, he plans on traveling to all seven continents and to become fluent in at least 4 languages.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am truly honored and humbled to receive the Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship. This award recognizes the hard work and dedication I have put forth in my past achievements and encourages me to continue to put in my best effort in all that I do. Mr. Baus’ generosity and support will allow me to focus more on my academics and career planning during my last year at UCLA. As a student who understands the struggles of working while maintaining high academic performance, I hope that one day I will be able to give back to my community just as Mr. Baus has given to his.