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.

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.

 

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.

2017 Lawrence and Joan E. Anderson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Hee Sang Kim is a third year student from South Korea. He is pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Business Economics with an Accounting minor. Determined to experience the broader world and the global economy, he came to UCLA to not only pursue his dream in accounting, but also to make a difference in his community. He actively participates in diverse school organizations such as the Student Accounting Society and Global Leadership Association at UCLA. Outside of his academic career, he is a big fan of E-sports such as League of Legends.

Future Plans: Hee Sang will have a tax internship in Andersen Tax this summer and hopes to pursue his career path in public accounting. In the future, he hopes to become a Certified Public Accountant and pursue a Master’s degree in Business Administration. After some time working in the field, Hee Sang plans to start his own accounting firm.

What does this scholarship mean to you?: I am incredibly honored and grateful to receive this scholarship, and I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Anderson and their family for their generous support. This award relieves the financial burden on my shoulders and allows me to focus on my academic and professional career. In addition, this award recognizes my academic endeavors and motivates me even more to continue to give back to my community. Once again, I cannot express enough of my appreciation for the Anderson family and the UCLA economics department.

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

Biography: Dalia is a 3rd year student at UCLA majoring in Economics with a  minor in Film, TV, and Digital Media. Born and raised in Kuwait, Dalia is enjoying exploring all that LA has to offer. Since coming to UCLA, Dalia has been involved in multiple film and photography clubs, the UCLA Rowing team, and the Epsilon Alpha Sigma sorority. Previously, Dalia interned for the Central Bank of Lebanon, and competed in a 6 month business plan competition hosted by PwC, both which fostered her passion for economics and business. She recently worked at the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce where she learned a lot about government affairs, marketing and branding. When she’s not busy with school or work, Dalia enjoys playing basketball, going to TV show tapings and movie premieres, and trying new foods.

Future Plans:  After finishing her degree this summer, Dalia is eager to find a career that brings together her passion for economics and analysis with her love for creative expression. She hopes to be able to work full-time in the consulting or entertainment industries, and eventually pursue an MBA or law degree.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am deeply honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Robert D. and Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship and am extremely grateful for The Wark Family’s generosity and support. This scholarship really means a lot to me because it serves as a special recognition and reaffirmation of all my hard work and academic achievement. In addition, because of this scholarship, I can now focus more of my time to my academic, extracurricular, and professional pursuits. I am truly touched by the Wark Family’s giving values and hope that one day I will be able to pay it forward and help other students achieve their goals.