Biography: Urania Li is a third-year student at UCLA, double majoring in Business Economics and Political Science with a concentration in Political Theory. Throughout her academic journey, she has gained substantial experience through internships in investment banking and startup incubators, where she developed strong financial analysis skills and business acumen. Additionally, her internships at law firms have provided her with a solid understanding of litigation settings, particularly with documents in the discovery phase. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Urania enjoys an active lifestyle. In her free time, she loves hiking, snorkeling, and watching TV shows. These activities provide a balance to her rigorous academic schedule and allow her to explore her interests and unwind.  

 

Future Plans: Urania Li has clear and ambitious plans for her future. She intends to gain valuable experience through a legal assistant internship with a small law firm focusing on business law, which will provide her with practical insights and skills in the legal field. This hands-on experience will be crucial as she prepares for her post-graduation journey. After completing her undergraduate studies, Urania plans to attend law school to further her education and deepen her understanding of business law. Her ultimate career goal is to become a lawyer specializing in international business law. With a passion for global commerce and justice, Urania aims to navigate the complexities of international legal systems and contribute to the resolution of cross-border business disputes. Her dedication to this path reflects her commitment to excellence and her desire to make a meaningful impact in the field of business. 

 

What this scholarship means to me: Receiving this scholarship will significantly alleviate my family’s financial burden and help me manage tuition and other expenses with less stress. With this support, I can focus more on my studies and have the opportunity to participate in meaningful extracurricular activities that will enrich my academic experience. This financial assistance provides me with the freedom to fully engage in my education and personal development without the constant worry of financial constraints. Beyond the financial relief, this scholarship holds profound personal significance. It is a validation of my hard work and dedication, reinforcing my belief in my potential to succeed. It motivates me to strive for excellence and to give back to the community that has supported me. Knowing that others believe in my future inspires me to work even harder, and I am deeply grateful for this vote of confidence. 

Biography: Alexandra is a rising senior double major, studying Business Economics and International Development Studies,  and a concentration in Value Investing. In addition to her studies, she is the Director of the Consumer Goods Division of Bruin Asset Management, working with club members to analyze publicly traded companies in quarterly stock pitches, as well as a member of the Finance Committee for UCLA Alumni Scholars Club, conducting workshops to promote financial literacy. Aside from school and work, Alexandra enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working out, cooking and baking, or playing with her dogs.

 

Future Plans: Alexandra plans on pursuing a career in retail Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), working in the beauty industry. This summer, she will be joining Sephora in San Francisco as their FP&A summer intern, conducting financial analysis to derive trends, drivers, metrics, and other characteristics to provide structure and guidance in business decision-making. Alexandra will focus on forecasting financial framework and team strategies, utilizing historical demand to optimize costs and merchandise flow. Previously, she was an MP&A intern at Goop and worked at Ulta Beauty in their merchandise financial planning and operations strategy department.

 

What this scholarship means to me: This scholarship will help me continue to move forward with my goals as it serves as a reminder and recognition for the hard work, dedication, and consistent commitment I have had towards my scholastic, community, and professional endeavors. Additionally, the scholarship may fund my school program, where I am working towards being trilingual, so that I may be able to interact and serve a greater number of members in our community. Currently, I speak English and Spanish, and am learning Norwegian which will allow me to engage in thoughtful conversations with the international audience to share and learn from each other, as I would love to learn about the economies around the world. Life is precious and having the opportunity to experience various cultures and engage with different people would be a generous gift at my young age.

Biography: Alex Guzman is the proud son of two hardworking Guatemalan parents. At a young age, he demonstrated qualities of being proactive, tenacious, devoted, and disciplined due to watching and admiring his parents. These qualities gave him the foundation to excel academically and in other extracurricular activities. Alex was also able to obtain and hone various valuable skills through the sports he participated in throughout his childhood, particularly soccer in which he learned the importance of communication, cooperation, and understanding one’s role. Ultimately, his efforts and accomplishments in both school and sports came to fruition, landing him the honor of enrolling in the University of California of Los Angeles after graduating from high school. At this prestigious school, Alex continues to thrive in his education keeping a record of straight A’s, while balancing his part-time job. 

In addition, Alex’s parents owned a humble convenience store in downtown Los Angeles. Upon growing up, he would devote the majority of his free time to helping his parents, especially during the pandemic. In that store, Alex developed a strong passion for business and an urge to help his parent’s financial endeavors. For these reasons, he is strongly determined to secure a top position as a financial advisor to take care of his parents and their business with the expertise he obtains. 

Future Plans: Alex Guzman plans to retire his parents one day and as soon as possible. Therefore, during his time at UCLA, Alex has been pursuing higher education and is in the process of securing internships at well-respected firms. Alex has continued to broaden his connections with people in his school, and those he has been in contact with through his internship application. Furthermore, post-graduation, Alex aims to pursue his MBA or gain a tremendous amount of valuable work experience as a financial advisor or wealth management associate. Ultimately, he wants to use his wisdom and experience to enhance his parent’s small business and secure a well-paying job at a high-level corporation. Alex aspires to become an important figure at his future corporation. Moreover, he will climb the corporate ladder, ultimately securing prestigious positions and having a heavy impact in the time that he is there. 

What this scholarship means to me: First and foremost, I am eternally grateful and appreciative of this honor from the bottom of my heart and soul. My decision to commit to UCLA was heavily influenced by scholarships as receiving them allowed my dreams to become a reality. Due to my family’s financial situation, the primary wall preventing me from accomplishing my dream was the fees and expenses to attend this prestigious school. Thus, when I first received my acceptance letter, it was a bittersweet moment as I realized I had been accepted by my dream school but would have to be burdened with thousands of dollars in loans. However, I have been blessed by these scholarships throughout the years as they helped make the cost of attending UCLA more affordable. As I come to a close in my second year, I can proclaim how important these scholarships were in attending UCLA. After seeing the tuition, cost of living, and other expenses pile up in my BruinBill I am relieved and once again reminded of how grateful I am to be granted these scholarships. Furthermore, this scholarship in particular will immensely contribute to my living circumstances next year, lifting another financial burden off my shoulders. 

Once again, thank you so much for choosing me as the recipient of this esteemed scholarship. The stress of having to pay these expenses has been drastically diminished for me and my parents. You have extremely helped keep my dream of graduating as a UCLA Bruin alive. Thank you. 

Biography: Nathan Goldberg is a third-year Economics major at UCLA. He is minoring in Environmental Systems and Society and also plans to obtain a minor in Accounting. He is originally from East County San Diego, where he lived until attending UCLA. His goal is to work in public accounting as an auditor after he graduates. Nathan is currently a pledge for UCLA’s accounting society, Beta Alpha Psi. He is also a Co-Chair for the Zero Waste Campaign of E3 (Ecology, Economy, Equity), one of UCLA’s largest environmental organizations. Some of his outside interests include hiking, cycling, photography, and traveling. 

 

Future Plans: After he graduates from UCLA, Nathan Goldberg’s plan is to work in public accounting as an auditor. His goal is to work for one of the Big 4 accounting firms, though he is happy to work for any public accounting firm in Los Angeles. During the next academic year, Nathan hopes to work in an accounting-related internship. He is considering pursuing a master’s in accountancy but most likely plans to move straight into full-time work after his undergraduate studies.

 

What this scholarship means to me: This scholarship will be of tremendous value toward the remainder of my education and beyond, and so I am immensely grateful to the Wark family for their generosity. As we all know, college is an investment into one’s future self, and that investment can often be large and burdensome. This scholarship will help alleviate a great deal of this financial burden on both me and my family. This is especially helpful since I have a sibling who is also currently enrolled in college, which amplifies the financial strain. Most importantly, this scholarship will allow me to focus my mind and energy more purely on my academics and career ambitions, rather than finances. This clarity of mind will set the most ideal conditions for me to maximize my academic performance here at UCLA. Furthermore, it is well-known that the financial burden of college can carry on well into one’s full-time employment, as it can be difficult to set money aside for the future. Therefore, this scholarship will be of immense help not only now but also in the years following my graduation, allowing me to focus my energy toward excelling at my job and preparing for the CPA exam.