Sa-Pyung Shin

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2008 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Sa-Pyung Shin is a senior at UCLA majoring in Business Economics and minoring in Accounting. Born in Seoul, Korea on June 2nd, 1984, Sa-Pyung grew up in Korea. His father named him Sa-Pyung, which means “Think Peace.” He came to the United States to study abroad in his junior year of high school and entered UCLA in 2003. He left school for two and a half years to serve military duty in Korea Air Force after his sophomore year and came back in 2008. He is a finance officer of the Korean Student Union. He did an internship at Deloitte in Seoul, Korea this past summer.

Future Plans: In his last year at UCLA, Sa-Pyung wants to broaden and deepen his knowledge in finance and accounting. He is also considering a thesis project for the Departmental Honors Program. He plans to earn a CPA license after graduation and build work experience before pursuing an advanced degree in Business Administration. He is especially interested in efficient allocation of capital and it is his ultimate dream to contribute his knowledge to developing an economic policy or a financial system which will bring about peace and prosperity in the global society.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It is a great honor to be selected as a Professor Harry Simon Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship recipient. This scholarship will lessen the financial burdens as an international student and allow me to focus more on my studies at UCLA. It also has given me great pride and confidence that would aid me in my development of specific avenues to fulfill my ambitious dream. Most of all, I realized that hard-work would always be rewarded. In return for this grateful favor, I will do my best to live up to the expectations of the scholarship donors and the people around me.

Bryant Ramirez

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2008 The Gumbiner Savett Inc. Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Bryant Ramirez is a third-year student at UCLA, majoring in Business Economics and minoring in Accounting, and Film, Television & Digital Media. Born and raised in Oxnard, California, he graduated from Oxnard High School in 2006 as Salutatorian. During his UCLA Career, Bryant has pursued various leadership and professional opportunities. Throughout his second year, he was President of Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda, a student organization at UCLA that strives to educate students on how to successfully pursue careers in business. In addition, Bryant has interned at Citigroup as a productivity consultant and at Ernst & Young as a tax intern. In his spare time, Bryant enjoys playing music, including playing guitar and singing, traveling and talking politics.

Future Plans: Bryant plans to graduate in 2010 in Business Economics with College Honors. He intends to pursue a career in accounting or consulting. Bryant plans to earn a Masters in Business Administration in the future, as well as travel abroad, in both a personal and professional context, to develop a more well-rounded worldview.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored and grateful for being selected as the recipient of the Gumbiner, Savett, Inc. scholarship this year. With this additional support, I am better able to focus on my studies and preparing for my career goals in the near future. In addition, this award provides me with more time to participate in extracurricular activities on campus and to become more involved in my community. Since the financial support for my education has come almost solely from my parents and my personal savings from internship and part-time earnings, any outside support is deeply appreciated. Overall, I am humbled by being the recipient of this prestigious award. With this recognition, I am only more encouraged to strive to succeed towards my future goals. I sincerely thank Gumbiner, Savett, Inc. for their support of my education.

Avani Oswal

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2008 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Avani Oswal is a fourth-year Business Economics major and Accounting minor student. She has been fortunate to work as a Research Assistant for the past three years under a distinguished faculty at the Anderson Graduate School of Management. Avani has been working at the UCLA Office of Residential for the past two years. She was a Student Leader in Hedrick her sophomore year. She then worked as a Resident Assistant at Hedrick Hall last year and will do so at Rieber Terrace this year. This experience has helped her gain counseling and leadership skills that will help her throughout her career. She is also an officer of the Student Accounting Society. This year she did a summer internship with a public accounting firm and gained valuable experience. Her hobbies include dancing, traveling, running, and playing tennis.

Future Plans: After graduation, Avani plans to start working full-time with a public accounting firm and earn her CPA license. She then wants to pursue a Masters of Business Administration. She also hopes to spend time traveling to broaden her cultural horizons and to develop a worldwide perspective that can be applied to the workplace as well as to her personal life.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to have received Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. I will be using it to help cover educational expenses for this coming year. This scholarship will enable me to focus on my studies and provide cash flow support to ease my financial burdens. This scholarship has renewed my belief that hard work pays off and others appreciate integrity, determination, and an overall passion for improvement as a student and as a person. By receiving this scholarship I hope to continue expanding my horizons through education as well as gaining experience in the business world. I am both fortunate and proud at having been recognized by Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship as being a worthy recipient. I would also like to thank the UCLA Department of Economics for making such opportunities available.

Divya Sudhakar

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2008 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Divya Sudhakar is a fourth-year Business Economics major with a Minor in Accounting. She will resume her research under the guidance of Professor McGarry this year. Her focus is on the econometrics of financial aid and she expects to complete her thesis at the end of the Fall Quarter 2008. Divya is also involved in the Undergraduate Business Society as one of the Investment Banking Committee managers. In addition to this, Divya will continue her position on the board of the USAC Facilities Commission. She has been involved in the commission for the past three years and has focused on Westwood-related issues.

Future Plans: Divya completed an internship at Credit Suisse Investment Bank this past summer. After graduating from UCLA, she will be joining Credit Suisse as a full time analyst for two years. In the future, Divya plans to attain her Masters of Business Administration.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I would like to thank the donors of the Robert and Margaret Wark Memorial Scholarship. I am honored to be chosen as the recipient of this award for the 2008-2009 academic year. This contribution will not only ease my financial burden, but will also allow me to focus on my extra-curricular activities and studies.The Robert and Margaret Wark Memorial Scholarship reinforces my belief that hard work and determination will be recognized. With this being my last year at UCLA, I look forward to taking this opportunity to accomplish the goals that I set forth to achieve at the beginning of my freshman year.

Isaac Rose

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2009 The Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics Recipient

Biography: Isaac Rose is a third-year Economics major and Public Policy minor. He developed a passion for the study of economics as a middle school student by reading the business section of the New York Times every day and observing what was happening in both businesses and the economy as a whole. Being a student at UCLA has enlivened his passion for the subject, granting him further theoretical and quantitative insight into this complex field. In addition to his studies in the classroom, Isaac has pursued outside interests. He combined his interest and knowledge of both economics and public policy by interning in summer 2009 with the United States House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. He is also the vice chairman of the Wooden Center Board of Governors, a member of the United States Association Finance Committee, a volunteer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, and works with MasterCard to put on financial literacy seminars.

Future Plans: Isaac’s future plans are to work for the public good in whatever fashion that may take. His current fields of interest range from private equity to consulting to venture capital to governmental financial policy work. While his knowledge and passions are diverse, Isaac is confident that he would like to further pursue his academic interests after UCLA by earning a Master of Business Administration. One of the most important lessons that he has learned in his life is that future plans should always be open to change and that one must be willing to make alterations as new and exciting experiences are presented. Isaac looks forward to what the future has in store and is ready for the new opportunities and experiences that lay ahead.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am grateful and honored to be the recipient of the Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics. Boeing’s dedication to academics and its support of college students is commendable and I am thankful for the financial support that it is giving me to help my studies at UCLA. Much like many other families around the country, especially in these rough economic times, paying for college is a burden on my family, and any financial support a university or scholarship can provide is appreciated. I am a firm believer that access to higher education should not be a privilege, but a right, and through scholarship programs like The Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics, more students are granted the opportunity to reach their full potential. In addition to easing the financial burden of going to college, this scholarship is driving me to reach further for greatness and instilling in me a hope that universities and private companies alike can work together to help more students receive a college education.

Nick Rasines

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2009 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Nick Rasines is a third-year Business-Economics Student from the small town of McKinleyville in Northern California. Nick was a decorated athlete in baseball and basketball at McKinleyville High School; however, after his attempt to walk on to the UCLA baseball team was ultimately unsuccessful, he began to focus more on academics and his eventual career aspirations. He has held internship positions at SBE Entertainment, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and completed a summer internship with Ernst & Young LLP. He is also Vice President of the Undergraduate Business Society at UCLA and a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity.

Future Plans: Nick is planning to complete his B.A. in Business-Economics over the next two years and is looking forward to recruiting this upcoming Winter Quarter for investment banking internship opportunities. Upon graduation, he is hoping to become a part of a bulge bracket investment bank and work as an analyst. After his time in investment banking, Nick is looking to work at a private equity firm and then go back to school to get his MBA. Nick is watching the actions of many of his mentors, including investment bankers and private equity executives, in order to better plan his career path to accomplish his career goals. He is eventually looking to become a CEO or founder and president of a firm.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I feel honored to receive the John J. Peterson Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year. This scholarship will help lighten the financial burden of tuition, rent, books, and other educational expenses levied upon myself and my family. More importantly, this scholarship is important to me in that it recognizes my dedication to my academic pursuits. I am extremely grateful for this scholarship award as recognition for my continued commitment to my education and my extracurricular activities here at UCLA. I want to sincerely thank John J. Peterson for his support of my future educational endeavors.

Mike Jed

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2009 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Mike Jed is a fourth year Business Economics major and Accounting minor. He is from Santa Cruz, California, where he was captain of his soccer and lacrosse team. Mike is involved in a number of extracurricular activities on the UCLA campus, including Student Accounting Society, Bruin Consulting, and his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi.

Future Plans: After graduating in 2010, Mike will take the summer before beginning his career to explore as much of the world as he can. He hopes to make it to a few continents he has never been such as Africa, Asia, and Australia. After working for a few years, Mike plans to return to school to get his MBA.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored and appreciative to be selected as the recipient of the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. I would like to thank the donors of the Wark Scholarship and the Economics Department for making this scholarship available. This scholarship is especially helpful due to the budget cuts and the drastic increase in tuition for this year. This will ease my financial burden and allow me to focus more time on extracurricular activities and recruiting.

Matthew Frost

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2009 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Matthew Frost is entering his fourth year as a Business Economics major with both Spanish and Accounting minors. He is from Stockton, California, where he attended Bear Creek High School. Matthew has two sisters: one who is 25 and attended Long Beach State and also a twin sister who currently attends Fresno State. While at UCLA, Matthew has been a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, serving as Pledge Educator in Fall Quarter 2007 and VP of Finance in 2008. He has also served as a tutor to underprivileged youth as a member of the Watts Tutorial Program, and is entering his third season with the UCLA Baseball program as a student equipment manager. Matthew has also had the chance to travel abroad while at UCLA. He went to Barcelona and Madrid as part of the International Business Travel Study Program in August 2008. After his month in Spain, Matthew traveled to Paris, Munich, Amsterdam, London, and Dublin before returning to begin the Fall Quarter. Matthew spent the past summer as an assurance intern at Ernst & Young and also worked at the UCLA Baseball summer camps.

Future Plans: Matthew’s goal is to land a teaching position with Teach for America. He hopes to teach math for two years in a low-income school district in the Bay Area. Matthew also plans to apply for finance, marketing, and/or accounting positions at large public companies in the Bay Area. He would ultimately like to use his economics degree in a variety of ways over his lifetime, both as an employee helping companies reach their goals and as a teacher helping children reach their dreams.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: The Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship gives me and my family the opportunity to be under less financial stress during my last year at UCLA. I have worked continuously throughout my college career, not only to excel in the classroom, but also to provide financial aid to my family to pay for my education. I feel extremely honored to be recognized by the Wark Family, whose contributions to students and belief in the power of education are admirable and inspiring. The Wark Family’s generosity provides me with the chance to focus more on learning and career opportunities while thinking less about financing my education as I enter my final year as an undergraduate.

Rapir Dedhia

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2009 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Rapir Dedhia is a third year student, majoring in Business Economics while pursuing a minor in Accounting. Rapir grew up in Walnut, California, with the support of his loving parents. He graduated from Walnut High School as Valedictorian of his class. Rapir is active in many student organizations at UCLA. He is a member of the Raas Garba Dance Team at UCLA and competes nationally against other universities. Rapir is the current Director of Speakers Program for the Student Accounting Society. He served his local community as a trained Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) this past year, and plans to continue to do so every year. Rapir enjoys spending time with family and friends.

Future Plans: Rapir hopes to intern with a public accounting firm next summer. After graduation, Rapir plans to start working full-time with a public accounting firm and earn his CPA license. He also hopes to earn his Masters in Business Administration in the near future.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to be awarded the Professor Harry Simons Scholarship for the Study of Accounting for the 2009-2010 academic year. This scholarship will allow me to continue devoting my time to my academics and the organizations that I am a part of. It will ease the financial burden of being a full-time student on me, as well as my parents. I am truly grateful to the donors and the UCLA Department of Economics to be the recipient of such a generous scholarship.

Raj Dalal

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2009 The Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Raj Dalal is a fourth-year Business Economics major and Accounting minor student pursuing College Honors. He was born in Southern California and graduated from El Toro High School, where he was very active in track and field and was Associated Student Body President. During his UCLA Career, Raj has pursued various leadership and professional opportunities. He is involved in the Undergraduate Business Society, serving as manager for the Financial Services Committee. In addition to this, he serves as the Director of Finance for Bruin Finance. Raj completed an internship at Yahoo! in the Corporate Finance Business Development Group this past summer. During the school year, he works as a private tutor for high school students in Beverly Hills. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, snorkeling and hiking.

Future Plans: Raj plans to graduate in 2010 and intends to pursue a career in investment banking or consulting. Raj plans to attain his Master of Business Administration in the future.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It is a great honor to be the recipient of the Donald and Diane Bragg Scholarship. I greatly appreciate the financial assistance and moral support the Bragg Family has provided me. I will be using this scholarship to cover my educational expenses for this upcoming year. With less pressure to finance my education by working, I am better able to focus on my studies and prepare for my career goals in the near future. This scholarship will help put me on the path to financial independence but also provides me with renewed determination to further expand my academic and professional endeavors.