Larissa von Lockner

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2010 Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Larissa von Lockner is a third-year Business-Economics major at UCLA, with minors in both Accounting and French. On campus, she is very involved with the Bruin Belles Service Association, a philanthropic group of young women focused on serving the greater Los Angeles community. Larissa also participates in Greek life on campus and is a member of the Student Accounting Society. In her free time, Larissa is involved with clubs and intramural sports at UCLA.

Future Plans: Larissa is very interested in the public accounting field. She is eager to obtain an internship with an esteemed accounting firm next summer. She hopes to start her career working as a public accountant, a path that will no doubt allow her to gain an unparalleled understanding of business operations. Eventually, Larissa hopes to do business at the international level. By engaging in the work of diplomacy and focusing on economic issues, she knows that she will be able to truly impact the world for the better. She looks forward to putting her strong cultural background, fluency in French, and love of people to use as she looks to help others realize the importance of cooperation within our global community.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: Being selected as the Jeffrey W. Baus Scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year is truly an honor. It is through such generous contributions and true altruism that I will be able to focus on my academics and excel in the classroom setting. Due to my ambitions to begin my career with one of the big four accounting firms, it is imperative that I maintain high academic standards and graduate near the top of my class. My involvement in extracurricular activities also remains important. I would love to dedicate my leisure time to the Student Accounting Society’s Board, the Undergraduate Business Society, and various other philanthropic initiatives around campus. It is through the generosity of donors such as Jeffrey Baus that I will be able to improve my academic performance, while working only limited hours during the school year.

Mark Lam

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2010 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Mark Lam is a fourth-year Business-Economics major originally from Singapore. He currently serves as the President of the Singapore Students Association and is a member of the Riordan Student Investment Fund. This past summer, Mark interned as an analyst with BlackRock in New York City. As an avid music lover and singer, Mark received his first recording contract when he was twelve, and is currently part of YOUTHphonics, an a cappella group at UCLA which volunteers twice a week at Fairfax High School’s music program. Additionally, Mark is passionate about poetry, and was recently published in Ceriph, a creative publication in Singapore. In his free time, Mark also enjoys cycling and playing badminton.

Future Plans: After completing internships with Merrill Lynch and BlackRock, Mark intends to pursue a career in the financial services industry. He plans to take the CFA Level 1 exam in June 2011 and begin working full-time with BlackRock’s Portfolio Analytics Group in August 2011. Within the next few years, Mark hopes to earn a Masters in Business Administration or a Masters in Financial Engineering. In the longer term, Mark aspires to share his experiences and knowledge through returning to academia and teaching.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am grateful and honored to be selected as a recipient of the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. Given the recent tuition increases of up to 32%, this scholarship will immensely help ease the financial burden placed on me and my family. Consequently, it will allow me to better focus on my academic and extracurricular pursuits. I hope to one day be able to contribute in a similar way. Indeed, the situation of increased tuition and undertaking student loans is a heavy burden, especially for international students. This timely support will undoubtedly ensure my academic success. I would sincerely like to thank the Wark family for their generous support of continuing education at UCLA.

Melanie Johnson

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2010 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Melanie (Mimi) Johnson is a third-year student pursuing a double major in Business-Economics and Psychology, with a Minor in Accounting. Mimi grew up in Redondo Beach, which made it very easy for her to decide that she wanted to stay in beautiful Southern California. She graduated from Redondo Union High School as co-Valedictorian of her class. Mimi is an active participant and committee leader in the Alumni Scholars Club, Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Honors Society, Student Accounting Society, and Psi Chi Psychology Honors Society. She enjoys community service and continues her work with students with special needs on campus. In her free time, Mimi loves spending time with friends and family, surfing, swimming, running, and relaxing at the beach.

Future Plans: Mimi hopes to intern with a public accounting firm in the summer following her junior year, and to obtain a full-time position with the firm following graduation. She hopes to earn her CPA license and continue a career in public or private accounting. She is looking into earning her Masters in Business Administration or a Juris Doctor degree in the future.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am truly honored to be awarded the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. This scholarship is greatly appreciated. It will allow me to continue to devote my time in pursuing a top notch education at UCLA. With less pressure to finance my education, I will be able to focus more on academics, research, and community service. Furthermore, I will be able to take advantage of the numerous career-oriented workshops and events on campus that help me cultivate the skills necessary to achieve my professional goals. Additionally, I will relieve the burden on my parents and embark on the path to financial independence. This award recognizes my past achievements and encourages me to continue that hard work and dedication to my studies and activities. I would like to thank the donors of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Scholarship for providing me with this opportunity.

Min Huang

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2010 Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Min Huang is a third-year student double majoring in Business Economics and Math/Applied Science-Actuarial Plan. After eleven years of a traditional Chinese Educational system study, Min took a two-year British A-Level course in an international high school in China. She came to the U.S. for higher education because she wanted to experience life in the world’s top academy and financial center. After three years at UCLA, Min has been able to maintain a 3.98 GPA, with straight A+s in all economics courses taken. Furthermore, Min is actively involved in the UCLA Bruin Actuarial Society with an Internal Public Relations position. She is looking forward to becoming Vice President for the next academic year. Min also works for the Math Department as a reader. In her spare time, Min loves singing, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

Future Plans: After undergraduate study, Min is going to pursue a Masters degree in finance. She thinks that it will help her to build a more solid bridge for becoming a financial analyst in one of the top financial organizations. Min is also sitting for both the CFA and SOA (Society of Actuaries) exams that will prepare her better for analytical work.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am really appreciative to learn that I was selected as the recipient of Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship for 2010-2011 academic year. With the generous support of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bruce, my parents’ financial burden will be eased and I can focus more on my studies. Also, this scholarship serves as recognition of my academic achievements, which provides me with more confidence and pride. It also encourages me to work much harder in order to reach my future career goals. I really want to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bruce for their generosity and thank the Economics Department for giving us such a great opportunity.

Stephen Chen

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2010 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Stephen Chen is a fourth-year student, majoring in Business-Economics with a Minor in Accounting. He grew up in Fullerton, California, and graduated from Troy High School. At UCLA, Stephen is involved in activities such as being the Director of Newsletter/Website in the Student Accounting Society. During his free time, Stephen enjoys participating in outdoor activities and personal fitness.

Future Plans: After graduation, Stephen plans to pursue a career in business and obtain a Masters in Business Administration. Afterwards, he hopes to work internationally in Asia for a few years.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am truly grateful and honored to be a recipient of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. I would like to thank the donors for their support and generosity. As economic conditions gave rise to increased tuition costs, this scholarship will help reduce the financial impact and allow me to pursue my academic studies and future career goals. It serves as a motivation to continue working even harder in my academic and personal endeavors. I would again like to thank the donors of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for their support.

Xiangfeng Cao

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2010 The Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Xiangfeng Cao was born into a business-oriented family. She grew up spending a lot of time in her mother’s grocery store. Growing up around a family business has helped Xiangfeng develop a strong interest in owning a business of her own. When she was only thirteen, she was able to work independently at the flea market, generating great sales revenue on her own. Even though she had the intelligence and skill level necessary to gain admission into a business school, which was her dream, she was not able to because her father strongly opposed the idea. After a few years, Xiangfeng realized she still had a burning desire to develop her own business. In order to understand business and economics and to figure out how it could help her in her future business career, she decided to take a few economics courses. Xiangfeng spent two years at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) and then transferred to UCLA in 2009. Presently, she is pursuing a major in Business-Economics, with a Minor in Accounting. She has striven for academic excellence and maintains almost a 4.0 GPA. Xiangfeng enthusiastically participates in community activities. She was a volunteer of the CSSA–Chinese Students and Scholar Association at SBCC. She helped organize various events of CSSA each year. Xiangfeng voluntarily tutored many of her fellow classmates at Santa Barbara City College, and continues to do so for her classmates at UCLA. She tries her best to help others. She greatly enjoys sharing her study strategies and experiences with others. She is so delighted to see their progress and accomplishments as a result of her help.

Future Plans: Xiangfeng’s current academic plan is to complete the major in Business Economics, with a Minor in Accounting. Her long-term career goal is to become a CPA. She feels accounting will offer her a steady career path in the financial world that could lead to other related fields such as investment banking or financial analysis. Xiangfeng will also continue to try to find business opportunities and wishes to create her own business some day.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am very much honored to be selected as the recipient of The Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship this year. The scholarship will greatly help me continue my academic education. It will help to pay part of my tuition and to purchase accounting and economics books, as well as supplies, which I was unable to pay for previously due to my financial burden. I love to read different books related to economics, accounting, and business. Reading more professional books will give me a great opportunity to understand different aspects of accounting and help me to learn the frontiers of economics and business. The scholarship also serves as an exciting challenge for me to maintain and improve my level of achievement before graduation. Overall, the Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship can help me to further my professional education and career goals that I have set for myself. It will, in turn, help me to start a true career in a field related to business, economics, and accounting.

Yang Zheng

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2011 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Yang Zheng is a fourth-year student pursuing a Business-Economics major and Accounting minor. Born in China, Yang moved to Hawaii when he was four and later to Davis, California. Over the past year, he interned with UBS Private Wealth and Mulholland Financial Services. Most recently, he served as a Market Research Assistant at Hangzhou Longguan Industrial Co. Yang is a Founding Father at Lambda Chi Alpha and plays on the UCLA Lacrosse Team. He is currently studying Entrepreneurial Development and Project Evaluation at Fudan University in Shanghai, where he will also be continuing his work with Longguan. In his spare time, Yang likes to paint and write music.

Future Plans: While in Shanghai, Yang plans on interning at an investment bank or wealth management firm to gain international work experience. After graduating from UCLA, he would like to work for a couple years to accumulate capital and experience before returning to school to earn an MBA. Ultimately, Yang would like to take advantage of his bilingual and bicultural assets and open his own business.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am both honored and grateful to receive the John J. Peterson Scholarship. I want to thank Mr. John J. Peterson for his continued generosity that has helped students like me through tough financial circumstances. With the rising costs of tuition over the past three years, it has been hard to focus on my academics and at the same time pursue my extracurricular activities. The scholarship will help alleviate some of the financial burden and allow me to concentrate on what I love. More importantly, receiving the scholarship has reaffirmed my goals and strengthened my determination to obtain them. 　

Amar Vanmali

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2011 The Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics Recipient

Biography: Amar Vanmali is a third-year Business Economics major and Statistics minor from Los Angeles. In addition to managing a family business on weekends, he has internship experience in the investment banking, financial services, and business management industries. Aside from his academics and work life, Amar is an avid golfer who has competed in junior golf tournaments in Atlanta, San Antonio, Thailand, Scotland and England. He has also traveled throughout parts of Europe and Asia. In his free time, Amar likes to workout, read non-fiction books, follow the stock market, and spend time with family and friends.

Future Plans: Amar plans to pursue a career in finance upon graduation. He aims to take the CFA exam soon after graduation to prepare him for his profession. After a few years of work in the field, Amar intends to pursue a Master of Business Administration degree to broaden his horizons and enhance his knowledge base. In addition to his career, Amar wishes to set up a foundation whose mission is to educate children who aspire for higher education in the third world.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: First, I would like to personally thank The Boeing Company as I am honored to be a recipient of their scholarship. As an aspirant of higher education, it means a great deal in my life knowing that I have support as I go through my undergraduate studies here at UCLA. I am grateful for their generosity, as it will open various doors of opportunities. It increases my motivation not only in my academics, but also in every aspect of my life.

Jokob Thomas

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2011 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Jakob Thomas is an international student from Berlin, Germany who transferred to UCLA from Santa Monica College in Fall 2010. He is a 3rd year Economics major and Political Science minor. Before he decided to pursue an academic degree in the United States, Jakob spent 18 months working for KPMG Europe LLP, an experience, which gave him considerable insight into the world of corporate business. Equipped with this experience, and the skills he obtained through his work as research assistant for the UCLA Economics Department, he was able to secure an internship at the Los Angeles office of Senator Dianne Feinstein, and a position as senior editor for the Undergraduate Journal of Economics at UCLA ( HYPERLINK “http://www.undergraduatejournal.com” www.undergraduatejournal.com).

Future Plans: During this Fall 2011 quarter, Jakob will intern as a research analyst for the Milken Institute in Santa Monica, an independent economics and public policy think tank. There, he will work with the Institute’s financial markets research group. Shortly after completing his B.A. in Economics at UCLA, Jakob plans to move to England, where his initial goal will be to gather more professional experience working in London’s financial sector. Subsequently, he will pursue a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (LSE) with a focus on international banking and international finance regulation.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: Receiving this year’s Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship award is a true honor. Especially in times of economic uncertainty and ever increasing costs of education, this scholarship is an invaluable help to master my respective financial difficulties. In true economist’s spirit, I can’t help to think that this scholarship also holds a value beyond its nominal one since it releases me of the burden of lingering debt, and the associated interest I would have faced with an equally high student loan amount. Furthermore, aside from the tremendous financial support associated with this scholarship, I also appreciate this award as a special form of recognition of the work I have been investing in my education. With these things in mind, I would like to extend my earnest gratitude and appreciation to the Wark Family for their generosity and support of my educational goals.

Kyungjin Lee

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2011 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Kyungjin Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea. Kyungjin was fourteen years old when she read a book about Warren Buffet, which led her to an interest in business and investments. When she was seventeen, she decided to come to the United States on her own as an exchange student. She had a tough time because of the cultural and language barriers; however, she used every endeavor to succeed. As a result, she earned the Highest Honor Roll when she graduated from high school. After high school, Kyungjin entered Santa Barbara City College so that she may transfer to UCLA, which was her dream school. Now in her senior year at UCLA, Kyungjin is pursuing a major in Business Economics and a minor in Accounting. Last summer, she interned at the Hilton Hotel in Korea, and learned a lot about making contracts, analyzing financial statements, and performing marketing strategies. Kyungjin continues to strive for her best to achieve her goals in life.

Future Plans: After graduation, Kyungjin looks forward to going on a tour in Europe to see more of the world. She will then return to the U.S. to attain her CPA license, while working at an audit or consulting company. After a few years of work experience, she hopes to go back to Korea and enter graduate school to earn an MBA. One day, she hopes to start up her own accounting business, and establish a scholarship foundation to help students who are ready to pursue the career of their dreams.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am so honored to be one of the recipients of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. This scholarship will ease the financial burden on me and my parents, and allow me to fully focus on studies. I will also have more time to participate in extracurricular activities, and career related workshops for my senior year of college. Once again, I offer my sincerest thanks for this generous support.