Qin Shen

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2015 The Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Qin Shen is a senior pursuing a Business Economics major and a Mathematics Minor at UCLA. Born and raised in Shanghai, she came to the United States for a better college education after graduating from high school. She has been actively involved in various student organizations and community services including Global Connection Council, the Chinese Student Association, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), and Bruin Tzu Ching. Qin has also worked as an intern in both the Agricultural Bank of China and Oriental Public Accountants Ltd. During her free time, she enjoys reading, playing the piano and
traveling.

Future Plans: Qin plans to pursue a master degree in economics after she receives her bachelor degree or to find a full-time job in a financial advisory company or accounting firm.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I feel so honored to be the recipient of the Donald Edward Bragg & Diane Sims Bragg Scholarship for this 2015-2016 school year. This scholarship greatly eases my financial burden and allows me to focus more on my school work. The award also encourages me to dedicate more to my extracurricular activities and inspires me to pursue other higher achievements in the future. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the donor, the Bragg Family, for their kindness and generosity.

Susanna Rafalovich

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2015 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Susanna Rafalovich is a third-year Business Economics major and Accounting Minor. She joined Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VUA) in her first quarter at UCLA and has continued to pursue her interest in the accounting world ever since. The following summer she was an accounting intern at SD Mayer & Associates, LLP. She participated in summer leadership programs with the Big Four and other firms in 2015. She has also been a dancer her entire life and has pursued this passion at UCLA through HOOLIGAN Theatre Company for which she has both performed and choreographed.

Future Plans: Susanna is looking forward to her summer internship at Deloitte in the Audit practice. She intends to graduate a quarter early to have more time to take—and pass—the CPA examinations. She hopes to be invited to start full-time at Deloitte and obtain her CPA licensure.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am beyond honored and grateful to have received this award. Financial independence upon graduation has always been a goal of mine and I have worked to alleviate the financial burden on my parents. Although I have learned a lot at my job as a Senior Student Supervisor at Lu Valle Commons, it takes time away from school and extracurricular activities. Thanks to the Professor Harry Simons Scholarship donors, I look forward to spending less time at work and more time studying and exploring my interests. Furthermore, the recognition motivates me and reaffirms my dedication to pursue accounting. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

Sarah Park

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2015 Business Economics Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Sarah Park was born in Los Angeles and moved at the age of two to Korea, where she received her primary and secondary education. She became interested in art and fashion during her high-school years, so she decided to attend college in Korea to strengthen her skills in fashion design. At the age of 20, her family moved back to the United States. Sarah firmly believed that this would be a great opportunity to explore cultural diversity and made a bold decision to study in a different country. Currently, she is a senior at UCLA, majoring in Business Economics.

Future Plans: During the remaining years of her undergraduate studies at UCLA, Sarah hopes to further understand business economics to cultivate her aptitude for analyzing marketplace behavior in an optimization view. She wishes to continue her studies in graduate school, focusing on managing scarce resources and allocating these resources in an optimal way including financial resources and human capital resources management. After graduating, she hopes to work in a consulting firm to help companies with optimizing their business strategies.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely grateful to be receiving the Business Economics Undergraduate Scholarship Fund Award. After transferring from De Anza College, the tuition at UCLA was a significant burden on my family. Now, my family and I are very thankful that the scholarship significantly alleviates our financial burden. This scholarship allows me to fully concentrate on my academic goals and, more importantly, gives me the confidence and motivation to strive for the highest level of achievements.

Nicole Orefice

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2015 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Fund Award Recipient

Biography: Nicole is a senior at UCLA pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics. At UCLA, Nicole has had the opportunity to gain work and volunteer experience in organizations such as the Alumni Scholars Club, VITA at UCLA, UCLA Student Media and UCLA Athletics. Nicole is currently an Integrated Sales Marketing Intern at KNBC, one of NBCUniversal’s Owned Television Stations. Nicole is a Los Angeles native, and aside from her studies, enjoys hanging out with friends, attending sports games, and DIY-ing many Pinterest projects.

Future Plans: Nicole’s interest in marketing ensues from her coursework at UCLA and has significantly enhanced due to her internship and work experience at the Daily Bruin and KNBC. Upon graduation in Spring of 2016, Nicole aspires to develop a career in marketing in the entertainment industry. Ultimately, she hopes to start her own business.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I cannot be more thankful and honored to be selected as the Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Fund Award recipient for the 2015-16 academic year. This scholarship will grant me the opportunity to focus more on school and post-graduation, therefore allowing me to better enjoy my senior year. I am extremely grateful for Mr. Mortenson’s generosity, and am proud to represent him and the UCLA Economics Department. I hope to one day be able to give back to my fellow Bruins, as the contributions from alumni and donors are invaluable.

Lizzie Yuting Ma

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2015 The Lawrence and Joan E. Henderson Fund Recipient

Biography: Lizzie (Yuting) is a third-year Business Economics student with minors in Accounting and Russian Language. Upon coming to UCLA as a Pre-Business Economics student, Lizzie was uncertain about developing a career out of her area of study. However, after attending a variety of recruiting events last year, she found herself extremely passionate about a future career in public accounting, particularly, tax services. Apart from career interests, Lizzie spends a considerable amount of time working on campus and holding leadership positions. She also plays piano, writes songs and novels, and enjoys calligraphy and landscape painting.

Future Plans: After attending summer leadership programs at several accounting firms, Lizzie accepted a tax internship offer from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for summer 2016. At this point in her life, she is ready commit herself to becoming a future tax professional and will be preparing for the Certificated Public Accountant (CPA) exam upon graduation.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It was my greatest honor to have been selected as a recipient of the scholarship. The award will absolutely go a long way towards reducing my financial burden and allow me concentrate most of my time on academics and career development. I would really like to express my deepest gratitude for the generosity of the Anderson family. Their recognition and support have motivated me to strive for higher life goals and to look forward to giving back to the community that has inspired me the most.

Bin Liu

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2015 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Bin Liu is a third-year student in Business Economics major and Accounting Minor. In addition, he is also planning a Minor in Mathematics. Born and raised in Shanghai, China, Bin came to the United States alone for college study at the age of 18, which was his first time living in another country. Inspired by the diverse culture and rigorous academic environment at UCLA, he soon devoted fully into his study of economics, mathematics, and accounting. He also volunteers as a research assistant for a professor in the field of macroeconomics. During his spare time, Bin enjoys jogging, piano, and doing Sudoku.

Future Plans: Bin is in the process of searching for an internship opportunity to gain more experience in real world of business. He will complete his degree in June 2017. After graduation, Bin seeks to commit his time to applying the skills he has garnered and becoming a professional in the financial services industry. He also will consider further deepening his knowledge by studying the field of finance or economics in graduate school.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely honored to be the recipient of the John J. Peterson Scholarship for 2015 – 2016 academic year. The award is recognition of the hard work I have devoted in my past two years as well as a motivation for me to continue striving and achieve further academic excellence. The scholarship has also lightened my financial burden, which allows me to concentrate more fully on my studies as I continue. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Peterson for their generosity and for the opportunities it has granted me.

Yu Qian (Mandy) Lin

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2015 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: Yu Qian (Mandy) Lin is a fourth-year student, double-majoring in Business Economics and Psychology, with a Minor in Accounting. She was born in Fuzhou, China, and later moved to Vancouver, Canada. Her Chinese and Canadian cultural upbringing allows her to be open to new ideas and willing to accept new challenges. While being a diligent student, Mandy tries to maintain her work-life balance. She enjoys her on-campus part-time job, her research experience, and her club activities. When given the opportunity, she would like to travel and try new things such as skydiving and scuba diving. In her free time, Mandy enjoys going to the gym, reading, and drawing.

Future Plans: Mandy expects to graduate in June 2016. After a graduation, she plans to complete the CPA exams and go to graduate school for Master of Science in finance. After that, Mandy plans to pursue a career in the financial services area.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to be a recipient of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting award. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the donors of the scholarship and Professor Harry Simons. The scholarship alleviates my financial burden to pay for the out-of-state tuition and it also allows me to devote more time to my study and extracurricular activities at UCLA. This award recognizes my past achievements and motivates me to continue my dedication to achieve even more. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank the donors of the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Scholarship for this reward.

Heather Lee

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2015 Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Heather Lee is a third-year Economics major with a Minor in Accounting. She is involved in various student organizations and holds several leadership positions including president of Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL). In addition to academics and extracurricular activities, Heather has participated in several professional undergraduate case competitions, for one of which she and her team was a finalist. In her spare time, Heather enjoys volunteering, watching football games, and spending time with her friends and family.

Future Plans: This upcoming summer, Heather will be an intern at PwC in the assurance practice. Upon graduation, she hopes to continue her career at PwC as an associate while working to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). In the long term, Heather hopes to continue her educational journey by pursuing a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and gain a better understanding of the business realm and global economy.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely thankful and honored to have been selected as the recipient of the Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship. Mr. Baus was a partner at the prestigious accounting firm PwC and I am excited to begin my professional journey on a similar path. This scholarship will allow me to focus more on my academics and extracurricular activities while relieving some of the financial burden of higher education. I am eternally grateful to Mr. Baus for his generosity and support and I hope that one day I will be able to give back to the community just as Mr. Baus has given to his.

Gregory-Joseph Lasala

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2015 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Fund Award Recipient

Biography: Gregory-Joseph (Joe) Lasala is a Senior Business Economics student with a Minor in Accounting. While at UCLA, he has found his passion for accounting. He is determined to obtain his CPA within the next year after graduating. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, reading books, and participating in community outreach volunteer opportunities.

Future Plans: After graduating in Spring 2016, Joe plans to work at Deloitte in its Audit practice and take the CPA exam. In the future, he is also interested in pursuing a MBA and working as a financial controller.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I cannot put into words how thankful I am to be selected as the recipient of the Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Fund Award. This award greatly reduces the financial burden I have experienced over the last few years at college and encourages me to continue working as hard as I can to pay it forward someday. I am extremely motivated to ensure that I make the most out of the opportunity of being a UCLA student and that this award will help me for the rest of my Senior year. I want to reiterate that I am extremely grateful for this scholarship and will do my best to pay it forward.

Calvin Huyen

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2015 The Gumbiner Savett Inc. Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Calvin Huyen is currently a third-year student majoring in Business-Economics and minoring in Accounting. He was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County. Calvin is involved at UCLA with Beta Alpha Psi, a nationally recognized accounting honors society as their officer of compliance. He enjoys learning to cook new dishes, longboarding, and attending concerts. Having completed summer 2015 abroad, he has also grown to enjoy traveling, and wishes to be able to experience a multitude of different cultures and languages in his lifetime. Calvin is very humbled and gives many thanks for being awarded the Gumbiner, Savett, Inc. Scholarship.

Future Plans: Calvin plans to start his career in accounting and is still deciding between public and private accounting. After graduation, he plans to take the CPA exam as soon as possible to open up later career options. He plans to work for a few years before returning to school to get a MBA. He hopes that a MBA will allow him to try out a different career path, possibly in finance or consulting, build a strong network wherever he goes, and find work that is meaningful and fulfilling to him. In addition, Calvin hopes that future success will allow him to give back to future Bruins.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: This scholarship will reduce a substantial amount of my financial burden, enabling me to focus more time and effort into school than worrying about my personal finances. It means a lot to me because I will be able to enjoy my time in college more, and leave with a more manageable amount of debt. Because of this scholarship, I believe that it will be easier for me to find an internship that will transition into a full-time job after graduation, allowing me to fulfill my financial obligations. I am truly thankful for this award.