Posts

Raj Dalal

/in /by

2008 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient Biography: Raj Dalal is a third year Business Economics major and Accounting minor student pursuing College Honors. He was born in Southern California and graduated from El Toro High School. In high school, he was very active in track and field and Associated Student Body. At UCLA, he works as a personal tutor for 4 high school students and is a member of the Undergraduate Business Society. He just completed a summer internship at Alacer Corp., which gave him valuable experience in managerial and operational accounting. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, snorkeling and hiking.

Future Plans: In the next two years, Raj plans to complete his B.A. and finish his College Honors program as well as complete a senior thesis for the Economics Department Honors program. He plans to intern for an investment banking firm in this upcoming year or over summer. After graduation, he plans to gain additional work experience in finance or accounting before returning to graduate school to pursue his MBA. He also plans to attain his real estate license so he can buy and sell houses as investments.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It is a great honor to be the recipient of the John J. Peterson Scholarship. I greatly appreciate the financial assistance and moral support Mr. Peterson has provided me. I will be using this scholarship to cover my educational expenses for this upcoming year. This will greatly ease my financial burdens considering that I must work to pay for tuition and books. Now I will be able to greatly help my parents out by covering most of my living expenses. This scholarship will help put me on the path to financial independence but also provides me with renewed determination to further expand my academic endeavors.

Tim Najera

/in /by

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

Biography: Tim Najera is a third year, majoring in Business Economics while pursuing a minor in Accounting. He is currently on pace to graduate in three years with College Honors. Tim was born in Southern California to two UCLA alumni. At Reseda Math Science Magnet High School located in the San Fernando Valley he was class valedictorian graduating first overall in his class. In high school, he was captain of the Swim Team, captain of Science Bowl, and president of Alcuins Honor Society. During his time at UCLA, he was the head coach of Cleveland High School’s Varsity Water Polo Team and worked as an Open Water Lifeguard. He just completed a summer internship as a Federal Tax Intern for KPMG. During his free time Tim enjoys swimming, running, working out at the gym and spending time with his girlfriend.

Future Plans: After completing an internship in taxation, Tim plans to continue to his interest and work full time. Within the next year Tim plans to earn his CPA license. In the future Tim hopes to be able to continue his education and earn a degree in either law and or a Master’s in Business Administration.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored to have been a recipient of the Harry Simon Scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. The money will help ease the financial burden for myself and allow me to fully focus on my studies, pursue other academic interests and sit down and plan my future. The scholarship has reinforced my belief that hard work and effort will pay off in the long run.

Charles Cheng

/in /by

2008 The Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Charles Cheng is currently in his fourth year at UCLA. He is majoring in Business Economics, along with a minor in Accounting. Charles is an international student from Hong Kong. He went to Santa Monica College and then transferred to UCLA. He has done enough community services to qualify the President award since his arrival in the United States. This is a door open for him to contact more people, to serve the community and to know more about the culture. He really enjoys being a Bruin. He has worked in BearWear and tried to show the Bruin’s energy to all the customers ranging from SoCal to everywhere around the world. The reason why he chose Economics major is that Charles was inspired by his parents’ view and their works in banking, finance and management. This exposed him to the intriguing business world and helped develop his personal interest to this area. This summer, he joined Deloitte as a summer audit intern to gain more practical experience.

Future Plans: After working in Deloitte, Charles plans on sitting for the CPA exam and would like to work in the public accounting or banking industries. In distant future, he would like to earn an MBA and the master of public policy in the United States. This will further his career and polish him to be more all-rounded in order to be successful in the exciting business world. In the distant future, he would like to establish his own companies in poor countries and hope this can help the people to get out from the poverty.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am very fortunate to be the recipient of The Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship. It reduces my financial burden and gives me more time to prepare my schoolwork. Besides, this scholarship is a very good award to confirm my accomplishment. It motivates me a lot to keep on pursuing my dream as well as working harder in my future life. UCLA gives students good foundation in accounting and economics. I hope I can make full use of my knowledge and my experience to help others understand more about the financial industry. In my last year in UCLA, I will devote myself to make the campus different and to achieve a higher academic goal.

Lotta Andonian

/in /by

2008 Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Lotta Andonian is a fourth-year Business Economics major and French minor pursuing College and Departmental Honors. Andonian developed a passion for economics during the Honors Economics class she took as a senior in high school, and her desire to pursue a career in business has been solidified by the outstanding courses in economics and management available at UCLA. Her interests focus on international trade and the idea of conscious capitalism, which she plans to write her honors thesis on. She has maintained an overall GPA of 3.94 at UCLA and is a member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma National Academic Honors Societies.Since coming to UCLA, Andonian has interned with two production companies, working as a research intern at Rivet Entertainment and as a marketing intern at Tree Media Group. Andonian also works as a grader for the Department of Economics and as a research assistant for Professor George Murphy, for whom she researches both economic history and the causes of the current financial turmoil. Andonian is an active member of the International Student Association, the Undergraduate Business Society, E3 (the UCLA chapter of the California Student Sustainability Coalition), and is a leader of the Sustainable Foods Campaign.

Future Plans: Andonian plans to work abroad for a few years before returning to school to pursue a Master of Business Administration or a graduate degree in economics. She is considering a career in management, marketing or consulting for an international company upon completion of her graduate studies. She is drawn to international business because of the potential to use her background in economics and finance to improve local and foreign economies while engaging in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am proud and grateful to be the recipient of the Patricia and Harry L. Bruce Endowed Scholarship. I am deeply honored that the Bruces have recognized my past academic successes and have confidence in my potential for future achievement. With less pressure to finance my education by working, I will be able to focus on writing my thesis for the Departmental Honors program. I will also have more time to take advantage of the numerous career-oriented workshops and events on campus that will help me further cultivate the skills necessary to achieve my professional goals.Additionally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Department of Economics for making these scholarships available to its students.

Sa-Pyung Shin

/in /by

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

/in /by

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

/in /by

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

/in /by

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.