Posts

Hao Jin

/in /by

2016 Gumbiner Savett Inc. Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Hao Jin is a senior student, who is pursuing a major in business economics and minor in accounting. Born and raised in Beijing, China, he came to America alone to attend university at 18. While achieving outstanding academic success, Hao Jin has been taking on a leadership role in Ascend at UCLA and he’s actively involved in Bruin Hedge Fund, Student Accounting Society, and Undergraduate Business Society. In addition, Hao Jin has finished several internships in different fields, such as accounting, investment banking and corporate finance. Because of his internship and course study, he has developed great interest in accounting and decided to start career in public accounting. During his spare time, he loves playing basketball and hanging out with friends to discover good restaurants.

Future Plans: After graduation, Hao will start his career at Ernst & Young as a FSO tax staff in Los Angeles and pursue his CPA license. Later down the line, Hao also plans to apply for his MBA or Master in Finance at a well-ranked business school to enhance his business knowledge and expertise.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely honored to be the recipient of the Gumbiner, Savett Inc. Scholarship for the 2016 – 2017 academic year. This scholarship not only eases my family’s financial burden brought on by rising tuition costs, but also recognizes the time and efforts I have put in my past achievements, encouraging me to continue working hard. Moreover, this scholarship also makes me feel that UCLA community truly cares about me and wants to help me succeed, so I’m determined not to let the community down. Meanwhile, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Gumbiner Savett Inc. for its generosity and kindness that helps me and my family. Hope one day I can give back to UCLA and help students achieve their goals just like how this scholarship helps me.

Freddy Alberto Jimenez

/in /by

2016 Jeffrey W. Baus ’59 Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Freddy Jimenez is a third year business economics major with a minor in accounting. He finds motivation through his parents who have sacrificed everything they could so that he could receive a quality education. Seeing education as the key to breaking the poverty cycle, Freddy holds himself a high standard of academic excellence. Beyond academics, he is heavily involved with several non-profits on campus, believing in the notion of paying it forward. In his spare time, Freddy enjoys working out and going to sporting events.

Future Plans: Coming off a START internship this past summer, Freddy will be interning at PwC again, working with financial service firms under the assurance practice. Upon graduation, Freddy hopes to become a core assurance associate at PwC while obtaining his CPA certification. Freddy eventually plans on obtaining an MBA degree and eventually becoming a CFO.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected as the Jeffrey W. Baus ‘59 Scholarship recipient. Money is extremely tight at the moment, especially with my parents working their way towards citizenship, and this scholarship came in at the perfect time. Not only does this scholarship reduce my financial stress, but also decreases my work hours and improves other quality of life aspects that equate to an overall better academic experience. The plight of the under represented and financial limited scholar often goes unnoticed, but I am grateful that through Mr. Baus’ generosity and understanding my goals are now more achievable.

Isaac Hung

/in /by

2016 John J. Peterson Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Isaac Hung is a third-year Business Economics Major and Accounting Minor from the San Francisco Bay Area. He has had an amazing time at UCLA, where he is learning something new every day. He is a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity. He is also a dedicated athlete on the UCLA Dragon Boat team. Isaac has done various internships in accounting, consulting, finance, and startups.

Future Plans: Isaac will be graduating in December 2017. He plans to learn as much as he can from the business world and possibly pursue an MBA a few years down the road. He is hopes to find a career in tech or consulting before becoming an entrepreneur in the future. This summer he will be interning in Deals Advisory at PricewaterhouseCoopers and going on a trip to Cambodia to teach English to underprivileged students.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am very thankful to receive the John J. Peterson scholarship. Since I started college, I have financially supported myself by working one or two jobs while in school. However, it became even more challenging for myself and my family when I stopped working in my junior year to focus on academics and recruitment. However, receiving this scholarship is a blessing that arrived at the right time. I am extremely grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Peterson for their help. Their support motivates to continue striving for success so that one day I can do the same for others.

Haojia Guo

/in /by

2016 Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting Recipient

Biography: As a global citizen, Haojia spent the first 18 years of his life living in Hunan, China. Influenced by Asian culture, he holds values such as humbleness, diligence and cordialness dear and near. Having received his higher education in Business Economics at UCLA, he incorporates efficiency, directness, openness and devotion to community services into his everyday life. In an effort to pass on these virtues and influence the community, he volunteers at the UCLA new-student-welcome events, sharing his own experience and tips and advice to incoming transfer students. He also helps low-income individuals in West Los Angeles file tax returns as a VITA volunteer. He aspires to bring these values to his future professional career, and continue to make a positive impact on the community

Future Plans: To further broaden his horizons, Haojia plans to go to South America for graduation travel. He hopes to have an educational and fun experience, learn and appreciate cultural diversity. After, he will return to California with a fresh global perspective; and start his journey to become an accounting/finance professional. Eventually, with academic knowledge and real-world experience, he hopes to become an accounting professor; and pass on an economic way of thinking.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am beyond thankful for the Professor Harry Simons Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship for the Study of Accounting. This scholarship relieves my financial burden. As an accounting intern at Boingo Wireless, I am grateful for my hands-on experience; I have learned much about the business process at an internet service firm. However, I wish I had more time to enjoy what UCLA has to offer. With the scholarship, I expect to spend less time at work; more time taking advantage of the resources at UCLA, on building meaningful connections with my peers and professors. The scholarship shows me hard work pays off. In the future, I will keep having a strong work ethic and give every opportunity in life my best shot.

Stephanie Dong

/in /by

2016 Boeing Company Scholarship in Economics Recipient

Biography: Stephanie Dong is a sophomore pursuing a major in business economics and minors in accounting and statistics. She is also an Achievement Scholar and college honors student. She is currently involved in undergraduate research under Professor Craig Fox (UCLA Anderson School of Management), investigating decision making under uncertainty. She enjoys interdisciplinary research and is especially interested in the fields of behavioral economics and behavioral finance. Whilst completing her major, she also aims to take a broad spectrum of challenging courses that complement her diverse interests – math, economics, psychology, and accounting. Outside her academics, she is a review editor of the Aleph Undergraduate Journal for Humanities and Social Sciences, a member of various undergraduate business clubs, and an avid table tennis player for the UCLA Women’s Varsity Table Tennis Team.

Future Plans: In the short run, Stephanie hopes to continue partaking in research projects that involve data collection using computer programming and statistical analysis. She also aims to gain some industry experience through an internship that would allow her to apply her business/economics knowledge and data analysis skills. She is open to finding internships in the accounting, finance, entertainment, or aerospace industries. In the long run, she aspires to contribute to business and economics through continued academic research and practice in these fields.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: This Scholarship means so much more to me than just an award. Having grown up in a different country, I knew that coming to UCLA alone would be an eye-opening experience. Indeed, this past year-and-a-half in college has been one of exploration, acquisition, and self-discovery. It was an opportunity to develop independence, interact with distinguished faculty, and launch into the subjects I am passionate about. However, being a college student, I often question whether I am on the right track. Getting this scholarship was an enormous encouragement and confirmation of my efforts. I look forward to truly applying my knowledge and skills to the real world in the coming years, and hope that one day I can give back to the school I esteem.

Miguel Shawn Diaz

/in /by

2016 Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Fund Award Recipient

Biography: Shawn Diaz is a sophomore at UCLA from Richmond, California. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society. During his time at UCLA, Shawn has had the privilege of being involved with UCLA Rally Committee, Residential Life, and the UCLA Volunteer Center. In addition to his volunteer work, Shawn is currently a social media and marketing intern with the UCLA Volunteer Center. He enjoys sharing his Bruin pride at sporting events, exploring local hiking trails, and going to the beach.

Future Plans: Shawn has developed an interest in marketing; largely resulting from his internship experience with the Volunteer Center. He hopes that through this internship, he will gain the technical skills to turn his passions for social justice and environmental sustainability into assets for future professional endeavors. Shawn is ambitiously seeking new opportunities to gain experience and further discover his career interests. After graduating from UCLA, Shawn is looking to pursue work in the marketing sector before possibly returning to academia in pursuit of an MBA. He would like to acquire a profession that uses marketing platforms to advance the agenda of businesses that support the causes that fuel his drive.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: It is an honor to have been selected as the 2016-2017 recipient of the Harold R. Mortenson Endowed Scholarship Award. I would like to personally thank Mr. Mortenson, the selection committee, and the Department of Economics for making this investment in my education. My family and I are grateful for your contribution to my education. Receiving this scholarship has eased the financial burden of higher education. I will be able to worry less about finances and more about pursuing my career goals. I look forward to applying my ambition and using this opportunity to further better myself through my academic endeavors. Again, thank you for your continued support through this process. I feel truly blessed.

Jessica Chan

/in /by

2016 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Jessica is a fourth-year Economics major and Statistics minor. She currently works as a research assistant at the Anderson Behavioral Lab and assists with academic publishing at the Getty Research Institute. Since coming to UCLA, whether writing for Daily Bruin prime Magazine or designing and copy-editing for the Daily Bruin, Jessica has been involved in student media. She recently spent six weeks studying marketing and consumer behavior abroad at the London School of Economics. When she’s not busy with school or work, she enjoys shooting film photography.

Future Plans: Jessica hopes to combine her creative passions with the analysis that economics and statistics fosters. After seeing the two come together in London through marketing, she is eager to find a summer internship and ultimately, career of her own that brings together her passions. She plans to pursue graduate education related to statistics and cognitive science in the future to build on what she has learned at UCLA.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I feel incredibly grateful and honored to receive the Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. I enjoy both of my jobs and have worked throughout my time at UCLA because it is important to me that I pay for part of my education and relieve the financial burden on my family. This scholarship allows me to both reduce the financial burden on my family and focus on achieving my academic and career goals. I feel thankful for the Wark Family’s support and generosity and would love to be able to help others achieve their academic and career goals someday.

Vedika Sanghai

/in /by

John J. Peterson Scholarship Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Vedika Sanghai is a third year double majoring in Business Economics and Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurship. She was born and brought up in Mumbai, India and moved to Los Angeles 3 years ago to pursue her education. She is interested in various fields such as Consulting, Marketing and Social work. Vedika aims to work in a company for a few years after graduation, after which she aspires to move back to India and build her own social enterprise business, which would focus on alleviating poverty in rural parts of India through the channel of education. She has absolutely loved her experience at UCLA and believes that it has helped her grow as an individual. She hopes to make the best of the opportunities she was given at UCLA and help others achieve their dreams.

Future Plans: This summer, Vedika is hoping to do a strategy/ marketing internship within the entertainment industry. She hopes to apply the synergy of her Economics and Psychology major to accurately understand consumer needs and communicate with them effectively. She also aims to work on her own startup, alongside with an internship. After gaining adequate experience, Vedika strives to secure a job with a consulting company in the fall, where she aspires to work for the next 3-4 years. After working with a consulting company, Vedika will pursue her MBA and move back to India after, trying to build and grow her own social enterprise company

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I am honored and overwhelmed to receive the John J. Peterson scholarship. Having seen my whole company start their own businesses and companies, I have always known that I would want to be an entrepreneur. Through the various Economics and Entrepreneurship classes I have taken at UCLA, I have been equipped with the knowledge to successfully start and run my own business. I will be using the proceeds of this scholarship towards my education as well as applying it towards my startup to get access to the initial resources I needed but did not have access to. This scholarship will help me get a head start with my company and give me the opportunity to become a successful entrepreneur by allowing me to apply what I have learned in the classroom to the real world. I am going to spend my upcoming summer working on my startup and hope to launch it in the Fall of 2017.

Danwei Chen

/in /by

2016 Robert D. & Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship Recipient

Biography: Danwei Chen is a third-year student at UCLA pursuing a major in Economics and minor in Accounting. Having completed elementary through high school in Wisconsin, she is enjoying discovering all that Los Angeles has to offer. Danwei currently works for the Laurence and Lori Fink Center for Finance & Investments within the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, where she has learned much about the finance industry. She is passionate about community involvement and serves as Vice President-Operations of Colleges Against Cancer at UCLA, the collegiate extension of the American Cancer Society. Danwei recently studied abroad at the London School of Economics, during which time she took courses in finance and economics and fostered her passions for travel and global cultures. She also likes to spend time hiking, playing/watching tennis, and trying new foods.

Future Plans: Danwei is excited about the applications of her education and is working towards a career in finance. This summer, she will be completing a Summer Analyst position at Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company in Irvine, California. She hopes to work full-time in the investment management field upon graduation and eventually pursue a Master’s in Business Administration.

What does the scholarship mean to me?: I feel incredibly honored to be selected as a recipient of the Robert D. and Margaret A. Wark Memorial Scholarship. I am extremely grateful to the Wark Family for their generosity in supporting my education. With this scholarship, I’m able to focus more time and effort on academic, professional, and extracurricular pursuits. I’m touched by the Wark Family’s giving values and hope to someday pay it forward to future generations of Bruins. In the meantime, I will strive to honor this recognition by continuing to work hard in the remainder of my time at UCLA and the start of my career.