A Message From UCLA Latino Alumni Association President Janette Palacios '98, M.U.R.P. '01
I am very proud of ULAA’s efforts in the last two months. We’ve presented two career panels — one hosted with Hermanas Unidas, featuring alumni working in different fields than their undergraduate major, and another featuring alumni working in STEM. ULAA also had the honor of interviewing Telemundo reporter and Latino Bruin Enrique Chiabra '09 and Brenda Robles '07, M.P.H. '10, Ph.D. '18, a triple Bruin working for the Los Angeles Department of Public Health.
I am excited for the spring and so proud to continue working alongside my fellow board members. They are some of the most dedicated people I know, and I assure you, their passion is infectious. If you are interested in joining our committees or learning more about how to get involved with ULAA, please do not hesitate to contact LatinoBruins@gmail.com.
Wishing all of you good health and safety as you read this newsletter!
Janette Palacios '98, M.U.R.P. '01
2020-2022 President
UCLA Latino Alumni Association
Top Stories
Scholarship Applications Open Soon
Scholarship time! Bruins, we are so excited that our scholarship application process is about to kick off. We expect the application process to open mid-March for three weeks for incoming freshmen (currently high school seniors) to apply for aid. If you, your loved one, students or mentees haven’t signed up to receive updates, you can do so here before March 15. Questions? Contact LatinoBruins@gmail.com.
Scholarship Readers Needed in April
We need help reviewing all of our scholarship applications beginning in April. If you are interested in reading applications for our incoming scholars, please sign up here.
We are working on building out our Pinterest page as a resource to find Bruin professionals and businesses. Send us your favorite Bruin-owned business for our @uclalatinxalumni Pinterest account by emailing Community Relations Chair, Nicki Beltranena '02 at nickibeltranena@alumni.ucla.edu.
Bruin Spotlight: Brenda Robles '07, M.P.H. '10, Ph.D. '18
Brenda Robles is a triple Bruin based in Los Angeles who currently works for the Los Angeles Department of Public Health battling the spread of COVID-19. Since the start of the pandemic, Robles and her family have also sewn over 1,300 masks for underserved communities. Check out the full interview with Brenda by ULAA Community Relations Committee member Karina Livier '07 on our blog.
Bruin Spotlight: Enrique Chiabra '09
We are so excited to bring you a YouTube interview with Latino Bruin Enrique Chiabra '09 of Telemundo! We don’t want to spoil it for you, so check out our YouTube page because Community Relations member Karina Livier '07 covers everything from coming to the U.S. to getting into UCLA to the media’s role in communicating with the Latino community during such a confusing time. Congratulations to Karina and Enrique for their hard work!
Event Recap: ULAA STEM Panel
On Feb. 11, ULAA hosted a STEM panel featuring NASA Engineer Katya Echazarreta '19, emergency room medical doctor Dr. Jesus Torres '07 and former Chevron project manager engineer Randy Arizmendiz '09. Ivette Jimenez '11, N.P., moderated the session. We learned about supportive organizations on campus and how our panelists thrived despite having few Latinx classmates. We even covered the Perseverance rover landing. If you are interested in a STEM-related field, please reach out to Membership Chair Christina Hernandez '13, M.S.W. '17, at christinahernandez@alumni.ucla.edu to learn about more opportunities.
Join a ULAA Committee Meeting
Do you want to make a difference? You can join a committee if you’d like to get involved. Please contact one of our committee chairs for more information:
UCLA ONE
Looking for ways to virtually volunteer? We can use your skill sets to guide the next generation of professionals! You can join our UCLA ONE Latino Alumni group here.
To indicate you’d like to mentor or network, please click on your profile picture -> Edit Profile -> Click boxes that apply under “Offer/Seek Help” section.
