A Letter From UCLA Latino Alumni Association President Cesar Pacheco '18
Dear Latino Bruins,
Scholarships truly make a difference in a student's time at UCLA. For this reason, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association provides annual scholarships to a select number of Latino students. Our scholarships allow students to explore their unique interests and work towards their goals at UCLA without the financial burden and emotional stress of student loans. We realize that the opportunity to attend UCLA to pursue higher education is life changing as it greatly improves a student's socioeconomic mobility and exposes them to new ways of thinking and opportunities.
We hope to keep making an impact in students' lives for generations to come. Our goal is to double the current value of our scholarship endowment in the next few years with the long term goal of reaching a one million dollar endowment. We’re excited to share our fundraising campaign next month to meet the goals of the organization.
As always, feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns via email at: latino@alumni.ucla.edu.
Go, Bruins!
Cesar Pacheco Garcia '18
2022 President
Top Stories
UCLA Latino Alumni Board Nominations Update
The ULAA Board Nominations application for the 2022-2023 UCLA Latino Alumni Association board closed on April 15. The ULAA ad hoc selection committee looks forward to reviewing applications and conducting interviews to select next year's board members. This committee consists of ULAA members who have been actively involved with the organization and have demonstrated a commitment to the well-being and success of ULAA. If you have any questions about the process or are thinking about applying for a position next year, feel free to reach out to us with any questions or concerns via email at: latino@alumni.ucla.edu.
Providing Guidance to Newly Admitted Students
On April 9, board members and alumni attended the 23rd annual Latinx Admit Weekend Alumni Networking dinner. The annual Latinx Admit Weekend is a student-run event that is organized to encourage newly admitted students to attend UCLA. During the dinner, we were able to share our experiences at UCLA as well answer questions that admits had about higher education, career exploration, self discovery, financial wellness and more. Congratulations to the Latinx Admit Weekend student committee on another successful event!
Follow along to see more UCLA Latino Alumni of the Day.
Three Latino Bruins To Be Honored at 2022 UCLA Awards
2022 Community Service Award
The 2022 UCLA Award for Community Service is presented to Alberto Retana ʼ09 for his dedication to the True Bruin values of respect, integrity, service and excellence. Retana’s mission is to bring about social, economic and racial justice through community organizing, movement building and policy change. He currently serves as president and CEO of Community Coalition in South L.A.
2022 Young Alumnus of the Year
Kristen Torres Pawling ’09, M.U.R.P. ’12, is the recipient of the 2022 Young Alumnus of the Year award for her outstanding commitment and service to UCLA and our community. In the decade since leaving UCLA, Pawling has made remarkable strides in advancing innovative solutions to one of the most pressing issues of our time: protecting the environment. Currently, she serves as the sustainability program director for the County of Los Angeles.
2022 Public Service Award
Debra Duardo ’94, M.S.W. ’96, Ed.D. ’13, is the recipient of the 2022 UCLA Award for Public Service. With more than 20 years of experience championing the students of Los Angeles, she currently serves as L.A. County Superintendent of Schools where she is a courageous advocate for systemic innovations to build equity and student success. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Duardo grew up in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles. She dropped out of high school to work full time, restarting her education in her late 20s. She entered UCLA as a transfer student and left as a triple Bruin, holding a bachelor’s degree cum laude in Women’s/Chicana studies, a master’s degree cum laude in social work and a doctorate from UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, where she led the Latina/o Caucus.
Upcoming Events
Virtual Event for 2022 OrgullOSO Mentorship Students and Mentors
Our Scholarship committee is working hard to finalize the details of this event. This will be a great opportunity for mentors and students to socialize with each other. This event is open only to students and alumni participating in the 2022 OrgullOSO Mentorship Program.
Job Opportunities
As an organization with over 40,000 members, we want to provide job opportunities to our alumni base. If you're looking to recruit UCLA Latino alumni at your company, please send job descriptions and your contact information to latino@alumni.ucla.edu. The UCLA Latino Alumni Association believes in the advancement of the Latino community and strives to create meaningful professional and social connections.
Full-time Legal Assistant at Kaplan and Trombi
A boutique immigration firm specializing in the entertainment industry is looking to hire an assistant to provide legal support in a fast-paced environment. No legal background is necessary, but a bachelor's degree and some office experience is preferred. The position will start off with the individual preparing press packages. The position is in Newport Beach, California. For more specific details such as responsibilities, duties, qualifications/skills and questions, please reach out to Heidy Trombi at Heidy@kaplantrombi.com and cc latino@alumni.ucla.edu — and also let us know if you apply.
What Is the Purpose of the UCLA Latino Alumni Association?
We are a volunteer-driven organization whose mission is to organize alumni, family and friends for the benefit and advancement of the Latino community and our alma mater. Through our activities and programs, ULAA provides opportunities for alumni to connect, scholarships and mentors to help UCLA Latino students succeed and advocacy that promotes the recruitment and success of UCLA Latino students, faculty and staff.
Join a ULAA Committee Meeting
Scholarship — The scholarship committee is a great way to assist ULAA in organizing events and programs that directly benefit ULAA scholarship recipients and students who are looking for general mentorship. You’ll be a strong asset to the committee if you have a passion for making an impact in students' lives, are adept at gathering large groups of people and have the ability to oversee all phases of a project. This committee is led by Andy Galan and Magali Limeta.
Membership — Joining this committee is a great way to help ULAA keep alumni engaged and introduce alumni to ULAA. This committee is perfect for alumni who enjoy planning events, meeting other Bruins and introducing our organization to new members. This committee is led by Mariana Vega.
Community Relations — Responsible for public and media relations, as well as promotional activities involving ULAA, this committee manages our social media and prepares our monthly newsletter. Community Relations seeks volunteers who have experience creating graphics, copy and engaging content, as well as social media strategists. The committee is led by Nicki Beltranena.
Finance — Joining the finance committee is a great way to support our fundraising efforts. You’ll be a strong asset to the committee if you have a passion for giving back and experience with fundraising and email campaigns. The committee currently has members who work in finance, development and nonprofits. It is led by Jennifer Mora and all members share a strong interest in growing the ULAA scholarship funds.
University Relations — Responsible for recruitment and the success of students, faculty and administrators, and monitoring policies and practices of UCLA. This committee recently hosted a winter career panel and will host another panel in spring. It is led by Sylvia Robledo.
If you’re interested in volunteering on a committee, please email us at: latino@alumni.ucla.edu
UCLA ONE
Looking for ways to virtually volunteer? We can use your skills 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.
