A Letter From UCLA Latino Alumni Association Interim President Cesar Pacheco Garcia '18
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I am excited to introduce myself as the interim president of the UCLA Latino Alumni Association. Volunteering has been rewarding for me and I look forward to leading during these challenging times. My past experiences as vice president, as University Relations chair and as a member of the Finance Committee will help me continue the great work my predecessors have started, such as our OrgullOSO Mentoring Program, our quarterly career panels and our scholarship fundraising program.
I believe the UCLA Latino Alumni Association has the potential to connect alumni from different generations and serve as a gathering place for UCLA alumni, family and friends for the benefit and advancement of the Latino community. ULAA membership is open to all graduates of UCLA and UCLA Extension, friends of UCLA, and current UCLA students. I invite you to read our newsletter, visit our website and, most importantly, stay connected with other Latino Bruins.
We are always looking for volunteers who want to give back to the Latino community, as well as ideas to improve our operations. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us at latino@alumni.ucla.edu.
Lastly, given the surge in COVID-19 cases, we are pausing in-person events until further notice, but please stay tuned to our social media, website and monthly newsletter as we hope to host more in-person events later in 2022.
I want to thank our outgoing president, Janette Palacios '98, M.U.R.P. '01, for her commitment to ULAA and, most importantly, congratulate Janette on her recent role as director of Affinity Networks with UCLA Alumni. I look forward to working with our current board members, committee members and volunteers!
Go Bruins!
Cesar Pacheco '18
Top Stories
An Interview With Sonja Diaz, Director and Founder of The Latino Policy and Politics Initiative
The UCLA Latino Alumni Association is excited to bring light to the amazing work The Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (LPPI) is accomplishing at UCLA. LPPI believes that there is no American agenda without a Latino agenda. Drawing on the expertise of the deepest bench of Latino academics in the country at UCLA, LPPI is focused on confronting the challenges facing Latinos to find solutions now. Learn more on our blog!
Upcoming Events
ULAA OrgullOSO Mentorship Program: Call for Alumni Mentors
Share your knowledge and experience — become a mentor to a current UCLA student. Established in 2016, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association OrgullOSO Mentor Program fosters meaningful relationships between ULAA scholarship recipients and Latino alumni. This annual program has benefited our scholarship recipients as well as their mentors.
In 2020, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association expanded this program to all UCLA undergraduate and graduate students who identify as Latino, Latina or Latinx. As a mentor, you can support, advise and guide students who seek mentorship from alumni like you. We'll do our best to pair mentors and mentees based on interests and experience levels. Please submit an application by Feb. 3.
The mentorship program will officially commence in March and will conclude on Sept. 30. Mentors will be matched with only one student and are expected to attend the virtual OrgullOSO Kickoff Day in February (exact date yet to be determined). The monthly time commitment will range from two to six hours. Alumni who are selected as mentors will be notified via email. We encourage you to keep in touch with your mentee beyond the program if the connection is there.
For more information, questions or if you are interested in joining the Scholarship Committee, please contact our co-scholarship chairs, Andy Galan '16 and Magali Limeta '12, at latino@alumni.ucla.edu.
Please take a moment to learn about our 2021 ULAA scholars! We are grateful to nuestra comunidad for joining us in supporting our newest Latinx Bruins as they embark on their UCLA journey.
We are planning another hike with the Stanford Latino Alumni Association of Southern California. Over 60 alumni and friends joined us at our last hike at Griffith Park. Our planned hikes are a great way to meet Bruins, connect with other local like-minded Latinos and meet some of our board members. Family and friends are welcome!
Date: A weekend in March 2022
Location: To be determined
Please visit our website to register and to see updates on this event.
Since 2003, the UCLA Latino Alumni Association has awarded scholarships totaling more than $262,000 to 98 UCLA students. ULAA receives a substantial number of applications each year from talented and exceptional students who identify as Latino/a/x. Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Finance Committee, led by Jennifer Mora '96, for reaching their $20,000 fundraising goal for the fiscal year.
Job Opportunities
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.
1. Several Roles at L.A. Nonprofit, Children's Institute Inc.
Director of grants, financial reporting analyst, therapist, clinical supervisor, fatherhood specialist, communications specialist and many more roles.
2. UCLA Program Manager/Director of the Hispanic Serving Institution
The candidate for this position should have the following qualifications: master's degree required, Ph.D. preferred with five years of experience working with Latina/o/x issues in higher education. The program manager/director of the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) will provide leadership and oversight of UCLA's Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiative based on the UCLA HSI Task Force recommendations. If you meet the qualifications, please apply for the job.
3. UCLA Freshman and Transfer Summer Program Coordinator
The Academic Advancement Program is recruiting to fill one full-time contract position for freshman and transfer summer program coordinator. Please apply by the Feb. 3 application deadline. Under the general direction and supervision of the Academic Advancement Program's (AAP) director of AAP pre-college and summer programs and associate director for counseling, the summer programs coordinator for the freshmen and transfer summer program (F&TSP) is responsible for planning, coordinating and overseeing all summer program events and programs; is a member of the F&TSP leadership team; and is the direct liaison to campus partners.
It’s through the great work of volunteers that the UCLA Latino Alumni Association is able to thrive. Through volunteering, you can connect with other alumni who also have a passion for giving back to their alma mater and the Latino community.
If you’re ready to become a volunteer, please join a committee by expressing your interest to us at latino@alumni.ucla.edu. Committees meet virtually once a month. Please see a description of each committee below.
Scholarship — responsible for the recruitment, selection, recommendation, and engagement of scholarship candidates. This committee is currently launching the OrgullOSO Mentoring Program as well as connecting and creating community with current scholarship recipients. They are looking for volunteers to help with the mentoring program. This committee is led by Andy Galan and Magali Limeta.
Membership — Responsible for the recruitment of members, outreach and social events. This committee plans events to build community and camaraderie. 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. This committee is led by Nicki Beltranena.
Finance — Responsible for fundraising for ULAA scholarships through various best practices. This committee develops and submits our annual fundraising plan to the board for approval, develops fiscal policies and procedures, and fundraising strategies. Finance seeks volunteers who are interested in raising money for UCLA students and having fun! This committee is led by Jennifer Mora and is currently focused on an email fundraising campaign.
University Relations — Responsible for recruitment and the success of students, faculty and administrators; monitoring policies and practices of UCLA. This committee recently hosted a winter career panel and will host another panel in spring. This committee is led by Sylvia Robledo.
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.
