Category Archives: Uncategorized

Students Advocate For Increased UC Enrollment

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Student

UCLA student Zach Helder chats with legislative staff member Tiffany Mok during an advocacy trip on Tuesday.

Capitol visit makes headway

UCLA student Trent Kajikawa woke up to a 6 a.m. alarm Tuesday morning, scrambled to LAX, flew to Sacramento, dashed between discussions with as many legislative influencers as possible and flew back home before the night was done – a whirlwind day of advocacy for UCLA and the UC system.

Was it a worthy time investment? To Kajikawa, absolutely, who said he felt his and fellow student Zach Helder’s visit to Sacramento actually made a difference in the state budget conversation. They were heard.

“We’re hitting the nail and really addressing something that can help students succeed,” he said. “We moved the needle a little bit. That, to me, is really something. We just have to continue to stress this.”

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UCLA Blueprint Enjoys Debut Night

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Magazine tackles tough issues

Blueprint hit the ground running Wednesday night with a rousing example of what it can do and what it can be.

Hosted by Chancellor Gene Block at his official university residence, some 150 elected officials, journalists, judges, academics and students gathered to celebrate Blueprint, discuss its first issue and consider the challenges it examines – notably, the marshalling of research and data in pursuit of public safety. Continue reading →

UC Day in DC Student Delegate: Jose Tapia

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If it were not for the grants he was offered, Jose might not have chosen to go to UCLA or might have had to take on crippling student debt.

Jose Tapia is currently a fourth year undergraduate student who transferred to UCLA. His major is Political Science with a minor in Public Affairs. Growing up in South Los Angeles, Jose lived in a working class neighborhood. While a student at Lynwood High School, he began to consider pursuing higher education, deciding the best route for him was to attend community college. He received his associate’s degree in photography while fulfilling the requirements to transfer to a four-year university.

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UC Day in DC Student Delegate: Breana Weaver

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Breana aspires to disrupt the cycle of poverty, dismantling socio-economic class as a determinant for success.

Breana Weaver is a fourth year undergraduate student at UCLA who will graduate in June 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communication Studies. She was accepted into the prestigious Coro Fellowship for Public Policy and will begin the program in September. She has interned in UCLA’s Government Relations office for three years, advocating for higher education and taking part in meetings with UCLA’s chancellor, as well as elected officials and community partners in Los Angeles. Additionally, she has worked with the Liberty Hill Foundation and UCLA’s Bunche Center for African American Studies.

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UC Day in DC Student Delegate: Nico Gervasoni

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Without financial aid, Nico would not have been able to achieve his lifelong dream to graduate from UCLA.

Nico Gervasoni became a UCLA alumnus in winter 2015 when he completed his bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics and minor in English. A lifelong Southern Californian who grew up in Simi Valley and attended Royal High School, he was raised by parents who received both undergraduate and graduate degrees. For Nico, attending UCLA was a lifelong dream.

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UC Day in DC Student Delegate: Karizza McAlexander

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It wasn’t until Karizza’s older sister received grants and financial aid to attend UCLA that Karizza realized that she, too, could attend college.

Karizza McAlexander is a fourth year undergraduate student at UCLA, set to her receive her bachelor’s degree with a major in Nursing in June 2015. Since arriving from the Philippines in February 2000, Karizza moved often, but spent the majority of her life in the U.S. in a working class neighborhood in Long Beach, where she attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

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