Athlete HighlightsMalcom Lee : Basketball : Shooting Guard

Niki Tom : GymnasticsGionna DiSalvatore : Softball : Infi elder

Thomas Amberg : Men’s Volleyball : Quick Hitter

BruinLife: When did you start playing basketball?Malcom Lee: When I was seven.

BL: When did you start thinking you could play for college?ML: When I was probably in my 9th grade in high school.

BL: Why did you choose UCLA?ML: Because of tradition, location, and UCLA academics. I live in socal.

BL: What is your major?ML: Sociology

BL: What is your favorite class?ML: My favorite class is theater.

BL: What do you eat, seeing as you have a 21P meal plan?ML: I like the dining hall food a lot. I like being at Rendezvous, at Late Night De Neve. I really take advantage of the swipes.

BL: You don’t feel like late night is unhealthy?ML: Yea…It’s not the most healthiest food, but it’s not like I’m eating Late Night 24/7.

BL: How much free time do you have on your own?ML: During off-season I have a lot more free time but during season I don’t have a lot of free time. Its either practice and study hall and class or a game, or we’re on the road, so we don’t have a lot of study or free time.

BL: When you guys have long road games how do you deal with classes?ML: We have study sessions, when we’re on the road trip. We have to bring our books and stuff, we have to remind our teachers we’re not going to be in the class so we won’t get discredited for not being in class since we’re doing something for the school.

BL: What’s summer like for you?ML: Basically we have the choice to

attend summer school and if we attend summer school we got workouts with the weights, weight room 4 days a week. That’s only if we stay, attend summer school. A lot of guys stay here, play a lot of basketball. A lot of the guys play in the Say-no Classic, which is a summer college league.

BL: What do you like about LA?ML: I like being in the city. Whether I want to go to the beach, or shopping forclothes or shoes, going to the movies or anything, there’s so much stuff to do in LA it’s hard to pick from, and its good, I like that. [pause] I’ve always wanted to go skydiving. [pause] This is my theory, because heights is one of my biggest fears, and I feel like if I could conquer that I could do anything. I need to face my fears to grow.

BL: What is something most people don’t know about you?ML: I write poetry and I perform spoken word. Spoken word is where you recite poetry in front of a crowd. Some people write poetry on paper and some people write spoken word to recite. [pause] They have open mic nights at certain places, and I just go and say poetry.

BL: Where?ML: Words Wednesday in Kerckhoff at 6. I like writing poetry because it allows me to express my feelings on paper, and allows me to get away from stressful things like basketball and school, and I perform it. I like performing it because I want people to hear my emotions, and I just like performing it.

BL: What are your goals for the future?ML: Someday I’d like to play in the NBA, and after NBA or playing professional basketball, I want to either be an actor, a sports analyst, or a commentator—something in front of the camera.

BL: Do you need custom-made clothes?ML: No I don’t need to get clothes custom-made, but I’m sure they need that for other guys who are taller.

BL: What is it like being a student-athlete?ML: A lot of people think being an athlete is easy. That’s the stereotype, because they feel like we don’t needa go to class and stuff. But it’s hard if you don’t know how to balance out the athletic and schoolwork.We still gotta do everything a regular student has to do, but its hard cause we’ve got traveling, got to balance weights, training, practice, games…[pause] And we still have to do schoolwork, but its real stressful. Luckily, they provide tutoring and study sessions so it’s real helpful sometimes to get us through the work.It’s really stressful sometimes; Being a student athlete is hard and not easy.

BL: How is housing?

ML: I live in Rieber Terrace in a single with two other basketball guys in my suite.My first year we had Saxon; That’s where they placed us. But they decided for all the freshmen and new people coming in next year to put us in Rieber, so I’ve been in Rieber for two years.

BL: What do you do in your downtime?ML: When I have downtime, I go to open mics. Other school activities I try to go to too.

BL: Are you a fan of any other UCLA sports?ML: I like attending the women’s basketball games. I’m a huge women’s basketball fan, huge baseball fan of our baseball team. I go to football games, and soccer. Women and guys soccer—I love soccer.

BL: Lastly, I have to. Are you an NBA fan?ML: NBA? Yea.

BL: Favorite team? ML: Lakers.

Basketball:Malcom Lee

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Being an athlete and being a student can sometimes seem like two separate things, but for fourth-year physiological science and gymnast student Niki Tom, the challenge of balancing both was what made her who she is today. Having been a vital member of the gymnastics team since 2007, Tom retired from gymnastics this year to pursue life goals of going into the medical !eld. BruinLife spent the a"ernoon with Niki Tom discussing gymnastics, the struggles of being an athlete, and goals for the future.

BruinLife: When did you start doing gymnastics?Niki Tom: I started when I was seven and a half years old.

BL: Can you talk about some of your earlier experience?NT: I originally started doing !gure skating and track. My sister did !gure skating [and] I didn’t want to do the same sport as her so I just asked my mom to do gymnastics. I had never taken a class or anything and, for some reason, I just wanted to do it.

BL: Do you have any memorable experiences or people in your gymnastics life?NT: Talia [Kushynski] who’s on the team with us--we’re close teammates since we were around 12 so I have shared a lot of experiences with her. We have always gone to regionals all the time together and that’s how we built our relationship along with going to the same gym. Another exciting experience was going to nationals my senior year of high school. #at was a really good experience and it prepped me to come to UCLA.

BL: Since you never took any gym classes, was it hard to get into gymnastics?NT: I loved it from the beginning so, for me, having that passion made it easy to stick with it. It was really time consuming; you had to train about 5 hours a day at least. With school and everything it was a little di$cult at times, but your passion and love for the sport overpower everything.

BL: Coming into college, what colleges were you considering?NT: Well, I always wanted to come to UCLA, even before I wanted to do gymnastics, I was born [a] Bruin; my family [members] are all UCLA fans and my sister came here. I originally was looking at other schools in which I could get a gymnastics scholarship in, but I met this girl around my junior year of high school and so I committed pretty early.

BL: How have you enjoyed your experience here at UCLA?NT: I loved it. (laughs). I would not go anywhere else. I have always dreamt of it. I don’t regret my decision coming here at all. 100% I’m meant to be a Bruin.

BL: What have been some of the struggles?NT: During college? Or being an athlete? I think in the beginning, the hardest part is adapting to school and gym. One thing was that college gymnastics is really di%erent from club gymnastics. A lot of the girls did elite or were level 10 in the Junior Olympics gymnastics. #e biggest transition in the gym is you get less training time and it’s more about the team aspect than the individual. But I love that, so that was any easy transition. #e hardest part was balancing your time. Originally I thought you would have more time in college, but you actually have less because [you’re] balancing school work and practice.

BL: For you personally, has it been di!cult to balance gymnastics and other aspects of your life?NT: I think in the beginning when I !rst came in, it was a little bit. But now I think it’s just what I know; that’s all I know. I don’t know anything di%erent. We’ve all been time crunched and have had to know how to time manage since we were little.

BL: How has your experience been di"erent now as a senior in comparison to when you were freshman?NT: In the gym and even out of the gym I really like the team leader role. Just having that experience under my belt, I can help out the freshmen [and] some of the underclassmen that are having some problems with the same things that we struggled with. To help them and see them grow is one of the most rewarding factors.

BL: What have been some of your greatest achievements on and o" the gym?NT: De!nitely keeping up with school, sticking with my major because it gets discouraging at times. It’s not an easy major and just to keep my grades up and making the honor roll. And in the gym, just coming in as a walk o% and receiving a scholarship and being able to compete regularly and like dedicate my time to the team and actually contribute is a great accomplishment for me because I never really expected that to happen for me.

BL: Where do you foresee gymnastics in your future?NT: (laughs) A"er this year I will be done. I will be retiring (laughs) -- o$cially. I just want to be involved [and] will probably go into the gym every now and then still and help out the girls. I would like to be involved with the UCLA gymnastics for the rest of my life. It’s a huge part of me [and] has made me who I am today. [Also] just being involved with the team and even gymnastics in general, but competing-wise, I’m done. I’m !nished (laughs).

BL: Any reason for retiring?NT: Is there a reason? (pauses for a while) I’m ready to move on with my life. It has been about

18 years of my life so I’m ready to take the next step forward and focus on graduate school or [whatever is] next in my life.

BL: So since you’re not planning on doing gymnastics professionally, what are some of your life goals?NT: I’m de!nitely considering a profession in the health !eld. De!nitely want to do something medical related. I will probably take my MCATs just so I have the option to go to medical school or I will try and become a nurse practitioner or a physician’s assistant.

BL: Is there any advice you would give to any aspiring gymnastics athlete?NT: If you put the work in and work hard and stay dedicated and you love the sport, you can’t go wrong. In the end, do what you’re happy with because if you’re not enjoying it, it doesn’t mean anything. And nothing is impossible.

BL: As a graduating senior, what would be the highlight of your time at UCLA?NT: De!nitely winning National Championships last year and just being part of the team. Winning the National Championships wouldn’t mean anything without my team. Being part of this team and being part of that coaching sta% and everyone who’s involved in the athletics department and even in this school who supports us, having that camaraderie, throughout the whole school. Just having UCLA known around the nation and around the world, it’s an amazing thing. But de!nitely winning the National Championships was like the icing on the cake last year, so hopefully we’ll get another and bring another one home for the Bruins.

BL: How is gymnastics doing this season?NT: We started o% a little shaky. We experienced a lot of injuries, so that was a little tough. But we’re coming back strong. We’re looking really good right now. We’re starting to build; we’re peaking at the right time. We’re heading into post season; we just had Pac-10s and then we’re going to regionals in two weeks. Training has been real great so we have no reason to not do well this season.

BL: Anything you would like to say to your team?NT: #anks for the great memories. Every team that I have been a part of these four years has been amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

BL: Anything you would like to add?NT: What makes our team so successful and not just gymnasts but as people are our coaching sta% and our support sta%. #ey teach us how to be great people and not just gymnasts. I think that’s really important. #at’s what UCLA athletics is all about, and it helps out in the classroom. It helps out in the gym, and it’s going to help out in the future and I think that’s an important aspect everyone should know.

Gymnastics:Niki Tom

Being a native of Florida, Gionna DiSalvatore ventured on a journey far away from home to be part of UCLA’s so!ball team which had a tradition of winning. Entering the 2011 season ranked "!h in UCLA history in doubles with 48, 11 shy of the school record, Gionna DiSalvatore took the opportunity to share her four year adventure with BruinLife.

BruinLife: When did you start playing so!ball?Gionna DiSalvatore: I started playing t-ball when I was 5 years old. #en I started playing competitively like on a travel team at 9 years old.BL: Can you describe some of your earlier experiences with the sport, up to high school maybe?GD: When I was younger it was more fun, it’s still fun now, but I didn’t practice from ages 5-8, but once I started playing competitively my dad was like “are you sure you want to do this?” because he really wanted my commitment and all. My dad pushed me ever since high school [and even] through high school, and you know I wouldn’t be the player I am today without him.

BL: Coming into college, what schools were you considering and why did you decide on UCLA?GD: I considered schools from Florida such as UF and USF and UCLA. UCLA o$ered me so early in my sophomore year and ever since I was little I always wanted to come here. Just a winning tradition, like watching them on TV [and] I thought they were so amazing so I actually didn’t visit so many schools before they o$ered me. Right when they o$ered me, I didn’t have to think about it. I came here because of their winning tradition. A lot of Olympians came here and I looked up to Natasha Watley who played here, a former bruin, who is now on the Olympic team and plays professionally and I wanted to follow in her footsteps.

BL: Being from Florida how was the experience of coming to a new state?GD: When I committed, I didn’t even think about distance and I didn’t care because I wanted to come here so bad. It eventually hit me when I moved into my dorms and my mom was about to leave and I’m like “oh my gosh, im so far from home”. I ended up being "ne. I’m "ne now. It’s really not that bad, its only one plane, 5 hours, away.

BL: How have you enjoyed your experience here at UCLA, both in and out of the "eld?GD: It went by so fast, like I can’t even believe it. I’m a fourth year already; it was amazing just being a student athlete here. Just competing not only on the "eld, but o$ the "eld in the classroom because your competing against students who have the best grades in the country, some of the smartest people in the country. You meet so many new people here, athletes and students. You could be sitting next to the next president, you never know, the social network here is so incredible. It’s

something amazing to be a apart of and I’ll never forget it.

BL: What have been some of the best experiences with the so!ball team?GD: Well, obviously my best experience would be winning the Women’s College World Series this past June, it was so incredible. It’s what I have worked for my whole life. And being in the moment of winning, that "nal hour, it’s amazing. I mean, hopefully we can do that again this year so I can feel that again.

BL: What have been some of struggles?GD: Struggles? De"nitely academics. [In] high school, school came easy to me, I would have straight A’s [and] maybe a B here and there. You know, college is a whole other level of education. [You need] time management [with] balancing school and so!ball. When you practice and work out all day, all you want to do is go home and sleep, but you have to put aside those hours for studying so that was de"nitely a struggle. [Also] just dealing with the highs and lows of the game. You know, slumps, going through slumps and not getting any hits for a few games. It’s frustrating but you have to work through it because our coach always told us you have to enjoy the struggle. It’s not about the destination but about the journey and the journey has been amazing.

BL: As a student athlete, would you say its challenging to balance so!ball with other aspects of your life? GD: It is, but it’s doable. It’s a challenge because during season all you want to do is play so!ball and focus on so!ball, but if you don’t get good grades you can’t play because school comes "rst. So that has been a struggle for most athletes.

BL: About how many hours would you say you put into being an athlete?GD: A typical day: I will wake up and depending on my class, class starts at like 10 and I go all the way until practice which starts at 2:15. I’ll get done [with class] at 1:50. Practice 2:15 to 5-5:30, pretty late. #en we have weights at 6 PM on Mondays and Wednesday and tutoring if we have tutoring that day. #at will be a full day.

BL: Do you practice on the weekends?GD: Not during o$ season, and right now we play on the weekends.

BL: What do you do during o# season?GD: We work out more. We li! 3 days a week and condition twice week. So we’re working out 5 times a week and practice 5 times a week. #at’s when we try and take our harder classes since we are not traveling as much. Fall is more like a grind [since] we have more time.

BL: Where do you see so!ball in your future?GD: I do want to play in the pro league this summer, so we’ll see how it goes. I would like to experience it. #ere are a lot of great players in the pros and would like to work with them or against them. And I do want to play

internationally; I just want to experience it, hopefully in Italy next summer. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but so!ball isn’t in the Olympics till possibly 2020 and I don’t think I will be playing...in what like 9 years?...I don’t think I will be playing then. #at has always been a dream of mine, but I don’t think it’s possible.

BL: What our some life goals?GD: I do want to go to graduate school. I want to do something in the medical "eld, like maybe physician assistant. I want to help people in some way. Start a family and be happy (laughs).

BL: What advice would you give to aspiring athletes?GD: I would say to always work hard even though nobodys watching. Our coaches always tell us that our character is determined by what we do when people aren’t looking, your work ethics and how you work not just during those practice hours with your team, but outside of those hours when people aren’t watching. #ose extra cuts or shots, or whatever you take will make you that much better.

BL: Anything you would like to say to your team?GD: I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! Our team is amazing. I love my team. We’re all good friends o$ the "eld and I think chemistry is so important because it de"nitely translates onto the "eld and how you play. I’m going to miss them when I leave for sure, but they’ll de"nitely be in my life. #ey’ll be at my wedding. #ey will.

BL: How is the team going to do this season?GD: I think we will do amazing. I mean, we have had our highs and lows. Right now it’s a learning experience for the freshmen and eventually they’ll [learn] quick. We have a lot of things to work on and we’re learning from our mistakes and moving forward we’ll be good.

BL: How would you describe you experience on the team as a freshman and now as a senior?GD: De"nitely the experience. Coming in as a freshman you don’t really know what to expect. We learned a lot as a freshman, I learned a lot from our upperclassmen. Just the standards and the expectations from the program, you know, its a whole new level of so!ball. In high school, there’s good players, but in college everyone is good. Up until now, I think, I have grown as a person, a player, and a leader. As a freshman I didn’t really say much, because I really didn’t know what to say and now as a senior I know what to expect and I can kind of help out my freshmen and help out our team at times of... I wouldn’t say pressure, but you know those moments in the game, when it’s kind of close and I just step in, take charge and say it’s possible, we’ve done this before. I think experience is the biggest thing I have gained over these four years.

Softball:GiOnna DiSalvatore

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In the midst of their grueling season, volleyball standout !omas Amberg took the opportunity to share some of his experiences. A former water polo player, the junior quick hitter and sociology student had excelled in his time at UCLA, was posed to receive all-conference honors and had established himself as one of the best from a top-ranked Bruins team.

BruinLife: When did you start playing volleyball? Can you describe some of your earlier experiences in the sport (up to high school maybe)?!omas Amberg: I started playing volleyball my freshmen year in high school because my freshmen English teacher’s son was on the team and she knew I was pretty tall as a freshmen. She persuaded me to play. All my brothers had been swimming and I decided to play volleyball. [My parents] didn’t really like it at "rst, but I really enjoyed it. !ankfully, it got me here.

I got to play on the varsity team by the end of my freshmen year and we won a CIF championship. !at was pretty cool. It was also cool to play in clubs, against the top players in the nation before they go to college. It’s all the same people that I’m playing against in college. I’ve been playing the same players pretty much my whole life; it’s pretty fun to develop rivalries and friendships throughout volleyball. It’s a close-knit community since it’s not the biggest sport. But you really get to know who everyone is.

BL: Coming into college, what schools were you considering? Why did you decide on UCLA?TA: I’d say my top schools were probably UCI, USC, and UCLA. I chose to come here because my brother was already here; also, I couldn’t really pass up an opportunity to go to UCLA because of the high academic standard as well as the reputation of the volleyball team.

BL: How have you enjoyed your experience here at UCLA, both in and out of volleyball?

TA: I’ve loved every minute of being here. It’s been a great experience, and I’ve made great friends. Playing on the team has been really cool; we get to travel all over the country and world. We went to Argentina a#er my freshmen year. !at opportunity was absolutely amazing. I mean, how o#en do you get to go to on a free trip to Argentina for two weeks? We went to play against professional teams and just get some experience. We stated in Buenos Aires and traveled all over the country and played against many di$erent teams. We might’ve played at least 10 matches against professionals, practiced a lot and got to go out to see the country. IT was a great experience: just going out and learning about Argentina while getting better at volleyball. And, just playing and competing at a high level is what athletes come to college to do, and that has been the most fun and most exciting thing.

BL: What have been some of the struggles with the team?TA: As with any team at UCLA, if you don’t win a national championship, the season is a disappointment because of such high expectations. Living up to that is very di%cult, especially when you’re playing against teams in our conference. UCLA has this prestigious edge to it because we’ve been the dominant team for the majority of the existence of NCAA volleyball, so, whenever we play any team, were the “big game” they play. It’s great, but it also hurts. Teams are hyped to play us, but it makes it very exciting every time.

BL: For you personally, is it di"cult to balance volleyball with other aspects of your life (what may those other aspects be?)TA: It’s been an adjustment. All throughout high school, I was competing in volleyball and water polo for school and clubs; it’s never like I only did school at any point. I always had to balance academics and athletics. Coming here, the time commitment and school commitment were both huge jumps. !ere is a huge misconception about athletes and

academics: [people think] teachers give us breaks, but that’s completely untrue. We do the exact same things everyone else does. It’s been di%cult, but you get into a rhythm or schedule. Every day, I go to class in the morning and practice in the a#ernoon. !en, I come home [and] plan accordingly. If you fall behind, you fall behind much quicker because there isn’t as much time during the day due to practice, conditioning, games, traveling and all that.

BL: What have been some of your greatest achievements on and o# the court?TA: On the court, it’s hard to consider anything a great team achievement since we haven’t won a nationals championship. We’ve beaten highly-ranked teams a few times. Last year, we took down the Stanford Cardinal a#er they had won the national championship and were ranked #1. !at was a great 5-set game in Pauley Pavilion. O$ the court, I just try to succeed in school, keeping my GPA above a 3.0. I always try to do the best I can in all my classes. I realize that, while there are professional opportunities for volleyball overseas, I’ll probably still have to get a normal job just like everyone else. So I have to work just as hard as everyone else to get up there in the real world.

BL: Is the re any advice you would give to an aspiring athlete?TA: Work hard and don’t ever count yourself out. For example, our program is based on complete merit; coaches don’t play favorites. If you’re playing well, you get to play. !ere’s players in our program who won’t play the entire year but then will be called upon to step up because of injuries or slumps. !ey will get their opportunity. So you just have to keep playing everyday, keep getting better, and keep striving towards your goal. Eventually, when you get that opportunity, you just have to take it.

BL: Anything else you would like to add?TA: Go Bruins!

Volleyball:Thomas Amberg

2011Athletics

IndexFront Row: Ryan Schott, Pat Girardi, Nick Longshore, Chris Polizzi, Daronte Jones, Tim Hundley, Clark Lea, Todd Howard, Frank Gansz, Jr., Chuck Bullough, Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow, Bob Palcic, Reggie Moore, Wayne Moses, Mike Linn, Brian Sheppard, Quincy Avery, Pete Dalis, Dimetrius Hajimihalis and Johnny DeRocher. Second Row Angus McClure, Justin Fareed, Kai Forbath, Danny Rees, Mike Schmitt, Tobi Umodu, Andy Keane, Micah Kia, Eddie Williams, Ryan Taylor, Darius Savage, Sean Sheller, David Carter, Frank Guzman, Christian Yount, Christian Ramirez, Reginald Stokes, Kristen Beer, XX, XX and Toni Perri. Third Row: xx, xx, xx, Librado Barocio, Dalton Hilliard, Jerry Rice, Jr., Courtney Viney, Andrew Abbott, Tony Dye, Alex Mascarenas, Johnathan Franklin, Allen Aguilar, Darius Bell, Tevin McDonald, Sean Westgate, Damien Thigpen, Jordon James, Jeff Dickman, Josh Barut, Jacqueline Harris, xx, xx. Fourth Row: xx, xx, xx, Rahim Moore, Dietrich Riley, Aaron Hester, Sheldon Price, Stan McKay, Anthony Jefferson, Jayson Allmond, Josh Smith, Ricky Marvray, Randall Carroll, Uche, Amajoyi, Phillip Ruhl, xx, Joe Roberts, Kip Smith, Craig Sowers, XX, XX. Fifth Row: xx, xx, xx, xx, Isaiah Bowens, Brandon Willis, xx, xx, Tre Hale, Arimede Olaniyan, Derrick Coleman, Richard Brehaut, Donovan Carter, Eric Kendricks, Malcolm Jones, Jared Koster, Jeff Locke, Todd Golper, Ray Weisenbarger, xx Gobrial, xx. Sixth Row: xxx, Anthony Venuti, Damien Holmes, Kyle Slowey, Cassius Marsh, Keenan Graham, Iuta Tepa, Sam Saultz, John Young, Clayton Tunney, Kevin Prince, Jay Barlow, Patrick Larimore, David Allen, xx, Seali’I Epenesa, Eric Hurd, Blake Bentz and Steven Radicevic. Seventh Row: Dale Rudd, Jeremy Vail, Kody Innes, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Jerry Johnson, Wesley Flowers, Jeff Baca, Derrick Bryant, Nick Crissman, Greg Capella, Chris Ward, Cory Harkey, Steve Sloan, Jordan Zumwalt, Akeem Ayers, Taylor Embree, Justin Edison, XX, XX and Will Peddie. Back Row: Jimmy Smuda, Steve Agee, Austin Hill, Mike Harris, Wade Yandall, Anthony Barr, Nate Chandler, Nelson Rosario, Brett Downey, Joseph Fauria, Andrew Yelich, Glenn Love, Conner Bradford, Kevin McDermott, Casey Griffiths, Morrell Presley, Greg Casciaro, Datone Jones and Jolie Oliver. Photo by Don Liebig, ASUCLA Photography

Front Row: Daren Flitcroft, Andy Rose, Brian Rowe, Trevor Hunter, Kevin Weiner, Earl Edwards, Eder Arreola and Oscar Reyes. Second Row: Student Athletic Trainer David Zhao, Student Athletic Trainer Leslie Grant, Staff Athletic Trainer Tandi Hawkey, Assistant Coach Kenny Arena, Head Coach Jorge Salcedo, Volunteer Assistant Coach Patrick Seymour, Assistant Coach Eddie Soto, Team Manager Dylan Dewey and Team Manager Tyler Gonzalez. Third Row: Dakota Collins, Shawn Singh, Patrick Matchett, Matt Wiet, Cesar Morales, Michael Roman, Chris Cummings, Chandler Hoffman, Evan Raynr, Andrew Tusaazemajja and Victor Yanez. Back Row: Zack Foxhoven, Ryan Hollingshead, Reed Williams, Joe Sofia, Reid Hukari, Bradley McIntosh, Fernando Monge, Victor Chavez, Kelyn Rowe and Zack Zerrenner.

Men’s Soccer

Football

Front Row: Amelia Mathis, Natalia Ledezma, Zakiya Bywaters, Chelsea Cline, Ahsha Smith, Charney Burk and Summer Williams. Second Row: Jalissa Freeman, Sierra Mack, Courtney Lovelace, Chelsea Braun, Crystal Shaffie, Lauren Barnes and Ariana Martinez. Third Row: Lucretia Lee, Kylie Facinelli, Jenna Richmond, Kylie Wright, Sydney Leroux and Dana Wall. Back Row: Elise Britt, Liz Zadro, Chante’ Sandiford, Alana Munger, Yiana Dimmitt, Taylor Cochran and Iman Bearde.

Front Row: Kent Morikawa, Adam Kelly-Strong, Amjed Aboukhadijeh, Jun Reichl, Alec Govi, Jake Matthews, Zack Torres and Joel Ambo. Second Row: Jacob Wood, Pablo Rosales, Dustin Fay, David McDonald, Blake Ramos, Steve Norton, Marc Hausmaninger, Brett Walters and Spencer Knight. Third Row: Cole Guerin, Chase Zukerman, Philip MacQuitty, Bisrat Zerehaimanot, Mohammad Charara, Alan Rios, Jordan Senko and Forest Braden. Back Row: Josh Honrado, April McKinney, Sam DeMello, Scott Crawford, Dylan Knight, Sean Colaco, Nohe Lema and Johnny Gray.

Front Row: Melissa Skiba, Nicole Hood, Sierra Vega, Michelle Pittman, Whitney Blue, Kelsey Smith, Kristina Rivera and Katja Goldring. Second Row: Tamara Purpura, Shelby Stegall, Amber Murakami, Caitlin Schmitt, Shannon Murakami, Kelcie Wiemann, Sadee Martinz and Meghan Marvin. Third Row: Tiffany LaMar, Laura Sauvage, Rachel Butler, Allie Lopez, Taryn Pastoor, Zoe Pappas, Elle Sanders and Paisley Pettway. Back Row: April McKinney, Josh Honrado, Johnny Gray, Forest Braden and Karen Costello.

Women’s Cross Country

Men’s Cross Country

Women’s Soccer

Front Row: Ryan Schott, Pat Girardi, Nick Longshore, Chris Polizzi, Daronte Jones, Tim Hundley, Clark Lea, Todd Howard, Frank Gansz, Jr., Chuck Bullough, Rick Neuheisel, Norm Chow, Bob Palcic, Reggie Moore, Wayne Moses, Mike Linn, Brian Sheppard, Quincy Avery, Pete Dalis, Dimetrius Hajimihalis and Johnny DeRocher. Second Row Angus McClure, Justin Fareed, Kai Forbath, Danny Rees, Mike Schmitt, Tobi Umodu, Andy Keane, Micah Kia, Eddie Williams, Ryan Taylor, Darius Savage, Sean Sheller, David Carter, Frank Guzman, Christian Yount, Christian Ramirez, Reginald Stokes, Kristen Beer, XX, XX and Toni Perri. Third Row: xx, xx, xx, Librado Barocio, Dalton Hilliard, Jerry Rice, Jr., Courtney Viney, Andrew Abbott, Tony Dye, Alex Mascarenas, Johnathan Franklin, Allen Aguilar, Darius Bell, Tevin McDonald, Sean Westgate, Damien Thigpen, Jordon James, Jeff Dickman, Josh Barut, Jacqueline Harris, xx, xx. Fourth Row: xx, xx, xx, Rahim Moore, Dietrich Riley, Aaron Hester, Sheldon Price, Stan McKay, Anthony Jefferson, Jayson Allmond, Josh Smith, Ricky Marvray, Randall Carroll, Uche, Amajoyi, Phillip Ruhl, xx, Joe Roberts, Kip Smith, Craig Sowers, XX, XX. Fifth Row: xx, xx, xx, xx, Isaiah Bowens, Brandon Willis, xx, xx, Tre Hale, Arimede Olaniyan, Derrick Coleman, Richard Brehaut, Donovan Carter, Eric Kendricks, Malcolm Jones, Jared Koster, Jeff Locke, Todd Golper, Ray Weisenbarger, xx Gobrial, xx. Sixth Row: xxx, Anthony Venuti, Damien Holmes, Kyle Slowey, Cassius Marsh, Keenan Graham, Iuta Tepa, Sam Saultz, John Young, Clayton Tunney, Kevin Prince, Jay Barlow, Patrick Larimore, David Allen, xx, Seali’I Epenesa, Eric Hurd, Blake Bentz and Steven Radicevic. Seventh Row: Dale Rudd, Jeremy Vail, Kody Innes, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Jerry Johnson, Wesley Flowers, Jeff Baca, Derrick Bryant, Nick Crissman, Greg Capella, Chris Ward, Cory Harkey, Steve Sloan, Jordan Zumwalt, Akeem Ayers, Taylor Embree, Justin Edison, XX, XX and Will Peddie. Back Row: Jimmy Smuda, Steve Agee, Austin Hill, Mike Harris, Wade Yandall, Anthony Barr, Nate Chandler, Nelson Rosario, Brett Downey, Joseph Fauria, Andrew Yelich, Glenn Love, Conner Bradford, Kevin McDermott, Casey Griffiths, Morrell Presley, Greg Casciaro, Datone Jones and Jolie Oliver. Photo by Don Liebig, ASUCLA Photography

Front Row: Daren Flitcroft, Andy Rose, Brian Rowe, Trevor Hunter, Kevin Weiner, Earl Edwards, Eder Arreola and Oscar Reyes. Second Row: Student Athletic Trainer David Zhao, Student Athletic Trainer Leslie Grant, Staff Athletic Trainer Tandi Hawkey, Assistant Coach Kenny Arena, Head Coach Jorge Salcedo, Volunteer Assistant Coach Patrick Seymour, Assistant Coach Eddie Soto, Team Manager Dylan Dewey and Team Manager Tyler Gonzalez. Third Row: Dakota Collins, Shawn Singh, Patrick Matchett, Matt Wiet, Cesar Morales, Michael Roman, Chris Cummings, Chandler Hoffman, Evan Raynr, Andrew Tusaazemajja and Victor Yanez. Back Row: Zack Foxhoven, Ryan Hollingshead, Reed Williams, Joe Sofia, Reid Hukari, Bradley McIntosh, Fernando Monge, Victor Chavez, Kelyn Rowe and Zack Zerrenner.

Front Row: Student athletic trainer Jamie Subhandhi, Brendan Zwaneveld, Chris Fahlsing, Christopher Meinhold, David Culpan, James Hartshorne, Alex Wherry, Alex Johnson, Daniel Lenhart and James Adams. Second Row: Associate head coach Adam Krikorian, Clayton McFadden, Zach Wherry, Scott Snyder, Zack Golda, Bret Lathrope, Cullen Hennessy, John Wilkins, Matt Preciado, Brett Hays, Chris Wendt, Griffin White, Jacob Murphy and head coach Adam Wright. Third Row: Josh Samuels, Clinton Jorth, Paul Pickell, Clay Jorth, Kevin Kuga, Brett Hubbell, Cristiano Mirarchi, Aimone Barabino, Emilio Vieira, Kessa Palchikoff and student manager Krsto Sbutega. Back Row: Ben Hohl, Lucas Reynolds, Preston Head, Andrew Mesesan, Jed Springer, Matt Rapacz, Stephen White, Jamie Tyrrell and JD Marcin.

Front Row: Student Athletic Trainer Sonal Singh, Student Athletic Trainer Allison Fassett, Angelica Chaghouri, Nikki Casale, Madie Smith, Allie LaPierre, Bojana Todorovic, Nicole Favreau, Lainey Gera, Amber McBenttez and Athletic Trainer Tina Tubbs. Middle Row: Michelle Ketter, Lauren Van Orden, Meg Norton, Kelly Reeves, Sara Sage, Rachael Kidder, Katie Camp, Mariana Aquino, Dicey McGraw, Mari Hole, Jenna Scilacci and Kim Dolphin. Back Row: Assistant Coach Joy McKienzie-Fuerbringer, Team Manager Michael Campbell, Assistant Coach Dan Conners, Head Coach Mike Sealy, Volunteer Assistant Coach Dan O’Dell and Director of Volleyball Operations Brynn Murphy

Front Row: Zayeem Zaman (student athletic trainer), Dan Fitzpatrick (manager), Andrew Morovati (manager), Elliott Asarch (head manager), Justin Lai (manager), Ryan Shiozaki (manager) and Andrew Lui (manager). Middle Row: Kenny Donaldson (academic coordinator), Doug Erickson (director of basketball administration), Tyus Edney (director of operations), Scott Duncan (assistant coach), Ben Howland (head coach), Phil Mathews (assistant coach), Scott Garson (assistant coach), Jason Ludwig (Video Coordinator), Laef Morris (athletic trainer) and Wes Long (athletic performance coach). Back Row: Blake Arnet, Matt DeMarcus, Jerime Anderson, Malcolm Lee, Tyler Lamb, Tyler Honeycutt, David Wear, Joshua Smith, Anthony Stover, Travis Wear, Brendan Lane, Reeves Nelson, Alex Schrempf, Jack Haley, Matt Carlino, Lazeric Jones, Tyler Trapani and Kenny Jones.

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Volleyball

Men’s Water Polo

Front Row: Christina Nzekwe, Darxia Morris, Doreena Campbell and N ina Earl. Back Row: Mariah W illiams, Jackie Shepard, Rhema Gardner, Markel Walker, Corinne Costa, Jasmine D ixon, Rebekah Gardner, Atonye Nyingifa and Thea Lemberger.

Front Row: Emma Drysdale, Kelsey Louden, Stephanie Christofferson, Lindsay Buchbinder, Kylie Garcia, Yasi Jahanshahi, Karina Silva and Lauren Baker. Second Row: Briana Meyer, M ichelle Vale, Paulina Guzman, Scarlett Cann, Dani M illigan, Isabel W illiams, Brittany Beauchan, Anna Senko and Sam Vanden Berge. Third Row: Karoline Sanderud, Paige Treleven, A lex Sullivan, Rachel Godfred, Lauren H all, Kelsey H all and Emily W eir. Fourth Row: Cyndi Gallagher, Jaclyn Chan, T im O akes, Maggy Boyd, Jesse Bergman, Carly Lyons, Laurence Delisle, Andrea Reigel, Kathryn Murphy, H aley H acker, Jeremy Vail and Tom Stebbins. Back Row: Kyle N ewkirk, Annie Stefanec, Cynthia Fascella, Laura W inn, H aley Mc Namara, Bianca Casciari, Madison Fitzgerald, Lindsay Marchand, T ing Q uah, Emily Andelson and Kelli Stein.

Front Row: A llison Taylor, Vanessa Zamarripa, Samantha Peszek, Brittani Mc Cullough and Elyse Hopfner-H ibbs. Middle Row: Kaelie Baer, Kassidy Kozai, Lichelle Wong, N iki Tom, Sydney Sawa, A lyssa Pritchett, O livia Courtney, Talia Kushynski and A isha Gerber. Back Row: T iffany H yland, Tauny Frattone, Danielle Greig, Monique De La Torre, M izuki Sato and Courtney Shannon.

Gymnastics

Women’s Swimming & Diving

Women’s Basketball

Front Row: C lay Thompson, N ick Meister, Amit Inbar, Holden Seguso and A lex Brigham. Middle Row: Daniel Kosakowski, Jake Fleming, Maxime Tabatruong, Evan Lee and Evan Teufel. Back Row: Adrien Puget, Colin Dresser, Jeff Gast, Warren H ardie and Brendan W ee.

Front Row: Team Manager Amanda Lin, Pamela Montez, Noelle H ickey, Maya Johansson, Morgan Thomas, Taylor Mark, Rachel W ieck and Associate H ead Coach Rance Brown. Back Row: Volunteer Assistant Coach Bill Zaima, Megan Lester, Mc Call Jones, Holly Fleming, Courtney Dolehide, Carling Seguso, Andrea Remynse, N ina Pantic, A llison Martin and H ead Coach Stella Sampras W ebster.

Front Row: Danny Woodley, Matt H anley, Ryal Jagd, Dane Worley, Scott Vegas, Tom H astings, Jamey Ker and Gonzalo Q uiroga. Middle Row: Student athletic trainer Bailey Ward, staff athletic trainer Tandi H awkey, Nancy Ishiki (marketing), David Godoy (video) and student manager Jeff A lpert. Back Row: Student athletic trainer Melissa W ilcox, assistant coach Brian Rofer, A lex Scattareggia, Jack Polales, Phil Darin, W eston Dunlap, N ick Vogel, Robart Page, Kyle Caldwell, Jonathan Bridgeman, Spencer Rowe, Jeremy Casebeer, Thomas Amberg, student manager Sean Lee and assistant coach J.T . W enger

Men’s Volleyball

Women’s Tennis

Men’s Tennis

Front Row: Natasha Schulman, Kelly Ronimus, V ictoria Kent, G iselle Naranjo, Noel Umphrey, Priscilla Orozco, H annah Sebenaler, Sarah Orozco, Larissa Todisco and assistant coach Molly Cahill. Middle Row: Student athletic trainer Andrea Aguirre, Sami H ill, N icole Barker, Kari Krumpholz, Leah Trella, Kelsey McG inley, Katie Estrada, Megan Burmeister, Brooke Martin, Leslee Kaczmarek, Emily Greenwood and head coach Brandon Brooks. Back Row: Staff athletic trainer Laef Morris, Randi Bresee, Caitlin Dement, Kelly Easterday, Becca Dorst, Kristen Simonds, K K C lark, Grace Reynolds and Kelsey H afferkamp.

(From Left to Right): H ead coach Derek Freeman, A lex Shi Yup K im, Pontus W idegren, Patrick Cantlay, Bobby Lange, Pedro Figueiredo, Mario C lemens, Connor Driscoll, Gregor Main, Anton Arboleda and Assistant Coach Jason Sigler.

Front Row: G lory Yang, Stephanie Kono, Lee Lopez, T iffany Lua, Brianna Do. Back Row: Assistant Coach A licia Um-Holmes, Lalita Boonnoppornkul, Ariana Patterson, Stacy K im, Kezia D isney, Ani Gulugian and H ead Coach Carrie Forsyth

Women’s Golf

Men’s Golf

Women’s Water Polo

2011 Roster: Anastasia Alexander, Sandra Atuegbu, Victoria Babson, Meguire Broersma, Audrey Calandra, Hillary Caldwell, Caroline Curson, Christa Czer, Katherine Dickerson, Leah Drummond, Alexa Farafontoff, Amanda Fox, Mia Hamano, Ariel Handler, Merethe Hansen, Katherine Hruska, Anoush Khojikian, Alaizah Koorji,Rachel LaBella, Kat Lauer, Lauren Leibovitch, Eugenia Lin, Erica Lockard, Jessica McGuire, Emily McLaughlin, Alexis McPhee, Jennifer Monacelli, Sara Mores, Carolina Paini, Natalie Pettee, Chelcey Romeril, Azita Sayadi, Tamar Schaap, Taylor Schlossberg, Davi Schmidt, Alexandra Scullion, Olivia Smith, Tanya Smith, Kirstin Snook, Mariko Snyder, Nicole Sung-Jereczek, Jamie Swan, Britta Syverson, Samantha Upton, Taylor Veit, Kaylee Weatherwax, Erin Wenzel, Chelsea Wolfe, Deanna Wong, Kelsey Wyatt-Mair and Carly Yoshida

Front Row: Brian Law, Taylor Hobson, Zack Torres, Dillon Stucky, Mark Weber, Cory Primm, David McDonald, Dominc Giovannoni, David Klarer and Trent Perez. Second Row: Brennan Turner, Greg Woepse, DeValle Pedrogo, R.J. Fraser, Matthew Bedford, Sam DeMello, Alan Rios, David Thomas, Scott Cook, Alec Faldermeyer and Drew Hussfeldt. Third Row: Bo Taylor, Derek Eager, Michael Woepse, Jonathan Simmons, Alec Govi, Dustin Fay, Marc Hausmaninger, Jacob Wood, Mohammad Charara, Amjed Aboukhadijeh, Chase Zukerman and Scott Crawford. Fourth Row: Tom Hart, Carlo Valdez, Nigel Davies, DJ Lloyd, Kent Morikawa, Adam Kelly-Strong, Steven Norton, Sean Colaco, Philip MacQuitty and Nohe Lema.Fifth Row: Matt Kosecki, Scott DiCesare, Andreas Drbal, Casey DiCesare, Thomas Nagengast, Spencer Knight, Jake Matthews, Jason Ward, Eric Vaughn, Dylan Knight and Jun Reichl. Sixth Row: Brett Walters, Bisrat Zerehaimanot, Daniel Rosales, Eric Turner, Quentin Powell, Jonathan Clark, Johnny Quinn, Joel Ambo, Karlton Rolle, Maxwell Dyce and Jamal Alston.Back Row:Michael Fischetti, Leah Waller, Rob Jarvis, Nicholas Taylor, Forest Braden, Lamonte Vaughn, Mike Maynard, Anthony Curran, Johnny Gray, Aaron Alpert, Allison Collins and Kyle Steve.

Front Row : Tiffany LaMar, Sadee Martinez, Brianna Barlow, Elle Sanders, Joy Eaton, Melissa Skiba, Sierra Vega, Bre Kigozi, Meghan Marvin, Kristina Rivera, Michelle Pittman and Ronecia Nash.Second Row: Aria Betts, Karlye Marshall, Haley Stauber, Michell Urabe, Liz Goodrich, Mariah Gibson, Allison Koressel, Taryn Pastoor, Nicole Hood, Amber Murakami and Dayna Hill. Third Row: Nijah Nelms, Yasmin Woodruff, Paisley Pettway, Breyonna Hunter, Turquoise Thompson, Allie Lopez, Lexy Walker, Tasha Kolbo, Kimmie Conner, Tatum Souza, Courtney Reginato and Ashlea McLaughlin. Fourth Row: Ashley Baucham, Jaycee Olsen, Alexa Berg, Audrey Mitchell, Catherine White, Ida Storm, Rachel Butler, Caitlin Schmitt, Katja Goldring and Britney Stalworth. Fifth Row: Joy Cloyd, Alex Oliver, Jane Seppala, Shannon Armstrong, Lindsay Rowe, Tori Anthony, Shannon Murakami, Ke’Nyia Richardson, Kelsey Smith and Whitney Blue. Back Row: Kyle Steve, Mike Maynard, Karen Costello, Forest Braden, Jeanette Bolden, Astra Felder, Molly Mahony, April McKinney, Anthony Curran and Johnny Gray.

Women’s Track & Field

Men’s Track & Field

Women’s Rowing

Front Row: Marc Navarro, Brian Carroll, Beau Amaral, Pat Valaika, Dennis Holt, Kevin W illiams, Steve Rodriguez, Tyler H eineman, Matt G iovinazzo, Tyler Rahmatulla, Aaron W eimer, Jeff Gelalich, Trevor Bauer. Middle Row: Chris G iovinazzo, N ick Vander Tuig, Eric Jaffe, Richard Brehaut, Adam Plutko, Cody Regis, Dean Espy, Brenton A llen, Trevor Brown, Pat Gallagher, Zack W eiss, Cody Keefer. Back Row: Chase Brewer, Jordan H aver, assistant coach Rick Vanderhook, assistant coach T .J. Bruce, head coach John Savage, assistant coach Jake Silverman, Gerrit Cole, Matt Mosher, Scott Griggs. Not pictured: Adrian W illiams, Ryan Deeter, M itchell Beacom, Brandon Lodge

Top Row: Volunteer Assistant Coach Andrea Duran, Assistant Coach Lisa Fernandez, A leah Macon, Amy Crawford, Katie Schroeder, G i Onna D iSalvatore, Kellie Fox, Jessica H all, Samantha Camuso, H ead Coach Kelly Inouye-Perez and Assistant Coach G ina Vecchione. Middle Row: B.B. Bates, Donna Kerr, Brooke Finley, Andrea H arrison, Dani Yudin, Destiny Rodino and Marti Reed. Bottom Row: Devon Lindvall, Monica H arrison, Grace Murray, Talee Snow and A lyssa T iumalu.

Softball

Baseball

Thank You To All The Sports Directors Who

Made This Section Possible!

WE CALL HIM

COACH: REMEMBERING

JOHN WOODEN

The legacy of UCLA basketball is often attributed to one man, John Robert Wooden. Coach Wooden, or simply “Coach”, announced his retirement after the 1974-1975 season as the Bruins’ head coach. After 27 seasons, Wooden became the winningest coach in the history of college basketball, with an all-time record of 885-203 and a UCLA record of 620-147. After years of supporting the Bruins, Wooden passed away on June 4, 2010 from natural causes at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, only four months before his much-celebrated 100th birthday.

Under Wooden, UCLA won an unprecedented ten NCAA championships (including seven straight from 1968-1973) and 19 conference championships, the latter of which Wooden was most proud. His coaching achievements also include the all-time NCAA consecutive winning-streak record of 88 games, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories, and four undefeated 30-0 seasons. Pauley Pavilion, which opened before the 1964-1965 season, played host to Wooden’s home record of 149-2.

Not only was Wooden remembered for his achievements as a coach, but he was also recognized as an outstanding player. Wooden was the first person to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. Born in Hall, Indiana on October 14, 1910, Wooden was a three-time all-state basketball

player for his Martinsville High team, who he helped to the Indiana state finals three consecutive years, finally winning the title in 1927. At Purdue University, he won letters in basketball and baseball his freshman year and later earned All-American honors as a guard on the basketball team from 1930-32. He captained Purdue’s basketball teams of 1931 and 1932 and led the Boilermakers to two Big Ten titles and the 1932 national championship. He was also on Purdue’s academic honor roll and was awarded the 1932 Big Ten Conference medal for outstanding merit and proficiency in scholarship and athletics.

Shortly after graduating from Purdue in 1932, he married his wife, Nell. The two had met at a carnival in 1926 and became each others’ only love interests. He then began his teaching career at Dayton High School in Kentucky where he coached numerous sports. After two years, he returned to the state of Indiana where he coached basketball, baseball and tennis at South Bend Central High School and taught English for nine years. His impressive 11-year prep coaching record was 218-42.

World War II interrupted his coaching career as he served as a full lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1943-46. Following his discharge in 1946, he went to Indiana Teachers College (now Indiana State University) as athletic director, basketball and baseball coach for two seasons. He led their basketball team to the NAIA

national championship game, only a year after the conference lifted its policy banning African-American players because Wooden had refused an invitation, not wanting to compete without one of his own players. He then set his sights on a head coaching position at a reputable program after receiving national attention from several large programs. Wooden was most interested in coaching at the University of Minnesota, hoping to stay in the Big Ten where he had played. His second choice was UCLA, who also wanted them as the head coach. As fate would have it, a snow storm in Minnesota delayed Minnesota from calling Wooden on an agreed-upon time, prompting Wooden to accept UCLA’s offer only an hour later. Holding fast to his commitment to UCLA, Coach Wooden turned down Minnesota and he and his wife headed west.

Upon arriving in Westwood, Wooden was appalled at the facilities and lack of talent on the Bruins’ roster. In spite of this, he fabricated a quick turnaround for the program, winning the conference title in his first year and finishing 22-7. By 1962, the Bruins had contended for several conference championships and set their sights on a national title. Assistant coach Jerry Norman convinced Wooden to adopt a fast-paced offense and zone press defense, which gave rise to a powerhouse UCLA team which went on to win its first NCAA championship in 1964.

The following decade would

JOHN WOODEN, AUTHOR AND LEGENDARY UCLA COACH, DIES AT 99

constitute the most significant and successful stretch in Coach Wooden’s tenure at UCLA. From 1966-1973, the Bruins won an unprecedented seven straight NCAA championships. The arrival of Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) in 1966 marked the beginning of UCLA’s most dominant era. The future NBA scoring leader was considered by Wooden to be one of his most talented players, although Wooden, in accordance with him team-oriented philosophies, did not choose favorites. In Alcindor’s three seasons with the Bruins, Wooden only suffered two losses. Surprisingly, the early 1970’s were even more dominant, as the “Walton gang” led by center Bill Walton posted two consecutive undefeated seasons and won each game by an average margin of 30 points during the 1971-1972 season. Wooden announced his retirement after a 1975 NCAA tournament semifinal win. His players congratulated him with a triumphant victory over Kentucky in the title game, giving Coach his tenth national championship.

Wooden was well-known for his ability to motivate his players to reach their highest potential, often working them harder in practice than in actual games. He coached his Bruin teams with the use of his well-known Pyramid of Success, a philosophical model of building blocks for winning in basketball and in life. An iconic fixture at the entrance to the John Wooden center on UCLA’s campus, today it is one of the most widely-used models used by coaches and mentors in all sports and occupations.

Abdul-Jabbar and Walton are only two of Wooden’s many outspoken admirers. His students,

players, and fans cite his loyalty and integrity as his best characteristics. From honoring his commitment to UCLA to writing monthly love letters to Nell after her passing in 1985, Wooden’s actions reflected on his pupils, who often credit Wooden with teaching them more about life than about basketball. Several of UCLA’s current coaches, including women’s gymnastics head coach Valorie Kondos-Field, became good friends with Wooden and modeled their programs after his. Wooden’s support for other sports provided encouragement for all of UCLA’s fans and student-athletes, giving rise to the school’s establishment as one of the premier athletic programs in the country.

On December 20, 2003, the basketball floor in Pauley Pavilion was dedicated “Nell and John Wooden Court,” which Wooden chose to honor his late wife. From his retirement until the 2009-2010 season, Wooden was a regular (health permitting) at all men’s home basketball games and most other Bruin sports, including gymnastics. After his death following that season, UCLA retired his seat behind the Bruins’ bench in his honor. But his mark on Pauley Pavilion wasn’t complete. During the last home men’s basketball home game before Pauley’s renovation, great-grandson Tyler Trapani scored the last two points in a 71-49 rout of Arizona – a sure sign of Coach’s everlasting presence at UCLA. Now, Wooden’s lasting impressions as a mentor continue to serve as a model for success for UCLA’s athletic program and the community as a whole. The unparalleled leadership and accomplishments at UCLA will always be revered as the legacy of the man we call Coach.

COACH NEVER

STOPPED TEACHING. HE NEVER

WILL.

READ HOW COLLEGE REDEFINES AND CHALLENGES HER SELF-EXPECTATIONS YET ALLOWS HER TO EXPLORE A PASSION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH

Michelle ChengKelly Clark

Jennifer EllingwoodMelissa Erickson

Adrienne LawJustine Refi no

Christine Thang

Dear Reader,

This particular magazine was one of the most time consuming sections in the book. It might not seem like a lot, after all it’s just senior of the years, portraits, parent dedications, corporate ads and the index but because there are a bunch of portraits we have to take the time and check for misspells in both names and majors. The fact that we don’t take the photos doesn’t make it any easier. Here is how this section begins: 1) Campus Photos Studio take the photos. 2) The people being photographed pick the pose number. 3) Campus photo studio gives us the pose numbers of all the people who were photographed and an excel sheet that tell us who the pose number belongs to. The problem is that the pose number doesn’t always correspond to the file and vise versa. It also gets more complicated with names since we have no way of making sure that the name given to us by Campus Photo Studio is spelled the way it is supposed to be spelled. After renaming and checking for misspells, we run a program that places the portraits in alphabetical order by last name. This is how the portraits section of this magazine is completed. To those whose name is misspelled and whose major is wrong, please accept our apologies for we did everything we could to check for human errors.

The senior of the years is what makes this section different than all the others. Each year we select outstanding graduating bruins to highlight in the grads section. After the finalists are selected, copy writers interview them and photographers photograph them. We hope you enjoy reading about their many successes here at UCLA as we did when we read through the several applications

The dedications section is also what makes this section one of the most tedious one of all. It takes time to send out mailers to tell parents of the chance to purchase space in the book and then its just playing the waiting game to see how many you have at the end. Because we know how important it is for the dedication to come out right, we spend a lot of time in customer interactions. We must make sure that the page comes out the way they want it to. You occasionally have the customers who are picky about everything, but it’s understandable, they want it to be perfect. We want it to be perfect so to all those who made a purchase we hope you cherish this book more than any other you may have.

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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:368 Grad Portraits

416 Parent Dedications445 Corporate Ads

458 Index

351

Each year, the Bruinlife yearbook selects a small group of students who exemplify the ideals of the university. We try to highlight excellence in a variety of forms, including academics, community service or activism in school life. ! is year, we selected 8 winners for the Senior of the Year:

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“If I had to describe myself in one phrase, it would have be ‘ridiculously bubbly,’ stated Michelle Cheng, a fourth year English student. She acknowledged that her self-assessment might have sounded “cliché.” However, she chose to stick with the phrase because it really encompassed her personality in two words. She continued, “I laugh often, I love people, and I give more hugs than handshakes. I exude positive energy and I am never without a smile on my face.” Cheng, originally from San Francisco and a proud local of the Bay Area, believed that the diversity of her hometown fostered a sense of awareness, tolerance, and appreciation for people from all walks of life and cultures and ideas that were different from her own. Her open-mindedness helped her throughout her college experience as well. In addition to her upbeat attitude, she also described herself as the “responsible older sister,” a role that she took seriously despite growing up in a lax home environment. She described how she and her friends took advantage of their independence by exploring San Francisco via its exceptional public transit system. When talking about her family, Cheng said, “I have one younger brother who is a freshman at a community college back home, and I absolutely adore him.” Other than her baby brother, Cheng housed a love for a number of other things, too. In her free time away from her busy schedule, she partook in a number of hobbies, which included reading, writing, dancing, traveling, and cooking. Yet, the Food Network’s vast arrays of cooking shows were, perhaps, her guiltiest pleasure of all. A Bruin, older sister, and food lover, Michelle Chang proved to be an outstanding

and multifaceted individual throughout her four-year stay.

Greek Life was one aspect of Cheng’s experience that she would not change for anything, because it infinitely impacted her outlook, group of friends, and future. In fact, she “adored” her sorority and all the friendships she made during her time as a member; however, she was not always so sure about life as a Greek. She stated, “I was hesitant about joining, when I first heard about it.” After several meaningful talks with her best friend from home, she decided to apply despite her uncertainties. Her friend’s words of advice--“Do what you feel is right in your heart, and don’t be scared to explore”--gave Cheng confidence to try something new, and she was glad she listened. In her heart, she knew that being a Theta was “right.” Reminiscing, Cheng stated, “I am so glad I did. I pushed myself out of what I perceived to be my comfort zone, past all the stigmas and silly judgments, and truly grew as a person. I cannot fully express all that Thetas have given me.” The fact that her sorority was an Asian American interest group, helped her grow in unexpected ways, and she credited her sorority as the balm that soothed and improved her relationship with her parents, which continued to blossom each year. Cheng believed “whole-heartedly” that she found life-long sisters in the Theta girls. She stated, “They are girls who are not just friends, but a family that will be there in a drop of a pin when you need them most. Who love you at your best and worst, whether that includes being the epitome of a hot mess after a breakup, or covered with snot from the flu, or simply just being a grumpy monster, these

girls will be there.”Her love of literature and knack for

planning largely influenced her future as well, because Cheng’s long-term goals were already set months before graduation. Though she completed her bachelor’s degree in June of this year, she planned to pursue a PhD in Medieval Literature in the years to follow. Her undergraduate English and Classics studies fit perfectly with this career path, and she looked forward to learn more about the past, which Cheng referred to as her love of the “very old.” Cheng also had plans for the summer months following graduation. She was excited to visit Europe, where she would explore the culture-rich country of Italy and embrace its easy-going atmosphere. She chose not to participate in a travel program and instead looked forward to “getting on a plane and just going.” However, Cheng stayed true to her nature by prepping for her trip months in advance. She shared, “I’m taking an Italian class right now in preparation for my trip. The language is so beautiful and fun to learn.” When asked about her advice for future Bruins, she kept things simple. She stated, “My advice to future UCLA students who want to make the most out of their college experience, would be to ‘Be fearless.’ Don’t worry so much. Go out and experience all that the world has to offer.” Cheng described her overall college experience in one word: incredible. She stated, “I had the most amazing time. I was silly. I embarrassed myself more than I can remember. I found a family outside of home. I discovered my passion in life. I nurtured my own goals and dreams. I made mistakes. I learned from them. I have no regrets. It was incredible.”

Breaking Out of Her Comfort Zone, a Bruin Discovers a Sisterhood and Self-Discovery

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When freshman year started for Kelly Clark, life was overwhelming. Like many freshmen, she tried to do anything and everything she could find, found herself spread out too thin. From floor government to the Alumni Scholars Club to Campus Crusade for Christ, she was involved in everything that appealed to her, but found herself crumbling under the pressure to perform. She found a particular example on the homepage of the MyUCLA website where it said, “Nobody at UCLA keeps track of who you are. They just want to see what you can do.” Trying to meet these impossible standards created a stifling atmosphere, and it was only when she decided to make a commitment to stop thinking about herself and turn away from the self-serving attitude of college, but instead, dedicated herself to meeting the needs of society and helping others that she found her joy. “It was unique to get plugged in with other people who were interested in making a difference at UCLA, and who weren’t just focused just on their academics, but improving the community and meeting the tangible needs of others.”

It was this selfless and serving attitude that became her mantra for the rest of her college career. She said if she could leave anything behind, it would be these words: “You are filled up more when you pour yourself out to other people. You experience more love the more love you give away. Your life is more fulfilling when you dedicate yourself to the needs of other people instead of on yourself. Break out of the self-serving motive of college, and use the education you have to improve others’ lives.” One of the many ways she left a legacy and improved others’ lives was by pioneering the Locks of Love event. In February, stylists would come to cut off ten inches of their hair to donate to cancer patients who had lost their own hair because of chemotherapy treatments. She was one of the first proponents of this event, and since its inception, it has turned into an annual event with the same missions and goals it began with four years ago: an event where students sacrifice one of the many blessings they have to intimately affect a child’s life.

She also sought to influence a younger generation of Bruins through Campus Crusade for Christ. Her immediate instinct after she got to college was to connect herself to a Christian fellowship. “I’m a Christian, and I knew it was important to get plugged in with a group of believers. My faith is the most important part of my life, and I wanted the four years of my college life to grow my relationship with God.“ She led Bible study groups in Dykstra Hall her junior and senior years, and influenced younger women to serve others in the community

during their time in college. She led by example, giving food to the homeless and reaching out to people who were going through periods of pressure, depression, and loneliness not too unlike her own freshman experience.

After she settled on a political science major and a civic engagement minor, she set her eyes on the goal of becoming a lawyer. She succeeded academically both within the classrooms of UCLA and beyond campus – from greater Los Angeles to Washington D.C., even across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. The summer after her sophomore year, she studied the governments of Western European countries in London, Amsterdam, and Brussels under the mentorship of UCLA professors. In fall quarter of her senior year, she went to Washington D.C. with the UCLA Center for American Politics and Public Policy program to immerse herself in the inner workings of our nation’s governments as a civil litigation intern. “I completed a research thesis analyzing whether the Legal Services Corporation, established to provide assistance to poor Americans who cannot afford representations in civil cases, was accountable to its legislative mandate and intended purpose.” However, her pursuit of the judicial system along with her passion for service in the community culminated itself close to home.

She interned with Justice Corps starting her junior year, which mobilized college students in the Los Angeles area by training them and putting them under attorneys and paralegals that help the public. She provided legal assistance for self-represented litigants who needed help in housing, family, automobile, and financial law at the Santa Monica Courthouse. One of her unforgettable college experiences came from this internship. “It was fulfilling to serve them and meet their tangible needs, to use the training and education that I had, and have them walk away knowing that if it wasn’t for the care that I had given in their life they would’ve been evicted, or that child wouldn’t have gotten the custody change she needed.”

Kelly’s college career did not just consist of meeting the pressure to perform well. She excelled academically and left a profound impact on the community, but truly found her motivation for both academics through her Christian faith and her willingness to serve and meet others’ needs. A quote from C.T. Studd, a Christian missionary, applied well to Kelly’s life - “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” She had truly left a legacy and provided an example of selfless love and service for future Bruins.

One Student’s Faith Leads to Sacrificial Services to Her Community

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far beyond the scope

One senior proved that personal connections can have a powerful impact upon both a student and a school. In her four years at UCLA, psychology student Jennifer Ellingwood became an integral part of the campus community. Her tireless devotion to community-building made her an invaluable asset both to the university and to the hundreds of Bruins who benefited from her guidance.

Ellingwood began involving and immersing herself in life at UCLA early in her college career and, over time, her efforts have aided many. Residents of Hedrick Hall and Rieber Terrace were the first to benefit, as Ellingwood became a Floor President and then the Social Chair of her building. Ellingwood actively participated in numerous groups and organizations, committing countless hours to a number of significant causes. As she explained, “I have learned that even though I am one undergraduate here at UCLA, I can get involved in various groups that help many others.” This help was greatly appreciated by the residents of the Saxon Suites, where Ellingwood worked as a Resident Assistant. Consistently going above and beyond the call of duty, Ellingwood worked diligently to “create an inclusive living-learning environment for residents through upholding housing policies and creating programs to engage residents.” During her time as a Resident Assistant, Ellingwood developed close relationships with many of her residents and acted as both a counselor and a friend.

As apparent from her activities, the wellness and welfare of students was of great importance to Ellingwood. For two years, she helped new students transition and develop a love of UCLA in her role as an Orientation Counselor. Further seeking to instill UCLA pride, Ellingwood both worked with the Blue and Gold program as an Athletics Recruiting Assistant and helped to educate athletes as a Covel Peer Learning Facilitator. She provided additional aid and tutelage to her peers as a teaching assistant in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. “I believe in putting my whole heart forward in every interest and activity I am involved in,” Ellingwood confided. In all ways possible, Ellingwood made every effort to encourage and educate fellow students.

Education was of immense importance to Ellingwood, as confirmed by her impressive academic record. The psychology

student earned a stellar 3.97 GPA, while also completing a minor in education. When asked about her philosophy on academics, Ellingwood responded, “I believe that having integrity is essential to success and developing as an ideal person. I have done this by never compromising my ideas in any academic situation.” This academic success contributed to Ellingwood’s induction into three UCLA honor societies. Ellingwood took full advantage of the educational opportunities UCLA provided and urged other students to do the same. “Learn everything you can. You are at a university with all the resources possible. Learn about yourself, others, and the world,” she imparted, speaking from experience.

In addition, Ellingwood challenged peers to think outside of themselves and to actively explore the world. For example, she became a part of the Pediatric Aids Coalition and, for four years, participated in Dance Marathon at UCLA. After being elected to the Dance Marathon committee, Ellingwood was able to do even more for the cause, and she remarked that “being on Dance Marathon committee has taught me how it feels to put something bigger and better ahead of you and to put so much time and effort into cause that makes a difference.” Ellingwood certainly made a difference--she ultimately raised over 1500 dollars for the cause.

Ellingwood planned to continue to pursue excellence even after graduation. “I hope to attend graduate school, and maybe get a MA in student affairs or higher education,” she said, noting her interest in a program at New York University. She then planned to return to California after earning her degree and either start a career in student affairs or become a doctoral candidate at UCLA.

For those students just beginning their time at UCLA, Ellingwood offered some important advice. “Get involved. Have fun. And learn. Be yourself and enjoy being a True Bruin at UCLA. This is a place where you can grow and learn in many different ways,” she counseled, her suggestions backed by her own incredible experience. Ellingwood’s guidance aided many and assured them that “no matter how small or insignificant you feel, anyone can make a difference if they try.” One senior certainly tried, and the difference she made in the lives hundreds of Bruins was great.

far beyond the scopeBruin Pride Shines Through in Active Involvement, Academic

Success, and Ultimate Service to the Campus Community

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True Bruin. Every summer, future students flood in through the gates of UCLA at freshmen orientation, eager to meet new friends, choose their classes, and to learn about the values that make a Bruin. And while many leave with memories of the new friends they’ve made, the pain of enrollment, Carpe Noctem, or the tour of the school, orientation was not just about acclimating these future students with the environment of Los Angeles. No, freshmen orientation also sought to instill these teenagers with the traits and values to be a contributing, valuable, and honorable member of society. True Bruins were born at orientation, as was the case with Senior of the Year Melissa Erickson.

Integrity: I will conduct myself with integrity in my dealings with & on behalf of the University.

As a member of a number of different organizations, Melissa Erickson strove to best represent UCLA to the community. As her interaction with her fellow peers as well as high school students (and prospective Bruins) clearly showed, the senior from San Jose was the epitome of Bruin values. “Through my membership in the Alumni Scholars Club, I have participated in their Ambassador program making presentations […] about my experiences at UCLA,” Erickson explains. She also worked with the UCLA Blue and Gold Athletic Recruiting program, positioning her to directly represent the university to the heart and soul of Bruin spirit: the athletes. “[As a tour guide] I share with prospective athletes that at UCLA, you can have the best of both worlds: compete for the #1 athletic program in the nation and obtain a valuable degree.” Her passion and desire to best reflect UCLA indicated that she did exemplify one such core value on behalf of the university.

But perhaps Erickson summed it up the best: “My Bruin spirit is with me always.”

Excellence. I will conscientiously strive for excellence in my work.

While Erickson was much more than just a good student, scholarly excellence was a defining aspect of her success. With less than a quarter of the electrical engineering program

having been women, she had stood out among the rest, boasting a cumulative GPA of 3.7 while also having undertaken the biomedical option. Perhaps the most inspiring of her accolades, though, was her time in Sweden. “I have taken advantage of the academic opportunities that are uncommon for engineers,” Erickson affirmed, “[In Sweden] I was able to take practical and cutting-edge Master’s level courses where we built our own laser cavities, learned to detect tumors from normal skin tissue and programmed conveyer belts and elevators. One of my professors was even the head of the Novel Prize Selection Committee for physics.” But such opportunities were not without its challenges. “One semester, I ventured to take Organic Chemistry and Digital Signal Processing in Swedish without knowing the language. I can’t think of a better incentive to learn Swedish quickly!”Accountability. I will be accountable as an individual & member of this community for my ethical conduct.

Erickson’s drive for honorable conduct began years prior to her entering UCLA. She was granted the Gold Award and Lifetime membership by the Girl Scouts of America, a rank equivalent to that of an Eagle Scout. Through her dedication to the Girl Scouts, who stress the importance of honor and honest conduct, the senior of the year had secured this value long before being Bruinized. But even at UCLA, perhaps the best measure of Erickson’s honorable conduct was a long list of accolades. By holding herself accountable to the university’s values themselves, she has distinguished herself amongst a campus brimming with potential to receive the UCLA Distinguished Senior Award (given to those who have demonstrated academic excellence, service, and leadership), place on the UCLA Engineering Dean’s Honor List and have membership in three different honor societies.

Respect. I will respect the rights of dignity of others.

With a campus that prided itself on diversity as UCLA did, Erickson had found a way to interact with the multitude of people

she came across every day. “I like to reach outside my comfort zone,” she said, “I really like learning about how people look at the same material in a different perspective. [For example] It was interesting for me to go to Sweden to learn about the same engineering material here, but with a totally different insight.” As a matter of fact, she described meeting students with different interests as one of the best parts of the college experience. “It’s pretty cool when you can find so many people who really remind you of yourself but have completely different interests and activities but also have the same drive to be great.”

Service. I will make an impact in our global community through public service.

“The most important thing that I have learned at UCLA is to always find a way to use your passions and talents and to give back to the school and community.” Perhaps the single thing that rivaled Erickson’s drive for academic excellence was her willingness to give. Erickson’s list of services to the community stretched far beyond her commitment to the Alumni Scholars Club and Blue and Gold Athletic recruiting. As a member of Gamma Phi Beta, she and her sorority often participated in different community service events throughout the year. “We have a philanthropy that we put on every year. It’s called G. Phi. Joe, an obstacle course for all the fraternities and sororities to compete in.” Erickson explained, “All of the money that we raise goes to a camp for children who are infected with AIDS.” And while G. Phi. Joe is just one way in which she gives back to the community, Erickson’s service to others goes far beyond her sorority, extending to her dealings in her organizations and with her fellow peers.

And with such credentials, Erickson has grown to be one of the greatest and brightest from the class of 2011. From her pursuit of academic excellence to her dedication to the community, her experiences at UCLA had prepared her for the next step. Melissa Erickson was ready to make her mark in the world.

Electrical Engineer Melissa Erickson Exemplifies What It Means to Be a UCLA Bruin

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She loved playing with her stuffed animals, even though some of her friends found it silly and immature. Her favorite was turtles, and she had two turtle plushies in her dorm. She has also been keeping a diary since second grade. In her four years at UCLA, Adrienne Law did more than what most students could even imagine doing.

Since before she was a freshman, Law’s clockwork churned with the desire to start the swim club. Over the process of a year, she persisted and recruited fellow swimmers she saw around campus: “During the summer before freshman year, I actively contacted various organizations for assistance, flyered on Bruinwalk, and befriended students wearing high school swimming t-shirts.” She finally saw her efforts come to fruition during her sophomore year, and in just three years, it has become a feared college club swimming team. And when her swim club was still barely beginning to form, she started another organization. Before her sophomore year started, Law learned of the American Medical Women’s Association, which promoted a “safe, non-competitive forum for premedical women to network and discuss issues such as medical school preparation, education, and family challenges.”

But Law was far more pervasive on campus than just in her two clubs; she also wrote for two publications on campus as well as participated in many community service and research programs. Law joined the Daily Bruin in her freshman year and wrote for its science and health section until the winter of her junior year, during which she was [accepted] by The Mental Note, which was a science newsletter maintained by UCLA’s Neuroscience graduate students. Further accomplishments in the field of science included neuroscience research and a research program at Caltech. She researched with Dr. Shafali Spurling Jeste, professor of psychiatry and neurology at UCLA to better understand autism. For a year, she worked at Caltech, researching the decision-making processes in the brain that were linked to anorexia.

At this point, we must take a step back to what inspired Adrienne Law to pursue medicine, specifically neurology. Law’s high school career consisted of varsity swimming, nationally competitive figure skating, and many AP classes: “It just felt like I had no control on circumstances in my life. I felt like I was very self-conscious on how I looked. I don’t know why I felt the pressure. I felt like the only way I could control my life was through my weight. Maybe I’ll look better, feel better, if I lost weight.” As a consequence, she developed an eating disorder. But from paying attention to her diet and physical activity, as well as with help from her pediatrician, Law recovered. For her, this was a life-changing,

eye-opening experience. “It was actually my pediatrician who talked to me, told me about a healthy diet, healthy exercise. I really loved seeing her and talking to her. She was like my second mom. She told me, one day when you grow up you can influence your patience and tell them your story. That definitely inspired me and gave me the drive to pursue pre-med.” Her fellow at Caltech and ultimately her path to the future was inspired by her tribulations in high school.

Adrienne Law also minored in English at UCLA. With a major in neuroscience—as south as south campus can get—and a minor in English, the pinnacle of a north campus major, Adrienne was not only a supremely intelligent, but also a well-rounded student. “In addition to journalism, I also have a passion for creative writing,” she said. “I really love writing. I actually came in as an English major.”

As for her future, Law had it all planned out. “I want to apply to graduate school in June. The interview process will probably take a whole year. Meanwhile, I will be taking community college classes for certain colleges with specific requirements I’m applying to.”

Adrienne Law was truly a student whose prowess drew awe. Out of over 900 student organizations, neuroscience student Adrienne Law founded two—both of which became extremely successful—the UCLA Swim Club and the American Medical Women’s Association, Undergraduate Division. She left her mark on this campus for many, many years to come. Her swim club, which was just a mere collection of former high school swimmers and interested dippers in her freshman year, became a successful, highly competitive club sport that expanded above and beyond her expectations. She was able to balance her community service in local churches, research at UCLA, and writing for UCLA’s many publications with her academic achievements. Despite all her success, Law did not get lost in just creating a list of records: “There’s a lot of things that I did that aren’t even on paper. Things that you don’t need on your resume are the things that shape you.” She then added, “I really love riding scooters! Especially down the really steep hills.”

Law was the epitome of a successful UCLA student who took advantage of every single opportunity she had.

“Imagine a salad with a fried egg on top of it,” she ended with a piece of advice. “Poke the egg yolk and watch it ooze out of its nucleus, digging deep into the crevasses of the salad. Like the egg yolk exploiting the dish, make the most of UCLA’s resources.”

Easy Waters Conquered: Adrienne Law, a Wonder Woman in Her Four Years at UCLA Who Achieved From Sports to Research

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Justine Refino was born in a troubled household where she suffered from nightmarish childhood. Her deprived childhood resulted in several health and physical issues, but none were able to deter Refino from the future plans she had made for herself. After graduating from high school, Refino immediately led an independent life, especially after the passing away of her grandfather. She started attending a community college as she was juggling jobs between as an optometry office worker and restaurant manager. Her typical day after high school began at 8 a.m. and consisted of work as well as education which lasted deep into the night. When asked about what motivated her to keep going, to keep doing what she was doing, the philosophy of science student said, “[You] got to make it. You can’t rely on others.” Her motivation for hard work eventually paid off as she was accepted on a full ride scholarship into UCLA, her dream school. But after acceptance, Refino did not relax. She continued to stride forward and found her interest in philosophy while she took part in the Care Extenders program where she volunteered in the Emergency room and Delivery room. This experience as a volunteer later paid its dividends when Refino became an Emergency Medical Technician. At first, Refino, as noticeable from her job and volunteer choice, was interested in pursuing a career in the medicine field, specifically forensic pathology. But after realizing that a career in forensic pathology required her to study for 14 years, Refino was deterred by this since she wanted to move on to the next part of life. Furthermore, she completely changed her mind after she fell in love with philosophy and ended her pursuit of a career in medicine, becoming more philosophically and logically oriented.

Refino was in college in 2011, but she never stopped from planning. She planned on attending graduate school in order to achieve a law degree so she could pursue a career in family law. This career choice stemmed from her personal familial problems that she suffered from early in her childhood. Additionally, her quality of caring further pushed her towards this career choice. As Refino said, “I care for others; I care about the future, that’s why I spend hours tutoring high school and college students. I care for this world. That is why I was the CEO of the soon-to-be

up-and-coming non-profit organization called the Millennial Era, dedicated to helping children succeed.” This quality of caring furthered Refino’s desire to achieve this law degree in order to help children in the future who would be in similar childhood predicaments as her.

On top of the law school, Refino followed the adage of not putting all of her eggs in one basket. She said, “I definitely have a fallback plan. It’s always good to have a fallback plan since things don’t always workout the way you hope.” Her back-up plan was to follow her interest in medicine and become an official paramedic following in the footsteps of her job as an EMT. Accordingly, Refino had obviously been successful in her personal and academic endeavors. When asked what her advice was for future students and regarding what choices they make, she said, “You have to get to know yourself. Find out what you want, what you love. When you find it, you will love doing it, you will enjoy it. You will succeed at it naturally.” Refino witnessed this epiphany after her change in majors. Originally, she was a mathematics major because math came naturally to her; it was easy; but her passion for the subject was missing. However, as soon as she took her first philosophy class, Refino was willing to do anything in order to pursue a degree in it.

From a viewer’s point of view, Refino would likely be one of the more interesting people one would ever meet, considering her past and her journey to her success. However, when asked for an interesting experience, she said, “I can’t really think of anything that stands out to me.” This lack of differentiation to identify an interesting moment could be considered an act of modesty. Another would view Refino as a fascinating being who lived an eventful life, one that consisted of both positive and negative highlights, that was definitely deserving of some spotlight. Her brilliance in her pursuits was admirable at the very least, her drive for success even more so. As she was put in the spotlight and her senior year was drawing to a close, she said, “I got to know people over the last two years, I met one of my best friends here. I really wish I could stay here longer.”

A Non-Traditional Path Does Little to Quell This Senior’s Compassion and Ambition

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Raised in a family of Chinese immigrants in Glendale, California, fourth-year physiological science student Christine Thang became the first person to attend college, naturally assuming her role as a beacon of success to her younger sibling and her younger cousins. As a first generation college student, she appreciated all the experiences UCLA offered, taking advantage of a wide range of research opportunities, campus organizations and academic courses. “I’m pre-med so knowing that UCLA Geffen School of Medicine is one of the top ones out there was a big factor [to come to UCLA]…UCLA has a strong record for academic excellence. It’s that competition that drives you forward,” explained Thang as she described the allure of UCLA.

Thang not only excelled in her classes, she delved into humanitarian programs that also embraced a health aspect to weave together her love of helping others and medical aspirations. “What I enjoyed most about Global Medical Brigades was that I wanted to do something that targeted underserved communities. I went overseas and really enjoyed what I did and meeting people outside my background. These people were Hondurian and they spoke Spanish. They almost see you as a full-fledged doctor…even though I’m not a physician,” described Thang about her experiences with the Global Medical Brigades in South America. Using her limited Spanish acquired from high school, she conversed with the locals, helping the community while learning about the medical field. “When I was there I liked talking to the community members and working with the foreign physicians.” The program not only ignited her passion to become a physician, it also inspired her to work more in her local community of Los Angeles.

Following her experience with the Global Medical Brigades, Thang began working with Mobile Clinic, a program that helped underserved communities. Allowing her to connect with this community, she described, “These undeserved communities [as] the ones you sort of ignore on the streets, they’re like [in the] the shadow of our society.” But Thang connected with these once invisible individuals in the homeless community, discovering that each person had his or her own tale to tell. While initially many of her patients she worked with were hesitant about talking to the students, she found that through gentle prodding and time their stories began to unravel. “Mobile Clinic makes us sit down and connect with another human being,” she stated. “It’s been really empowering to go out on the streets rain or shine.” Armed with a dedication to assist the most needy of the Los Angeles community, she helped bring medical aid to the homeless, which not only shaped their lives but also influenced Thang’s drive to enter the medical field. Motivated by her compassion for underprivileged communities, she said, “I want to continue volunteer work.” Gleaming with a passionate desire, she stressed her ultimate endeavor to join, “programs like doctors without borders that allow you to go out in the world and help.” Leaning toward primary care and pediatrics, Thang knew she wanted to go into a medical field that offered direct contact and real connections with patients. Her time with both Mobile Clinic and Global Medical Brigades played a large role in her mission to help people.

Navigating between her academics and overwhelming extracurriculars, Thang carefully allotted time for each activity with the understanding of the commitments she made. With her time management skills and dedication to her work, she not only achieved academically on her transcript, but she also excelled in other activities. She worked countless hours in her research lab, exploring the science of spines. As a hospital volunteer, she gained valuable experience working, talking and connecting with patients. She uncovered her culture and heritage as an Asian American studies minor. “I know very little about being Chinese…but in class I found out that we have problems like every other race but at the same time the problems we do face but we aren’t the vocal type to put it out there. The problems that we do have…no one brings them to the forefront.” Her exploration of her culture inspired her to want to pursue involvement in the Asian American community as a doctor. But even amidst her hectic academic and extracurricular life, she found the time to explore new experiences. She said, “My freshmen year was full of a lot of firsts, and I thought my senior year would be a lot of lasts. But this year was also a lot of firsts. I went to UCLA basketball games…I participated in Dance Marathon… it’s a bittersweet ending at UCLA.” With a plethora of both academic and life experiences under her belt, Thang left college with a little bit advice for the incoming class: “It’s never too late to be involved in UCLA. UCLA has so many things going on at every single moment, you wouldn’t expect to love it but you do. Go and there and try new things.”

Caring For the Community: First Generation College Student Explores UCLA

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Senior of the Year Isha Varma moved around a great deal in her childhood, living in places such as Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Michigan before her family decided to settle down in Utah. Varma lived here until she was 18, at which point her educational career led her to Westwood, where she began her impressive career as a Bruin.

Even in her freshman year, Varma took advantage of what UCLA had to offer, involving herself in on-campus organizations such as Fashion and Student Trends (FAST). “I joined FAST right away because I’ve always been into fashion, and I wanted a way to artistically channel myself. I kind of wanted to be a designer when I joined, but I realized I didn’t have enough time or skills to do it, so I joined as a model instead. You would think that being in fashion club, you’d get a bunch of superficial people who are really materialistic, but I got really lucky and got to meet a bunch of genuine, real, caring people. It’s something that I’ve stuck with for four years,” she said about the organization. Varma also founded Maximizing Potential Abroad (MPA), an organization on campus that worked in community service in other countries. She commented, “I think you have to look at society’s fields collectively and all the fields are interconnected. I wanted something that was more comprehensive, and we do community service in everything. The reason that’s fun for me is because I get to do something I love doing, and I get to talk to a bunch of other people that love it as well. I get to learn about so many other cultures, and we get to talk, bond, and spend a lot of time together. I just love getting to know people.” Varma also made it clear that for her, MPA was as much about giving back as it was about learning. “We treat service as a two way street; it’s not just us delivering food or resources to other people – we learn from the people we help, too. I think that sets us apart from other organizations,” she said.

Like most students here at UCLA, Varma spent her freshman year living in the dorms, and recalled it as an unforgettable experience. “My floor on Hedrick 4 North bonded really, really well and a lot of us are still friends. We had great times and did some pretty ridiculous things. I remember we would steal the furniture from other lounges, or put all the furniture from our lounge in other rooms and have little mini-wars,” she joked. Many of the friends she made during her time spent in the dorms remain close to her today, as well. “Some friends and I used to go to Rendezvous to eat every Wednesday, and eventually Wednesday became ‘burrito loving day.’ We got

our whole floor to start coming out with us every week, and the staff even got to know us personally. We started calling it ‘Wendezvous,’ and we continued the tradition through sophomore year. Even when we all moved into apartments, we still kept it going. Now, as seniors, we still try to do something like that every week, and there are still about 7 or 8 of us that show up,” she described.

Upon graduating with a degree in psychology, Varma hoped to “really solidify the relationships [she has] made over the last four years,” before pursuing non-profit work overseas. After working with non-governmental organizations for one or two years, she plans on pursuing a Master’s in Public Health. “I want to get myself involved in community health sciences. Once I finish that, I’ll decide if I want to do more school or not. Ultimately, I hope to work with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations or nonprofit organizations on international health or international development,” she said.

Despite taking such ambitious dreams from her experience at UCLA, Varma also took with her a new image of herself. “UCLA has given me the comfort of being able to pursue my own dreams, and it made me question my dreams, as well. It hasn’t been an easy road, and there have definitely been challenging times, but I wouldn’t regret any of those. You learn so much more from those than you do from an easy ride. My freshman year, I came in really confident in myself and really sure about everything. This sounds so negative, but I think UCLA kind of broke all of that down in a way, and made me go through each part of those things, every piece of what I was sure about, strategically so that I could understand my foundations in myself a little better,” she explained.

Still, Varma’s journey in understanding herself wasn’t quite yet over. “I think being at UCLA hasn’t made me who I want to be, but it has made me decide how I want to be, what kind of person I want to be,” she said. “I really just want to be that person that you walk by in the street, and you pass me and you’re like, ‘Wow.’ I just want to emit a positive atmosphere, positive energy. And I don’t think that it’s something that’s not achievable; I think it’s something that takes a lot of work, and everyone can be that way,” she continued. With such a successful college career behind her, it is more than likely that Varma will find success in her future, and will have little trouble getting “wows” from those who find themselves in her company.

College Redefines and Challenges Her Self-Expectations Yet Allows Her to Explore a Passion for Public Health