Downey welcomes UCLA alumni

DOWNEY –  The Southeast L.A. Bruins held their “Welcome to the City: Downey, Southeast LA” event on Wednesday, Oct. 14. 

The event was part of a series of “Welcome to the City” events held by UCLA Alumni all over the world. 

Southeast L.A. President Miguel Duarte, himself a product of Downey (and Downey High School), provided welcoming remarks during the opening reception at Stay Gallery. 

Valentin Flores, the executive director of Stay, provided an overview of the history and programming of the gallery before screening two videos highlighting the City of Downey and the Downey Unified School District. 

Mario Guerra and Kirk Cartozian, both former mayors of Downey, gave a historical account of Downey’s history, from the moment that Downey became a chartered city, to Downey’s transition from a global leader in aerospace engineering to the cultural and developmental renaissance that we are seeing today. 

Betty Porto, of Porto’s Bakery, herself a UCLA alumna, was the featured special guest of the evening. After giving attendees an account of the Porto family history, she led guests across the street to Porto’s Bakery, where guests were treated to a special behind-the-scenes tour of the inner workings at the bakery.  

Guests were able to see Porto’s staff prepare orders and saw first hand the state-of-the-art machinery that helps make Porto’s an industry leader. Ms. Porto ended the evening by providing a sampling of the newest items that Porto’s will be launching.

The Southeast Bruins is recognized officially as the regional chapter of the Alumni Association of the University of California, Los Angeles (known as “UCLA”), and is known officially as the UCLA Alumni Los Angeles Southeast Network.  

For questions about the group or a specific event, please contact Downey attorney Ricardo Perez at rperez@alumni.ucla.edu.