NORWALK -- The Southeast Bruins, a UCLA alumni association for southeast Los Angeles County, have awarded their first-ever "Southeast Bruins Scholarship."

The inaugural recipient is Jennifer Tang of Norwalk. Jennifer is a Biology major and started this fall as a freshman and plans to graduate in 2021. 

The Southeast Bruins Board of Directors and its Scholarship Committee wish to thank all of the donors and everyone else who helped make the scholarship possible. An event is being planned where donors will be recognized and can meet Jennifer. 

Known officially as the UCLA Alumni Los Angeles Southeast Network, the Southeast Bruins network is officially sanctioned by UCLA and strives to create a sense of community among the region's more than 5,000 UCLA alumni, family, and friends.

This year's Southeast Bruins board members include Ricardo Perez (president, '04), Sergio Valenzuela (vice president), Jonathan Sanabria (treasurer), Tiffani Prater (secretary), Maywood Councilmember Eddie De La Riva (board member), Carlos Salas (board member), Giselle Del Carmen (board member), Miguel Duarte (immediate past president), and Daniel Fail (UCLA alumni affairs liaison) .  

For more information about the events or the group, or to get involved, please contact Ricardo Perez at rperez@alumni.ucla.edu. 

About Jennifer: 

Why did you choose UCLA?
I chose UCLA because of its academics and its diverse campus community.

What are your academic and career aspirations?
I aim to attend medical school and become a general doctor in hopes of traveling and practicing my profession out in the world. I want to either join the peace corps or maybe the army as a medical doctor.

What excites you about UCLA?
I'm most excited for the college experience: finding myself, making new friends, and pursuing my passion in the sciences and pre-health.

What does this scholarship mean to you?
This scholarship means a lot to me as a student who comes from a low-income background. I was worried about costs and though financial aid from UCLA alumni donors, FAFSA, and UCLA itself, I was able to attend the college of my choice without any burden on me or my family.

Final thoughts?
Dear Southeast Los Angeles Alumni Network:  Thank you so much for donating to and supporting UCLA students like me; students who have the aspirations, but not the help they need to achieve it. This scholarship only further motivates me to reach my goals and succeed in school because if there is someone out there who supports me in my endeavors as much as you do, then I have no reason to not believe in myself and achieve my dreams. Thank you.