DOWNEY – The Southeast Bruins held  a “Wine and Cheese” event at the Los Amigos Golf Course in Downey last Thursday night, raising funds for the UCLA Southeast Bruins Scholarship. 

The event was attended by UCLA area alumni and friends, including incoming UCLA alumni board members Carlos Collard and Paco Retana, and Ruthie Retana, who recently finished her term in the UCLA Alumni Board of Directors, which represents over 500,000 UCLA alumni worldwide.  

The scholarship fund was launched last year, with the initial $4,000 scholarship award going to Jennifer Tang of Norwalk. Jennifer is working on a major in Biology.  

Asked about what the scholarship means to her, Jennifer replied: "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 with a lessened burden on me or my family." 

The Southeast Bruins is currently raising funds to award its second recipient this fall.  They will be announcing the recipient later this year and will be holding their "Send Off" event where freshmen and transfer students will be invited to celebrate their entry into UCLA.  

The event is family-friendly and will be held in South Gate at a public park.  More information will be released as the event draws nearer.  

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.  It is open to alumni and friends who reside and/or work in the Southeast Los Angeles cities of Downey, Whittier, Cerritos, Montebello, Norwalk, South Gate, Pico Rivera, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Cudahy, and neighboring cities. 

For questions about the group or a specific event, or to donate to the scholarship fund, please contact Southeast Bruins President Ricardo Perez at rperez@alumni.ucla.edu.