Dr. Gerald Finerman and Mindelyn Buford II ’04

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They both want to help people. They both want to make the world a better place. They both go above and beyond. They’re both Bruins.

Dr. Gerald Finerman and Mindelyn Buford II ’04 are both committed to making a difference. As chair of UCLA’s orthopedics department and head of the University’s sports medicine program, Gerald has spent 33 years at UCLA helping people overcome injuries.

As an Alumni Scholarships donor and volunteer since 1973, he’s also helped students overcome financial hurdles. Being involved with Alumni Scholarships gives him the chance “to recognize some outstanding UCLA students and assist them.”

Outstanding students like Mindelyn. As a UCLA residence hall advisor and mentor for high school students, she has experience helping people, too. “I’ve always been big in volunteering, mentoring and tutoring,” she says. As an undergraduate researcher, she’s also tackled sociological topics as diverse as homelessness and the black male experience at UCLA, presenting her findings at scholarly conferences.

Her work has earned her the Scott Finerman Scholarship, named in memory of Gerald’s son, as well as the Alumni Association’s Outstanding Senior Award and a Wasserman Research stipend.

Now, Mindelyn is applying her enthusiasm, intelligence and commitment in graduate school, studying the sociology of education and inequality. “Sociology seemed to connect values from my personal life with academics,” she explains. “I want to really affect the great inequalities in the world.” Her graduate institution? Johns Hopkins University – the same university where Gerald performed his residency and received his M.D.

“One of the real resources of the University is the quality of the students … They really are wonderful people,” Gerald says. Why donate? “The satisfaction is helping these young people achieve their goals.” Funded entirely by generous contributions from alumni and friends of the University, Alumni Scholarships help UCLA attract these talented students to campus – thanks to donors like Gerald and you.