Spotlights

UCLA Alumni Mentor Program Outstanding Student Award Recipients

Selected from an exceptional group of nominees, based on testimonials from their mentorship partners, these undergraduate and graduate students went above and beyond during the program year, exemplifying the True Bruin spirit of achievement, service and gratitude.

Jocelyn Cheung '25

Mentor Resa Lee '92, director of product marketing at BILL, shared, “It’s been a pleasure working with Jocelyn through the UCLA Alumni Mentor Program. She is one of the most hardworking, focused, and driven students I’ve had the opportunity to mentor to date. From the start, she has been intentional about making the most of our time together and fully leveraging the guidance offered through the program.

She consistently comes to our bi-weekly meetings prepared with thoughtful updates on her progress—what’s going well in her job search, where she wants to improve, and how she’s applying what she’s learning along the way. She has taken initiative to optimize her résumé, refine her behavioral interview responses, and tailor her approach for different companies and roles. Her ability to absorb feedback and immediately apply it is impressive.

In addition to résumé reviews and general coaching, we’ve worked through mock interviews together—always specific to the company and position she’s targeting. She takes these sessions seriously and approaches each one with professionalism, curiosity, and a strong desire to grow. She’s also not afraid to reflect on what didn’t go as planned in a real interview and use that as a springboard to improve.

What sets Jocelyn apart is her discipline and drive. She brings clarity to her goals, works hard to achieve them, and truly values the mentorship process. Her intelligence, commitment, and willingness to put in the work make her stand out. I’m confident she’ll bring the same energy and thoughtfulness to any opportunity she pursues next.”

Marco Valadez '25

Mentor Jason Karuza '04, engineering manager at Paystand, shared, “Over the years that I have served as an alumni mentor, I have largely offered that I am here to help mentees and support them, but the value that they get from the program is largely up to them to determine. The ball is in their court when it comes to identifying the opportunities that I — the mentor that they selected at the start — can provide and the value that can be attained from those opportunities.

From the first contact in which Marco requested my mentorship, he expressed interest in learning from my experience (despite having different academic focuses). From there, he scheduled weekly calls with me, identified topics to discuss in advance of each meeting, and took notes from our various conversations with topics ranging from classes, internships, professional development, challenges with teammates, and so much more. He has demonstrated not only that he values this opportunity, but that he values every opportunity that he works for and is driven to maximize the output from his investments, which leaves me incredibly impressed and excited for what he will achieve.”

Yixue (Elsie) Chen, Exp. M.Q.E. '26

Mentor Stevie Rhim, FEMBA '19, director of product marketing at Zero-Error Systems (ZES) Pte Ltd, shared, “I am honored to nominate Yixue (Elsie) Chen as a distinguished mentee in the UCLA Alumni Mentor Program. Elsie has consistently demonstrated a level of initiative, technical skill, and maturity that exceeds expectations for any student at her stage.

From the beginning of our mentorship, Elsie approached each conversation with preparation and purpose. She not only absorbed guidance quickly but also translated insights into actionable results. After learning about specific challenges my team at Mach-AI faced regarding data-driven project prioritization, Elsie conducted independent research and presented a structured framework tailored to our product. Her contribution was both relevant and immediately useful to our roadmap discussions.

Elsie manages a demanding academic schedule, balancing 17 academic credits that include professional coursework and advanced economics. Despite this, she has never missed a meeting and always arrives ready to engage. Her discipline, focus, and clarity of thought reflect her strong commitment to growth and excellence.

In her own professional development, Elsie has pursued competitive internships in data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. She successfully completed assessments and used those experiences to further refine her technical skills and personal goals. Her proactive approach to learning and career building reflects her exceptional drive.

Elsie exemplifies the core values of the UCLA Alumni Mentor Program. She brings enthusiasm, initiative, and meaningful collaboration to every interaction. Her presence has benefited both my own professional work and the broader UCLA community. I am confident that she will become a future leader in the field of technology and data science.”

Meagan Clarke, Exp. '26

Mentor Alexander Ramirez '14, engineering manager at Meta, shared, “It is with great enthusiasm that I nominate Meagan for the Outstanding Student Mentee Award. As an undergraduate Computer Science student at UCLA, Meagan has demonstrated exceptional qualities that extend far beyond academic excellence, embodying the true spirit of what makes a mentoring relationship meaningful and productive.

What distinguishes Meagan is her remarkable openness to exploration. While grounded in her CS studies, she approached our mentoring sessions with genuine curiosity about diverse career paths, demonstrating a refreshing willingness to venture beyond conventional trajectories. This intellectual flexibility allowed our conversations to transcend surface-level career planning and delve into deeper discussions about aligning professional choices with personal values and strengths.

Meagan's exceptional listening skills transformed our mentoring relationship into a true dialogue rather than a one-way advising channel. She absorbed insights thoughtfully, asked incisive follow-up questions, and consistently demonstrated her engagement by connecting previous conversations to new discussions. This active participation created a dynamic mentoring environment where ideas could flourish and evolve organically.

Perhaps most impressive was Meagan's dedication to self-understanding. She approached career exploration not merely as collecting options but as a journey of self-discovery. Her reflective nature and willingness to examine her motivations, strengths, and growth areas demonstrated a maturity that will serve her well regardless of which path she ultimately chooses.

What I appreciated most was her natural ability to provide recognition. She regularly offered specific feedback about which aspects of our conversations were most beneficial, creating a feedback loop that enhanced our mentor-mentee relationship. Her expressions of appreciation weren't merely polite acknowledgments but thoughtful reflections that made me feel valued as a mentor and motivated me to continue investing in her development.

Meagan exemplifies what mentorship programs aspire to nurture—students who approach growth opportunities with openness, engagement, and reciprocity.”

Lauren Watts, Exp. '26

Mentor Monica Jaramillo '99, co-founder of LABEL the Agency, shared, “I’m proud to nominate Lauren Watts for an outstanding Mentee Award. She’s incredibly hardworking, thoughtful, and all-in when it comes to learning. When she first reached out, she was genuinely curious about whether PR was the right space for her. I run a PR and marketing firm, and from day one, she showed up ready to dive in.

Her very first event with my agency was the Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children’s Toys & Joy Holiday Party. Lauren served as our celebrity spotter—greeting talent as they arrived, walking them to their holiday stations, helping them hand out gifts to underserved kids, and making charm bracelets with actress Caroline Rhea. It was her first-ever event, and she handled it like a pro.

She also worked hard on pitching UCLA softball star Taylor Tinsley to the Daily Bruin. While the pitch didn’t land, Lauren learned the real challenge of building media relationships and how much time and follow-up it takes to get a journalist’s attention. She never got discouraged—just more curious and committed.

One of her strengths is spotting media outlets that connect with Gen Z. She flagged several campus and youth-focused outlets I didn’t even know existed. She also helped build a celebrity outreach list for our upcoming Operation Smile Gala in L.A. on June 3, 2025.

We spent time updating her résumé to better reflect her growing skill set, and I know she’ll be a strong asset wherever she lands next. She’s already making a difference—she organized a talk for our UCLA ADPi chapter (we’re both alums) where I spoke about the warning signs of excessive drinking before Spring Formal.

Lauren is kind, curious, sharp, and dependable. I’m so glad I got to mentor her this year.”

Aditya Prasad Dash, Ph.D. '25

Mentor Sharad Aggarwal, EMBA '24, global head of strategy & solutions at Google, shared, “I’m nominating Aditya Dash for the mentee award. He’s been an incredibly engaged and proactive learner—always eager to grow and give back. Aditya also actively supported our mentorship community at coffeewithsharad.com, where we guide students on careers in Big Tech and strategy. A true standout among peers!”