CHAIR’S LETTER
As we celebrate the resounding success of the Centennial Campaign, I want to extend my appreciation for your continuing leadership support of UCLA. It is my great honor to serve our growing community, and I’ve enjoyed joining so many of you—loyal donors and new supporters alike—at our Chancellor’s Society events throughout the year.
Looking ahead to UCLA’s next 100 years, it is imperative that we help maintain the momentum and successes of the Centennial Campaign. Please join in our efforts, both on campus and in your communities, to share our story of what I know will be wonderful things to come from future Bruins.
Additionally, I am so excited to inform all of you of our record-breaking million-dollar challenge for Blue & Gold this year. See below for details—I encourage you all to participate in this historic philanthropic effort!
Wishing you a warm holiday season,
Jan Kessler ’75, UCLA Parent
Chair, UCLA Chancellor’s Society
CAMPUS SPOTLIGHT: ARTHUR ASHE’S LEGACY
Arthur Ashe’s legacy exemplifies what is means to be a Bruin in so many ways. Playing tennis at UCLA brought Arthur widespread recognition in the sports arena through the 1960’s and 70’s, eventually being named to the U.S. Davis Cup team as its first African-American player, and the first African-American male tennis player to win a Grand Slam tournament. Throughout his life he was dedicated to much more than just tennis, however. Raised in the segregated South, his commitment to social justice, health, and humanitarian issues was always of critical importance to him, and he left a mark on the world in this regard as indelible as his tennis was on the court.
This quarter, Dean and Vice Provost Patricia Turner is instructing a course examining how Arthur’s life intersected with several major 20th century markers of change. Exploring the significance of his decision to play tennis in apartheid South Africa and his work to combat the stigma associated with HIV-AIDS in the early 1990’s, UCLA is active in keeping Arthur’s legacy alive and visible for future generations of students.
In 2018, thanks to gifts from Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe and the Arthur Ashe Learning Center, UCLA successfully endowed the Arthur Ashe scholarship to be awarded to students who exemplify the ideals Arthur displayed as a UCLA student. We are very excited to announce that the inaugural recipient, Maripau Paz, has just recently been selected.
Maripau is a rising fourth-year student double majoring in Political Science and Global Studies. As a first-generation college student, Maripau is committed to inspiring others on campus and in her community. Maripau’s research focuses on topics around immigration, such as how public opinions regarding immigrant communities are formed in the United States, and she will be writing an honors senior thesis further researching and expanding on this topic. Following graduation, she plans to pursue a joint Law and Master in Public Policy degree program and work on issues pertaining to human rights, refugees, and immigrant communities.
For more details on the Arthur Ashe Legacy program, and more stories like Maripau’s, click the button below.
THE CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN FOR UCLA
As we approach the close of the campaign in a few short weeks, we are especially inspired and grateful to celebrate your contributions to the success of the Centennial Campaign. Thanks to over 213,000 campaign donors, we are currently at $5.2B and are excitedly looking forward to the heights we can reach before the end of the campaign on December 31.
We invite you to read the most recent edition of our campaign newsletter and visit the updated website, which offers more details about some of the recent generous gifts that continue to propel us past our goal.
SAVE THE DATE: BRUIN WOODS WEEKEND
We invite our Chancellor’s Society Associate-level donors and above to save the date to attend our exclusive Chancellor’s Society Bruin Woods Weekend, which will be held on Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26, 2020. Every year, our community gathers in picturesque Lake Arrowhead to relax and reconnect with one another and UCLA, with a special faculty presentation about the innovative work being done on our campus. This year, we’ll have a special presentation from Professor Paul Haibibi of the UCLA Anderson School of Management and UCLA School of Law.
Click the link below for more information about the amenities, programming and exclusive pricing.
UCLA’s EIGTH BLUE & GOLD CHALLENGE UPDATE
As you may know, it’s Rivalry Week at UCLA and our united Bruin community is rallying around the Blue & Gold Challenge! We are delighted to share that we are already over 50% of the way towards our goal of 3,800 gifts before midnight this Saturday, which unlocks a million-dollar challenge gift for UCLA.
Please be sure to check out our challenge site to make a participatory gift, follow our progress, and grab a 15% off discount code for the UCLA online store.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT: KATHY VOLCHKO-GALLIS
Our Chancellor’s Society community is composed of members who are united by unique stories and connections with UCLA. This quarter, we feature Kathy Volchko-Gallis, an annual giving leadership donor who supports campus endeavors including the Johnsson Cancer Research Center and the UCLA School of Law Criminal Justice program.
“Giving to UCLA connects me with this community.” –Kathy Volchko-Gallis
When asked about why giving back has become so vital to Kathy, she gladly said, “Giving to UCLA makes me feel good and it connects me with this community.” Kathy credits UCLA and their medical staff for the great medical care they gave to her husband and her sister over the last thirty years. Those experiences inspired her to support UCLA through the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Once connected with campus, Kathy learned about the difference that UCLA is making in several fields, including criminal justice. As an advocate for criminal justice reform, Kathy found an avenue to extend her passion by supporting the School of Law’s efforts in criminal justice education, policy work, and research.
Kathy acknowledges her parents for instilling the importance of giving back during her childhood. Those lessons impacted her careers choices, first while serving as a member of the Peace Corps, and later as a case worker for the Department of Children and Family Services. Kathy carries on the family legacy by continuously showing her nieces and nephews how she gives back to UCLA. In this way, Kathy reflects the true values of what UCLA is all about
Many thanks to Kathy and all our Chancellor’s Society donors, near and far, who support UCLA in its mission. For more information on staying connected with UCLA and Regional Giving within the South Bay, please contact Chris Carbado at ccarbado@support.ucla.edu or (310) 983-3395.
AROUND THE REGIONS
SAVE THE DATE:
Chancellor’s Society donors at the Cabinet level and above will gather for their annual event on campus Tuesday, February 25, 2020. Formal invitations to follow in January.
San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley Chancellor’s Society donors will gather in Toluca Lake on January 28, 2020.
San Diego
San Diego Chancellor’s Society donors will gather for a salon to hear from UCLA Professor of Marketing Aimee Drolet Rossi, PhD, on February 20, 2020.
Northern California
Northern California Chancellor’s Society donors will gather on March 1, 2020 to hear from UCLA visiting Professor of Education, Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice, Maryanne Wolf, PhD.
Orange County
Orange County Chancellor’s Society donors will gather in Newport Beach on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 to hear from Professor Andrea Ghez, PhD.
Be sure to check out our events calendar for the latest information.
If you have any questions, please contact your development director, your personal liaison to UCLA.