Category Archives: Uncategorized

UCLA Advocate In Action: Council President Herb Wesson Looks To Inspire Next Leaders

Posted on by

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson examines an event badge that brings back memories about his California Assembly District Inauguration ceremony that took place at UCLA’s Royce Hall. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson was once that kid in the audience — antsy and uninterested.

Sure, his upbringing included plenty of civic engagement. His father coached youth sports and stayed active in the community. Wesson remembers passing out flyers as a kid in Cleveland, Ohio in support of Charles Stokes, the first African American mayor of a major city.

“My family, historically, we were engaged,” Wesson said. “It was at a time when we had a lot of civic courses and social studies. It was a way to connect with local governments and what have you.”

And yet, it wasn’t until he went to college, and still then, Wesson often found himself in the crowd, looking for an exit strategy. Then one day, his fraternity was hosting special speaker: Northern California’s first black Congress member, Ron Dellums.

Continue reading →

UCLA Hosts California’s Top Educators On Every Student Succeeds Act

Posted on by

California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson was one of many major California educators in attendance at a special meeting on the ESSA. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

Many K-12 educators in California have long called for more local control and the ability to better cater to their specific students and issues, hoping to improve educational equity and equality now and into the future.

According to California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, the No Child Left Behind Act had unrealistic goals, too much testing, too much federal government and not enough support. It’s replacement — ESSA, or the Every Student Succeeds Act — was signed into law by President Barack Obama at the end of last year as a bipartisan measure that aims to cement a new national education law and give a longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

“I am heartened by the fact that ESSA takes a different approach,” Torlakson said, during his opening comments at a national meeting hosted Jan. 19 at UCLA’s Carnesale Commons.

Continue reading →

Workshop Teaches UCLA Students How to Hone Their Advocacy Skills

Posted on by

Students and alumni participate in the inaugural UCLA Student Advocacy Workshop.

Approximately 30 UCLA students visited with UCLA staff and alumni in taking their first steps toward an enriching life of advocacy on behalf of the university and beyond.

The inaugural UCLA Student Advocacy Workshop took place on Oct. 28 at the James West Alumni Center.

After dinner, students were presented the many facets of UCLA Government and Community Relations (GCR), including the Volunteer Center, and then broke up into groups to strategize and role play potential future interactions with the elected officials impacting UCLA the most.

Continue reading →

UCLA Advocate in Action: Kevin de León looks to stop inequities through higher education

Posted on by

California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León takes a call at his Silverlake district office from former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

California Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León doesn’t want his personal story of success to be an outlier. He doesn’t want the story of the youngest child to an immigrant mother who was the first and only child in his family to graduate high school and go to college, to be an inspirational calling card. Instead, de León dreams of a future full of people from his community accomplishing what he has — making it the norm.

De León recognizes that in order to make his story obsolete, it will take the hard work of the people of California and the legislation that represents them — a legislation that needs to support the higher education institutions of California.

Continue reading →

Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell Seeks To Strengthen Education Bonds

Posted on by

Assemblymember Patrick O’Donnell addresses a number of students, alumni and faculty during a lunch on Oct. 5.

Meeting with a group of UCLA students, advocates, alumni and faculty, 70th District California Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell commended higher education and recognized the importance it can play regarding his most important concern: underserved K-12 students.

Before the Oct. 5 lunch, O’Donnell met with UCLA Bruin Resource Center Director Paolo Velasco to discuss the UCLA Guardian Scholars Program and it reach within the Greater Los Angeles community. O’Donnell, who has been a teacher in Long Beach for 20 years, has always been interested in helping foster youth — especially those transitioning out of the system. The Guardian Scholars Program works directly with former foster youth attending UCLA.

Continue reading →

UCLA Volunteer Day In Pictures

Posted on by

Actor Jonathan Bennett leads Second Street Elementary School students in a stretching game during UCLA Volunteer Day.

More than 5,500 volunteers converged on 48 different community sites on Sept. 26 for the Seventh Annual UCLA Volunteer Day.

Volunteers made up primarily of incoming freshman and transfer students, along with alumni and community members, spent the day improving a number of community sites by teaching children, painting murals and finishing beautification projects.

Among the volunteers were a number of elected officials, who offered to help in their own districts, as Volunteer Day spread throughout Los Angeles County. Chancellor Gene Block also made an appearance at several sites. Here is some of what took place in pictures:

Continue reading →