UCIRA Legacy Scholarship Recipients
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As a way to support our undergraduate students, the UCI Retirees Association established a Legacy Scholarship program in 2019. These scholarships are for students who have a family member with one of these connections to UCI: UCI retiree, UCI alumni, or current UCI staff member.
We hope to increase the number of scholarships that we award and invite you to contribute to this effort.
2024-2025 Legacy Scholarship Recipients
Fatima Alarcon
2024-25 Freshman Student Recipient
Fatima Alarcon is an incoming 1st generation freshman from Corona, CA majoring in Aerospace Engineering. During high school, she participated in Norco’s NAVSEA Summer SEAP Internship as a Calibrator. She had the opportunity to be a part of an engineering family and learn from their experiences. Fatima was president of her high school’s Femineers female engineering club whose goal was to empower and encourage young female generations and minorities in STEM. The funds will help her pursue education and research with less financial worry.
Muhanad Hilal
2024-25 Freshman Student Recipient
Muhanad Hilal is an incoming freshman majoring in Biological Sciences. His mother is an alumna of UC Irvine. While in high school, Muhanad worked in a neuroscience lab at UCI and hopes to continue this research in the future as he explores his interests in neurobiology. Receiving this scholarship will allow him to devote more time to his academic endeavors.
Baheer Qazi
2024-25 Transfer Student Recipient
Baheer Qazi is a Public Health Sciences major.
Tanya Gonzalez
2023-24 Transfer Student Recipient
Tanya Gonzalez is a transfer student majoring in Psychological Sciences. With a background that includes studies at Long Beach City College, Tanya’s passion for making a positive impact led her to volunteer at a boys’ home in Arequipa, Peru. Back at home, she continues to volunteer for a girls’ club, aiming to instill core values and virtues in young girls between the ages of 6 to thirteen. Tanya’s journey combines her academic pursuits with a strong dedication to uplifting others and understanding the complexities of the human person
Daisy Gutierrez-Vazquez
2023-24 Freshman Student Recipient
Daisy Gutierrez-Vazquez is a first-generation freshman from Anaheim, CA, majoring in Education Sciences. Her sister is a UCI alumna. While at Magnolia High School, she volunteered as a Teacher’s Assistant at Dr. Jonas E. Salk Elementary School, where she reaffirmed her passion for being a leader and providing children with equal access to a quality education. Receiving support through the Legacy Scholarship will help her cover books and fees.
Abby Noh
2023-24 Freshman Student Recipient
Abby Noh is a freshman from Irvine, CA, majoring in Nursing. Her father is a UCI alumnus and her sister is a current UCI student. While in high school, she was President and Vice President of her school’s Red Cross club her last two years along with participating in an unpaid CNA internship where she worked as a student CNA before taking the state exam to get her CNA license. She plans to use the scholarship money for school fees, which will allow her to focus more on her studies.
Phillipe Manio
2023-24 Transfer Student Recipient
Phillipe Manio is a transfer student from Corona, CA, majoring in Computer Science. His aunt is a UCI alumna. While at Fullerton College, he interned as a coach at theCoderSchool Yorba Linda for his school’s STEM Honors program, teaching the youth how to code and program their own projects. He hopes to use this scholarship to pay for other college expenses to help him focus on his academics more.2022-23 Scholarship Recipients
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Grace Chen2022-23 Transfer Student RecipientGrace Chen is a transfer student from Orange, CA, majoring in Biological Sciences. While at Santiago Canyon College, she greatly enjoyed serving as a Supplemental Instruction leader and helping others through community service. Her mother is a UCI alumna and her sister is a current UCI student. After graduating from UCI, she plans to go on to graduate school, work in the medical field, and use her talents and interests to serve others. Click here to see and hear how the scholarship has impacted Grace! |
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Arsema Getahun2022-23 Freshman Student RecipientArsema Getahun is a first-generation freshman majoring in Cognitive Sciences. Her uncle is a UCI alumnus. While a student at Culver City High School, she volunteered in the Neurology Department at Cedars Sinai Hospital which piqued her interest in pursuing a career in the medical field. Receiving the Legacy Scholarship will allow her to devote more time to her educational goals and to make her dream of attending a university come true |
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Larissa Teramura2022-23 Freshman Student RecipientLarissa Teramura is a freshman from Kailua, Hawaii, majoring in biomedical engineering. Her father, aunt, and uncle are UCI alumni. While in high school, she volunteered and held leadership roles in local tennis organizations and at her former elementary school. She plans to use the scholarship money to help pay for school fees, allowing her to focus more on her studies and athletics on the UCI women’s tennis team. |
2021-22 Scholarship Recipients
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Chloe Ellis2021-22 Freshman Student RecipientChloe is a first-generation student majoring in Sociology. Her aunt is a UCI alumnus. While in high school she volunteered with One Heart, a charity that supports orphanages in Taiwan. After graduation, she hopes to work in a career that will allow her to continue giving service to the community. |
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Jasmine Casey2021-22 Transfer Student RecipientJasmine is a first-generation student from Oakland, CA, majoring in Sociology. Her aunt is a UCI alumnus. While at Las Positas Community College, she held leadership roles in several clubs. The study of Sociology has helped her adopt and strive for more cultural competence and empathy and has deepened her sense of social justice. |
2020-21 Scholarship Recipients
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Vivian Liu2020-21 Freshman Student RecipientVivian Liu is a freshman from El Monte, CA, majoring in Biological Sciences. Her brother is a UCI alumnus. Her career goal is to become a Physician Assistant. Her hobbies are photography and calligraphy. She plans to use the scholarship money to help with books and fees. |
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Melissa Montoya2020-21 Transfer Student RecipientMelissa Montoya is a transfer student from Paramount, CA, majoring in Criminology, Law and Society. She's looking forward to attending UCI and continuing her journey to find her passion and channel that into a career. Her brother is a UCI alumnus. Receiving the scholarship will allow her to focus more on her studies. |
2019-20 Scholarship Recipients
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Sara-Ann Zheng2019-20 Freshman Student RecipientVivian Liu is a freshman from El Monte, CA, majoring in Biological Sciences. Her brother is a UCI alumnus. Her career goal is to become a Physician Assistant. Her hobbies are photography and calligraphy. She plans to use the scholarship money to help with books and fees. |
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Amalia Cardenas2019-20 Freshman Student RecipientAmalia Cardenas is a freshman from Santa Ana, CA majoring in biological sciences . She hopes to give back to the world tenfold by helping those in need, perhaps as an orthopedic surgeon. She will use the money to help pay for classes, textbooks, and bus transportation. Amalia’s father is a staff member in UCI Housing Services. |
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Alessandra Contreras2019-20 Transfer Student RecipientAlessandra Contreras is a transfer student from Calexico, CA majoring in Criminology, Law and Society. Her aunt is a UCI alumna. She plans to become a forensic psychologist and ultimately hopes to work for a federal agency like the FBI. She is grateful for the scholarship money which will help with books and fees. |
