Category Archives: AAP Alumni Spotlight

UCLA AAP Alumni Spotlight - Adrianos Facchetti ’01, J.D.

Q&A WITH ADRIANOS FACCHETTI ’01, J.D.

Meet Adrianos Facchetti ’01, J.D.: A Bruin who arrived at UCLA through the Academic Advancement Program (AAP) without a clear roadmap, but found the support that changed everything. Today, Adrianos is the founder and CEO of the Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti, a personal injury law firm in Burbank, California. He reflects on how AAP tutoring transformed his experience — turning uncertainty into confidence and challenge into opportunity.

As a first-generation student adopted into an immigrant family, Adrianos is committed to giving back and supporting AAP. He wants first-generation students, immigrant families and anyone who comes to UCLA without a strategy to know they are not alone. He believes programs like AAP can make the difference between stumbling and thriving. For him, all it takes is one tutoring session, one mentor or one supportive program to change the course of your life.

Read Adrianos’ full Q&A below.

Class: 2001 (B.A.)

Major: History with departmental honors

Current role, company and industry:
Founder and CEO of Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti. I own a personal injury law firm in Burbank, California.

What does AAP mean to you? How has AAP supported you and/or its significance to your Bruin journey?
I arrived at UCLA without a clear understanding of how the university worked. I missed orientation, failed to register for classes on time and ended up in three upper-division history courses where my first midterms went poorly. For the first time, I questioned whether I belonged. The Academic Advancement Program made a real difference. Through AAP tutoring, I found practical guidance, accountability and a place where I could ask questions without feeling behind. That support helped me regain my footing and learn how to navigate UCLA effectively.

How has AAP impacted your personal and professional development and success? Any specific ways you’ve seen AAP’s influence in your career or personal growth?
As a first-generation student adopted into an immigrant family and now a personal injury attorney in Burbank who has handled more than 1,000 cases, I remain grateful to AAP for helping me stabilize at a critical moment and for giving me the structure I needed to move forward with confidence. That foundation shaped how I approach challenges, stay accountable and advocate for others in my professional life.

How have you stayed connected to AAP? Do you participate in events, mentorship or any other initiatives that keep you engaged with the AAP community?
While my connection has been more recent, I’ve begun re-engaging with AAP through a financial contribution as a way to give back to a program that had such a meaningful impact on my journey. That step has also motivated me to become more involved moving forward, and I’m looking to participate in alumni events and exploring opportunities to continue supporting AAP/AAPAN. If you are an alum like me, or someone who believes in the power of higher education, I encourage everyone to support where they can so that future Bruins have the same chance I did.

Connect with Adrianos:
facchettilaw.com
iluvburbank.com
Instagram: @adrianos_facchetti_law

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UCLA AAP Alumni Spotlight - Lena Hines '99 , J.D. '02

Q&A WITH LENA HINES

Class: What year did you graduate, and what degree did you earn?  

1999 (B.A.); 2002 (J.D.) 

Major / Minor: What was your major (and minor, if applicable)?  

English Literature Major

Current role, company, industry: Can you tell us about your current professional role, the company you're with, and the industry you're part of?    

I’m a tax attorney; currently a Principal in the National Tax Department of a Big 4 Accounting Firm (Ernst & Young) 

What does AAP mean to you? How has AAP supported you and/or its significance to your Bruin journey? 

AAP has continued to help me find a community where I can thrive, support others, and work toward becoming the best version of myself—just as it did when I was a student at UCLA. Through AAP, I’ve found friends who sustained me through the 2020 pandemic and beyond, and I’ve been able to reflect on my career, appreciate past wins, and redefine my future goals.

How has AAP impacted your personal and professional development and success? Any specific ways you’ve seen AAP’s influence in your career or personal growth? 

Staying connected with AAP has opened doors both personally and professionally. I’ve had opportunities to meet and mentor students through events hosted by groups like UCLA Black Alumni Association (UBAA) and the UCLA Latino Alumni Association (ULAA), and I’ve formed meaningful connections with other professional organizations. I’ve even been able to recruit students to my firm, which has been incredibly rewarding.

How have you stayed connected to AAP? Do you participate in events, mentorship, or any other initiatives that keep you engaged with the AAP community? 

Since relocating back to Los Angeles in 2016, I’ve remained deeply engaged with AAP. Shortly after arriving, a fellow AAP alum invited me to a discussion where I met Dr. A, leading to my invitation to join the AAP Advisory Board in 2018. I’ve been connected with AAP and the broader Bruin community ever since—participating in events, mentoring students, and serving on the inaugural board of the AAP Alumni Network. Through these networks, I’ve built lasting relationships and stayed rooted in the Bruin community.

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UCLA AAP Alumni Spotlight - Dr. Efrain Talamantes '02, M.D. '08, M.S. '14

Class of 2002 – B.S., Psychobiology, UCLA

Class of 2007 – M.B.A., Emory University, Goizueta School of Business, Atlanta, GA

Class of 2008 – M.D., David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA

Class of 2014 – M.S. in Health Policy and Management, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA

Q&A WITH DR. TALAMANTES

Can you tell us about your current professional role, the company you're with, and the industry you're part of?

I

serve as the Chief Operations Officer at AltaMed Health Services. AltaMed is the nation’s largest federally qualified health center (FQHC), with over 60 sites throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, where we serve over half a million patients annually. Our mission is to eliminate disparities in healthcare access and outcomes by providing quality health and human services through an integrated world-class delivery system for Latino, multi-ethnic, and underserved communities throughout Southern California. This organization's mission aligns with my purpose and core values as a Latino physician leader who grew up locally in Norwalk and is a first-generation college graduate from a mixed-status family.

What does AAP mean to you? What impact has it had on you personally or professionally?

I am proud to have participated in AAP while at UCLA. Like many of my peers, I am grateful for the services AAP offers and the relationships built during my participation. AAP served as a lifeline and offered services that positively impacted my experience as an undergraduate student. By participating in AAP, I was able to meet like-minded individuals who share similar purposes in serving historically disinvested communities.

How has AAP impacted your personal and professional development and success? Any specific ways you’ve seen AAP’s influence in your career or personal growth?

As an undergraduate, AAP gave me the foundation to excel at UCLA. Like many first-generation college students from low-income and diverse backgrounds, I struggled to adjust to the UC system and the rigor of UCLA. AAP’s peer mentorship, tutoring, counseling services, and resources helped me bridge the gap and maximize my potential. As the first physician in my family, I learned the importance of academic excellence through AAP and used what I learned through AAP to propel me throughout my academic journey.

How have you stayed connected to AAP? Do you participate in events, mentorship, or any other initiatives that keep you engaged with the AAP community?

Yes, I continue to engage with AAP leadership and alumni leaders to ensure we are able to support the next generation of leaders graduating from UCLA and participating in AAP. I firmly believe in the power of mentorship and support in various methods through networking with current students, offering professional development opportunities, and supporting the AAP scholarship fund as a donor. Furthermore, at AltaMed, we regularly offer internship and summer program opportunities for pre-health students and offer these opportunities to UCLA students and alumni.

For more information regarding these opportunities, students can contact:
altamedsummerprogram@altamed.org
Erick Leyva Bedolla – elbedolla@altamed.org

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