Story Of Categories: Impact

Scout Bassett ’11 is a world-record-holding Paralympian, author, and global advocate redefining what’s possible. Born in China and raised in an orphanage before being adopted and finding her way to UCLA, Scout transformed personal adversity into a lifelong mission to uplift others. As president of the Women’s Sports Foundation and founder of the Scout Bassett…

Jaime Nack’s journey from UCLA to The White House to becoming a global sustainability leader shows the significant impact of Bruins globally. As the President of Three Squares Inc. (TSI), she is dedicated to supporting and collaborating on sustainability initiatives. She works with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and international organizations to develop strategies to…

Josslyn Glenn’s (Bruin story since ’20) exploration of historical Olvera Street is more than mere happenstance. As a native Angeleno with Belizean and Chicana heritage, she is committed to amplifying underrepresented voices. Mainstream narratives often overlook the stories of marginalized communities, and Josslyn’s work aims to elevate those voices. A UCLA graduate with a B.A.…

Raffi Simonian (Bruin Story since ‘85) is a visionary technology leader, educator, and mentor whose journey spans from Baghdad, Iraq to the heart of Westwood. An Armenian-American and proud UCLA alum, Raffi has spent more than three decades pushing the boundaries of innovation, at global companies like Disney, HP, and Oracle, and now shaping the…

CEO, speaker, host, writer, coach. These are just a few words that describe Celia Ward-Wallace (Bruin story since ’98) but truly making an impact takes more than words. Her journey exemplifies this through social enterprises, food justice, and community empowerment. South LA Café, South LA Market, and the South LA Café Community Foundation are the…

Jeffrey Tsou (Bruin story since ’19, M.S. ’20) has established a remarkable career through technical excellence and a passion for mentorship. As an Applications Engineer at Siemens EDA, he applies his expertise while inspiring the next generation of engineers. At UCLA, Jeffrey dedicated himself to guiding others as a MentorSEAS advisor, helping electrical and computer…

how one alum is helping Bruins find peace In the middle of UCLA’s bustling campus, where solitude is scarce and silence even more so, Sharon Chen ’06 is offering students a rare commodity: the freedom to pause. Her solution is simple: a private, sound-dampended pod where students can step away from noise and simply be…

Tiffany Duong ’06 is an ocean explorer and storyteller. Inspired by an epic dive trip to the Galapagos, she left corporate law to campaign for our planet. Now she writes, speaks and hosts expeditions from dense jungles to remote oceans to the changing Arctic. Listen to learn how she gives voice to what’s happening in…

Doug Behl-Remijan, a Bruin since 2005, made the intentional decision to step away from full-time work to focus on parenting, a choice he describes as “one of the hardest, but most rewarding decisions” he has ever made. This experience reshaped his perspective on risk, growth, and impact. He notes, “Spending time around kids has helped…

Stephanie Moran Reed is a native Angeleno and proud Mexican-American Mompreneur. In 2020 she co-founded with her husband MiJa Books, a multicultural children’s bookstore and online resource for diverse and inclusive books. Inspired by their biracial daughter, they created MiJa Books to amplify stories by and about people of color. Her store has received acclaim…