“There are many specific instances of these traits in action during my interactions with Aviv, two of which are highly illustrative of his excellence as both an undergraduate mentee and a UCLA Bruin. The first was with respect to being in touch and in contact with me throughout the year and the clarity of his expectations and goals from the mentorship. As a first-time mentor, I highly desired to be of value to someone who was enthusiastic about their career goals and who had a need for the type of advice I can give. I have been practicing law for four years, three of which as a judicial law clerk, a special position that even 1Ls in law school just starting out have only the faintest idea about. As an undergraduate, I was surprised and happy to hear that Aviv, at this stage in his career, was interested in learning more about being a judicial law clerk, and the highly competitive path one must usually take in order to land the job. Along with his passionate desire to enter a top law school and to reach the pinnacle of the legal profession, I was highly impressed by his knowledge of what he wanted to achieve while in law school and he provided me with an opportunity to hopefully influence and mold his path to becoming an attorney through my advice.

“On that point, he was religious in reaching out, which I highly valued throughout the mentorship. I wanted my mentees to reach out to me through emails, texting or calling, and his interest in developing a connection and relationship with me as a mentor was so refreshing to see, especially as an alum doing mentorship for the first time. I believe we have genuinely developed a professional connection that will last even after this mentorship year.

“All in all, Aviv is the perfect mentee because he is a great human being and leader. Not only does he know what he wants, he is willing to share his knowledge and connections with others to help everyone. I know that he will someday be an outstanding UCLA mentor because, in words and in practice, he passes good deeds on to those who need them. It is a pleasure to be his mentor.”

“Mason’s carefully prepared questions, and clear investment in this mentorship process, have allowed us to dive into challenging and essential discussions and strategies, demonstrating the endless value of these relationships. This process, and how Mason shows up, demonstrates the connective tissue required, especially for those of us with marginalized identities, to navigate narrow and harmful systems and structures. The relationships we build and tend to in order to support one another are so important.

“Mason has gone above and beyond by truly challenging me, holding me accountable, by demonstrating how to identify boundaries and capacity, and respond actively and intentionally. When they reprioritized their overflowing plate, I mirrored their strategy to rebalance my own.

“Mason has inspired me to show up with more care and bravery for myself and in my career. I’m resetting how to lay the most inclusive, safe and brave pathways. These powerful lessons reach beyond us, as gifts for everyone around each of us.”

“During these difficult COVID years, Daniel continued to pursue not only me but my son Louis who is completing his MBA at Anderson, as well as Louis' classmates, who have been able to provide additional guidance to Daniel that I cannot provide. Daniel will be extremely successful upon his graduation this June. We will continue to have a relationship going forward for many, many years to come. Thank you for providing this excellent program to undergraduates like Daniel. Both Daniel and I have learned a lot from this relationship.”