Cooke Endowment Report

2020-2021 Endowment Report

THE SPANGENBERG SCHOLARS FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AWARD Prepared for Mr. Stephen Cooke

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Table of Contents

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A Message from Dean Williamson

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Philanthropy with Purpose

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The Impact of Scholarship

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The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award

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Charitable Contributions

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Merage School Endowment

THANK YOU You are making the difference.

It is a great honor to join the UCI Paul Merage School of Business as your new dean.

The Merage School experience goes far beyond a traditional classroom education.

Students are developed into digitally–driven leaders, they build invaluable relationships with faculty and mentors and join an elite alumni community that spans across the globe.

We are in a period of great disruption for higher education, and the Merage School is in a tremendous position to provide innovative solutions for the student experience through online and in-person course delivery and our ability to increase access to a world class education.

This is where dedicated scholarship donors come in. Your generosity enables students with financial insecurities to receive a premier business education as well as access to a myriad of opportunities that the Merage School community provides.

Your impact does not end with our student body. Endowed scholarship funds have become, and will continue to be, increasingly vital to the future of the Merage School.

When you support the Merage School, you understand that what we do matters.

Thank you for joining me in the mission of The Paul Merage School of Business.

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PHILANTHROPY WITH PURPOSE At The Paul Merage School of Business, we are committed to providing scholarship support for our diverse student body to ensure that the best and brightest receive a top-tier education, regardless of wealth or background.

The Merage School’s ability to recruit gifted individuals in this competitive environment depends on financial support.

Scholarships at the Merage School are designed to reward, encourage, and assist students in pursuing academic excellence and leadership roles in our digitally-driven world.

Monetary awards enable the Merage School to recruit highly qualified students with the potential to have a positive impact in business, as well as in society as a whole.

We are fortunate to benefit from the generosity of our alumni and community members whose dedication to providing scholarship opportunities serve as a philanthropic priority.

“Exposing these young minds to a foreign culture and the companies that operate there is a tremendous privilege. In just one – albeit intensive – week, you can see how the students are transformed, how they are challenged to discover and analyze best practices and understand our differences in an increasingly shrinking world.”

— Professor Thomas Eppel, Operations and Decision Technologies

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THE IMPACT OF SCHOLARSHIP

Scholarship opportunities keep the Merage School strong and allow us to attract students throughout the world. Your investment directly impacts what is at the core of our mission – to provide a diverse student body with the leadership skills to thrive in this digitally-driven world. The 2020-2021 scholarship figures below reflect the private philanthropic support of our Merage School donors.

2020-2021 Graduate Scholarship Awards

17+

Graduate students awarded scholarships

$558,126+

600

Total scholarship dollars

Students enrolled in Merage School graduate programs

awarded from philanthropic contributions

2020-2021 Undergraduate Scholarship Awards

8+

$16,750+

Total scholarships awarded to undergraduate students

Total scholarship dollars awarded from philanthropic contributions

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Endowed Scholarship Funds

130% 6

increase during the Brilliant Future Campaign

THE SPANGENBERG SCHOLARS FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AWARD In 2019, alumni, faculty and staff came together to celebrate the vision and tenure of Dean Eric Spangenberg. Through this generosity, The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award was created. This endowment supports the mission of the Center for Global Leadership (CGL), to build leaders with a sustainable global vision. Creating a more culturally aware student body through access to global travel is at the core of CGL, and your investment makes this possible. Providing this access for undergraduate students sparks a lifetime of learning, helping them develop their skills to function professionally in both national and international markets.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award was given to Ruby Osorio, a first-generation undergraduate student seeking exposure to global markets.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award was given to Catherine Nguyen, an undergraduate student with a proven track record of giving back to the community.

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RUBY OSORIO ‘20 2019-2020 Recipient

How did The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award change your career path?

The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award was designed for students seeking exposure to global markets through an international residential program offered by the Merage School. Unfortunately, I was not able to participate in the Undergraduate International Residential Program, where I would have traveled to Germany and Poland, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the program was canceled, I gained knowledge about the socio-economic, cultural, managerial and political issues faced by companies, consumers, and investors in the International Residential course taught by Professor Eppel. This award changed my career path because I took it upon myself to learn about the issues that the United States faces today. One issue individuals face is finding an affordable place to live, and as a result, many families with kids end up homeless. Learning about this inspired me to look for a career that fights to end homelessness, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to work in a non-profit organization as a Housing and Homeless Case Worker.

Tell us about your background before you became a student at the Merage School?

I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California. Santa Ana is an underrepresented and low-income community where many of the schools lack resources. In result, many people in Santa Ana do not strive for higher education, and if they do, not many graduate college. Learning about education inequality at a young age motivated me to strive for a college degree. Before I became a student at the Merage School, I was reaching out to my academic advisors in high school to ensure my path to college was successful. As a first-generation student, I did not really know how I was going to afford college, but with the help of my mentors, I learned about scholarships, grants and financial aid. I am forever grateful that I had them guide me through high school and college, because not many students at my school had a mentor that truly cared.

How has this award impacted your experience at the Merage School?

This award impacted my experience at the Merage School because it gave me more time to focus on my studies and it lightened the financial burden during my last quarter at UCI. COVID-19 took a toll on my life. My hours at work were cut drastically, and just like many other college students, had to worry about making my rent and bills on time, paying for food and finding a new job. This award really helped me finish my last quarter at UCI.

How did the Merage School help you achieve your goals?

When I began my classes as a freshman, I was not sure what I wanted to do with a Business Administration degree, but the Merage School has done an excellent job giving me the opportunity to explore different fields through the classes offered. After taking accounting, marketing, finance, organizational management, human resources, and information system classes, I can say that I really enjoyed learning about marketing and organizational management.

An academic goal of mine was to double major in Business Administration and Criminology, Law and Society. The Merage School assisted me with academic advising and course planning to ensure that I was on path to graduate on time.

What opportunities are you most grateful for?

As a first-generation and low-income student, I am grateful that the University of California, Irvine, and most importantly, the Merage School, gave me the opportunity to be the first person in my family to graduate college. In the last four years, I have met many students, faculty and staff that have helped me throughout my college journey.

I will forever be grateful because they provided so much support and the resources they shared helped me reach my goals. Also, I am thankful to have been a part of student organizations and clubs where I have been able to create long-lasting memories and friendships.

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A LETTER OF APPRECIATION I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for awarding me The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award. I was excited to learn that I was selected as a recipient, which supports first-generation undergraduate students to have access to an international business education. I want to express my sincere gratitude for the generous scholarship that you have awarded me, and to share with you a little about myself and the experiences that have led me to attend The Paul Merage School of Business.

I chose to attend The Paul Merage School of Business because of the size of the School which allows professors and mentors to give students the attention they deserve. When I first began classes as a freshman, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with Business Administration, but the Merage School has done an excellent job giving me the opportunity to explore different areas through a variety of classes. The classes that I enjoyed most were marketing and organization management. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to be a marketing intern at Jamboree Housing, a nonprofit organization that helps make affordable housing possible for low-income families.

Thank you again for the amazing opportunity to be a recipient of The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award.

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- Ruby Osario ‘20

CATHERINE NGUYEN The 2020-2021 Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award Recipient

I have been lucky enough to guide two mentees in UBA, as well as four first-year Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA) representatives as I acted as a MUSA associate.

As a recipient of The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award, Catherine was asked: What does it mean to you to show leadership in the time of COVID-19?

Through mentorship, I have learned that being a leader is not about directing others: it is about teaching others.

Learning that the Spring 2020 quarter was transitioning to online, I was unsure about many things. When the pandemic began, I had just finished my first two quarters of college, was involved in the tight-knit community at the Merage School and ready to take on leadership positions within multiple campus organizations. I questioned how virtual events worked and found connections difficult to make online. Yet, I knew that the next class of incoming students would face the same struggles as me, if not, larger.

Leadership has never been about who has the authority to make decisions. A leader remains open-minded, supportive and willing to make the most out of uncomfortable, challenging circumstances, especially during this time. When I reflect on this past year, it could have been easy to disengage during the lockdown, but I realized the majority of my personal growth this year has come from being out of my comfort zone, while pursuing unfamiliar opportunities.

Utilizing my role as Vice President of Marketing of the Undergraduate Business Association (UBA), I emphasized to students, new and old, how important it was to stay connected with peers, become selfmotivated to participate in workshops and immerse themselves in unconventional dialogues.

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A LETTER OF APPRECIATION Dear Mr. Cooke: I am extremely grateful to be a recipient of the Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award and I am so appreciative of all the opportunities the Merage School has provided me.

In high school, we are given limited options on career and business-related organizations to join.

Because of this, I couldn’t wait to explore the diverse professional organizations at UCI and create lasting relationships with driven individuals from all parts of the world.

I chose the Merage School because I knew it was one of the strongest and most selective undergraduate business programs in California. After attending Celebrate UCI, I knew that the Merage School was for me because of the invaluable resources, endless career opportunities, and infinite professional connections the School provides. While I was nervous for my first year of college, I found my home in this supportive tight-knit community.

During my time at the Merage School, I have been able to advance my professional growth and expand my network. From acting as Social Impact Director of Lambda Phi Nu to working in the Fully Employed and MBA Office at the Merage School, I consistently take on new challenges and push my boundaries. Next year, I will continue to serve as VP of Scholarship for Panhellenic Association and President of the Undergraduate Business Association and I hope to continue my involvement in the Merage Undergraduate Student Association and Lambda Phi Nu. Despite only being a second-year student, I am still in awe of all the key opportunities and learning experiences that the School has provided. As I move forward throughout my college career and after graduation, I will always strive to give back to the community which has given so much to me.

Thank you so much again!

Best, Catherine Nguyen

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THE SPANGENBERG SCHOLARS FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP AWARD ENDOWEMENT GROWTH As of December 2020, The Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award endowment is valued at $8,061. Once the endowed fund minimum of $50,000 is fulfilled, the annual scholarship award will be approximately $2,250.

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Projected Growth With Pledged Dollars

$50,000 $45,000 $40,000 $35,000 $30,000 $25,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000

2019

2020

2021

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2022

2023 2024

SUMMARY OF CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PAUL MERAGE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

100 100 +H + H

Your generous support to The Paul Merage School of Business allows us to continue our mission to provide higher education to all. We hope you feel proud to know that your philanthropy makes an impact each year as we award scholarships to our student body.

100+H

The Merage School Fund in support of the LEADS program

$34,950

$691

Spangenberg Scholars for Global Leadership Award

$3,000

Gifts in Kind

Cumulative Commitments to the Merage School

$38,641 13

THE MERAGE SCHOOL STATE OF ENDOWMENT $27,299,972

Growth, Market Value and Breakdown As of December 2020 $35,000,000 $30,000,000

$27,299,972

$25,000,000 $20,000,000 $15,000,000 $10,000,000 $5,000,000

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

$0

23+40+289D Research 9%

Department Support 23%

Student Support 28%

Chairs 40%

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LOOKING AHEAD The Paul Merage School of Business is grateful for the generosity of staff, alumni and community members as we continue to support our student body at the highest level possible. During the course of our comprehensive capital campaign, Brilliant Future, UCI seeks to increase its philanthropic gifts through private resources. An investment in the Merage School is an investment in the future of your community. Your commitment and your generosity ensures our three campaign priorities are achieved.

Access

Scholarships and Fellowships

Innovation

Faculty and Student Research

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Legacy

Leave your legacy for the next generation

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