Peter Stevens Memorial Prize Endowment Report

2020-2021 Endowment Report

THE PETER H. STEVENS JR. MEMORIAL STUDENT PRIZE Prepared for Ms. Suzanne Stevens

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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 Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize

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Charitable Contributions

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Merage School Endowment

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.

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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+ Total scholarship dollars

600

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

23

Endowed Scholarship Funds 6

130%

increase during the Brilliant Future Campaign

PETER H. STEVENS JR. MEMORIAL STUDENT PRIZE Nearly 20 years ago, the Stevens Family created the endowed scholarship, The Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize at The Paul Merage School of Business. In honor of Peter Stevens’ long standing commitment to education and the Univerity of California, Irvine, this scholarship is awarded to a graduate student of high merit who serves on a leadership board at the Merage School.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, Will Phelps was awarded this scholarship. Will graduated the Full-Time MBA Program in 2020 and is currently employed at Blue Shied of California where he helps bring affordable healthcare to California residents. Additionally, Will still gives back to the Merage School community as a Merage Student Ambassador.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, Tiam Setayeshi was awarded this scholarship. Tiam is in the 2021 cohort of the Full-Time MBA program. Tiam is the President of the Merage Student Association, representing over 1,000 graduate students at the Merage School.

Tiam Setayeshi

The 2020-2021 Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize Recipient Prior to pursuing his MBA, Tiam worked for four years in the retail industry, where he started off as an Omni Financial Planner for Macy’s Inc. for their Fashion Jewelry/Watches division, before moving to grow the businesses within the Kitchen Electrics division at Walmart.com as a Buyer. He is a graduate of The George Washington University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and holds a minor in Economics. He is leveraging his experience to move into the Entertainment industry, where he hopes to work in a strategy capacity for a major streaming service provider. For fun, he enjoys playing basketball, watching new television shows and movies, and is an avid reader.

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TIAM SETAYESHI Dear Stevens Family: I am honored and humbled to be the 2020-2021 recipient of the Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize. I am thrilled to be a small part of the many recipients of scholarships, endowments, grants, and other forms of financial aid that are made possible through the generous support of alumni and community members.

My journey to the Merage School is not one of coincidence or chance. Having been born and raised in Orange County, UCI has always been the top school for higher education in the area. I also benefitted from the insight of family and friends who have walked through the halls of the University during various stages of their lives – whether it be during undergraduate or graduate programs – so I had a better idea than most about what to expect when I applied. With an overall smaller student body, the Merage School can better dedicate resources to developing business leaders, with the support of world-class staff and faculty, and better meet the needs of each student. This smaller class size allows each student to make a bigger impact in the program and larger community.

When I look back at why I took on the role as President of the Merage Student Association (MSA), I remember one of the questions that was asked during the interview process: “How do you plan on making an impact in the Merage School community during your time here?” My way of making that impact was through leading the Merage Student Association.

As the forefront student-run organization at the Merage School, my hope is that the initiatives that we championed on behalf of the student body through MSA made at least one students’ experience just a little better. During a time when the world was forced to move online and ended up isolating us, we were able to adapt and still make students feel connected to their fellow classmates. To support the many Merage School clubs that continued to engage their members with educational, professional, and social virtual events; that was the impact I strived to make as President of MSA – to improve the student experience and advocate for the student body. That is what this scholarship means to me – a way of recognizing student leaders who worked to better the Merage School experience for all.

Thank you, Tiam Setayeshi 8

WILL PHELPS Full-Time MBA ‘20 The 2019-2020 Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize How did the Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize change your career path?

The Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize positively affected my career path and allowed me to further support health inequalities, by joining Blue Shield of California. With this scholarship, I was able to make the most of my MBA and lead all graduate students in the Merage Student Association (MSA) - the graduate student body - as President.

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

What path have you taken post-graduation?

Pre-MBA, I was leading program teams as large as 250 employees with Amazon.com & Zulily.com to ensure that what we were selling on our website was what we were shipping to our customers.

I had the opportunity to join Blue Shield of California’s Shield Emerging Leaders program and help bring affordable healthcare to California. I currently work with our Medicare teams to support Medicare members all over California.

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

How did the Merage School help you achieve your goals?

This award allowed me to help more students as the MSA President and make their Merage School experience even better.

Earning my MBA with The Paul Merage School of Business was the best decision of my life and put me on a path to help more people. Without the leadership training or MBA, my impact in the community would be much lower.

What opportunities are you most grateful for?

I am most grateful for the chance to put my career on a more socially productive path.

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THE PETER H. STEVENS JR. MEMORIAL STUDENT PRIZE ENDOWEMENT GROWTH As of December 2020, The Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Student Prize endowment is valued at $43,658 and the annual scholarship award is approximately $2,000.

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Projected Growth With Pledged Dollars

$50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000

2003

2008

2013

2018

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2020

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 Peter H. Stevens Jr. Memorial Prize

$23,180

$1,750

Dr. Judy Rosener Endowed Scholarship

$250

The Merage School Funds

Cumulative Commitments to the Merage School

$25,180 11

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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