In Their Words: Blen Tewodros

Name: Blen Tewodros

College: College Ten

Department: Economics

What Award/Scholarship did you receive? Economics Department Award in Business Management Economics

What year are you? 3^rd Year

Where do you call home? Inglewood, CA

With all of the choices for college, what made UC Santa Cruz stand out? I could not resist the beautiful environment! Being surrounded by forestry and beaches provides a peaceful environment for studying. The campus is also conveniently located just across the hill from all the innovation taking place in Silicon Valley. UC Santa Cruz is the perfect mixture of beauty and opportunity!

What is your field of focus? I am currently studying Business Management Economics and Technology and Information Management, with the hope of pursuing a consulting career path. I am interested in utilizing information systems in order to help businesses increase shareholder value and confront risks that threaten business survival.

What do you hope to do once you graduate from UC Santa Cruz? After graduation, I hope to work full time as a Risk Consultant. In 4-5 years I plan on furthering my education in pursuing an MBA degree.

What is one memorable moment that stands out for you as a student here? The most memorable experience that I have endured at UCSC was my time as a Resident Assistant at the College Ten Apartments. While the role challenged me in many ways, being able to support underclassmen and build a community proved to be extremely rewarding.

What does this scholarship/award mean to you? This award is another source of motivation to finish my final year at UCSC strong. Being a first generation college student, I often doubted my ability to succeed in higher education. Receiving this award is a huge source of validation and motivates me to continue working towards my goals!