Students honored for dedication to service

By Hemesh Patel

Daily Bruin Contributor

Two pre-medical students and the undergraduate student president
were recognized for their dedication to community service yesterday
during the Charles E. Young Humanitarian Awards presentation.

Candice Taylor, a physiological sciences student, Kabir Singh an
economics and microbiology and molecular genetics student, and USAC
president Mike de la Rocha, an American literature and Chicano/a
studies student received the awards in Kerckhoff Hall among family,
friends and university administrators.

“This is one of the most delightful responsibilities I
have all year,” said Chancellor Albert Carnesale.

“Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the
world,” he said, quoting the late American anthropologist
Margaret Mead.

The annual awards ceremony was started by former-Chancellor
Young 14 years ago. This year, 20 students participated in the
application process that involved an essay and a letter of support.
Recipients received $500 to donate to their organizations.

According to Carnesale, 3,000 students are involved with
projects under the Community Service Commission, and the three
chosen reflected some of the most outstanding citizens of this
altruistic spirit.

Taylor, was the first to receive the award for her dedication as
director of the Black Hypertension Project.

Carnesale noted that Taylor blends humanitarianism with
scholarship to address the health concerns of the under-served.

“We all owe it to ourselves and to the community to
volunteer,” she said.

The organization offers free blood pressure screenings to
prevent and help decrease high blood pressure in the community.

According to the organization, hypertension has been a
particularly troublesome problem for African Americans since the
time of slavery when slaves would be fed discarded portions of meat
such as pig ears and feet, which are high in saturated fat,
increasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Taylor said that the group meets four times a quarter and
targets African American communities, but is free for everyone of
all races.

During her acceptance speech, she also expressed her concerns
with the low numbers of admitted students from underrepresented
minorities.

“It’s a privilege to be a UCLA student ““ this
should not be the case because everyone should have the opportunity
to have an education,” Taylor said.

Carnesale awarded the next honor to Singh for his involvement
with Best Buddies, an organization which pairs college volunteers
with developmentally disabled high school students to create
friendships.

Singh is the co-director of UCLA’s chapter of Best
Buddies.

“This is more than a personal achievement, it takes an
award like this to achieve more and more to keep me
motivated,” Singh said. “I’m receiving this on
behalf of Best Buddies, it’s very important to note that
I’m not the only one who deserves this award.”

Singh created the first Buddylimpics, a competition between
buddies and volunteers.

The last recipient to be recognized was de la Rocha for his
efforts in the Student Initiated Outreach Committee .

Carnesale quoted de la Rocha before introducing him to the
crowd.

“Every person has the potential to succeed when armed with
an opportunity,” he said.

“His organization has aimed in increasing admissions for
underrepresented students, which was bad before Proposition 209,
and worse afterwards,” Carnesale said.

De la Rocha said he accepted the honor on behalf of a number of
student groups that are struggling, including the African Student
Union, Samahang Pilipino and the American Indian Students
Association ““ all of which are given funds by the SIOC.

Like Taylor, he expressed his concerns with the declining number
of underrepresented students accepted to the university.

“UCLA receives the majority of outreach money from the
California legislature and the UC Office of the President, yet
student-initiated outreach receives less than 2 percent of the
total outreach budget,” de la Rocha said.

During his acceptance speech he said he will donate his $500 to
the committee.

“Due to this lack of institutional support, this money
will help strengthen the SIOC projects,” he said.

“This legacy of student outreach will continue at the
university,” de la Rocha said.