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PSP welcomes Brian Ishida to the Board of Trustees

April 25, 2017 in Articles, Board

We are excited to welcome three new board members to our Partnership Scholars Program community: Brian Ishida, Sara Potter, and Walter Garcia. PSP is excited about this addition to our leadership and vision as we continue to advance our mission of providing academic and cultural enrichment to help our scholars succeed! 

Brian Ishida

As a Senior Vice President at California United Bank, Brian Ishida has the opportunity to work with many nonprofit organizations. Last year, he was introduced to Partnership Scholars Program and the work the organization does by his colleague, Sharon Hauptman. Brian was looking for the right fit for an organization to get involved with and he was instantly moved by the mission of the organization “I’m a big believer that without the right opportunities people will never expand outside of their comfort zones,” says Brian. “That’s something that really touched home with me.”

A native Angeleno, Brian grew in Gardena, a city with a very diverse socioeconomic make up. “I saw firsthand the difference an opportunity can make,” says Brian. “Friends during my youth who were exposed to various cultural and educational opportunities flourished, while those who weren’t fell into a closed mindset and couldn’t get themselves to expand out of their comfort zones. I look back and realize the opportunities I had, and want to give back.”

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PSP welcomes Sara Potter to the Board of Trustees

April 20, 2017 in Alumni, Board

We are excited to welcome three new board members to our Partnership Scholars Program community: Brian Ishida, Sara Potter, and Walter Garcia. Brian has a background in finance and joins the Board hoping to provide advice and guidance on the financial health of the organization. Sara and Walter are the first of PSP’s alumni to join the Board of Trustees and both look forward to being able to give back to the organization. PSP is excited about this addition to our leadership and vision as we continue to advance our mission of providing academic and cultural enrichment to help our scholars succeed! 

Sara Potter

Sara Potter is one of two PSP alumni to join the Board of Trustees. Sara brings with her a passionate desire to give back to the organization that gave her so much when she was in middle and high school. Sara is a Partnership Scholars Program class of 2006 alumni with her BA in Art History & Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and her MA in Education with an emphasis in Student Affairs from UCLA. She now works as a Financial Wellness Coordinator at UCLA, guiding students in financing their education. Since graduating over 10 years ago, Sara has maintained a close relationship with her mentor and is excited to now be part of the organization’s leadership.

This is Sara’s first time serving on a nonprofit board, but she has had experience serving on several committees, including the UC-wide Food Security Committee, on which she worked to promote food security for students who struggle. She also served on the UCLA First Generation College Student Committee, which supports students at UCLA who are first in their family to attend college.

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PSP welcomes Walter Garcia to the Board of Trustees

April 20, 2017 in Alumni, Board

We are excited to welcome three new board members to our Partnership Scholars Program community: Brian Ishida, Sara Potter, and Walter Garcia. Brian has a background in finance and joins the Board hoping to provide advice and guidance on the financial health of the organization. Sara and Walter are the first of PSP’s alumni to join the Board of Trustees and both look forward to being able to give back to the organization. PSP is excited about this addition to our leadership and vision as we continue to advance our mission of providing academic and cultural enrichment to help our scholars succeed! 

Walter Garcia

PSP alumnus Walter Garcia graduated from the program back in 2010. He feels strongly about giving back to a program that he says provided him with some extraordinary, life-changing experiences. “I would not be where I’m at today were it not for the help of others, like the Partnership Scholars Program,” said Walter. “And so, I feel an inherent responsibility to give back.”

Walter graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in Political Science and immediately went on to work in politics in Washington D.C. He has worked for Representatives Keith Ellison and Tony Cardenas, the United States Department of State, the Democratic National Committee, and recently accepted the position of Press Secretary for California State Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

This will be Walter’s first experience serving on a nonprofit board and he is very excited at the opportunity. During his time serving on the board, Walter looks forward to ensuring that the alumni perspective is alive and well. “I am not too far removed from the experience of being in the program,” says Walter. “I remember very vividly the experience I had, and I want to make sure that point of view is always a part of the conversation.” He is also looking forward to raising the program’s profile and outreach. “The program is not too well-known, but has done so much for so many people,” says Walter. He hopes to help the organization get more exposure and share its success with the world.

Walter grew up in Los Angeles and now resides in Sacramento. He enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.

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