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2009 Young Community Service Achievement Award Nominee
Elaine Veracruz Reodica
Covina CA 91724
(951) 850-0650
Elaine Reodica just graduated this past June from UCLA with a Bachelors in Political Science. Her passion for politics and community organizing had emerged at a very young age. Her passion for political advocacy has centered around issues of social injustice- may it be fighting for an education that is accessible and affordable to immigration rights.
Some of her recent efforts include her student involvement at Pasadena College and UCLA, as well as her experiences working for the Community College League of California. While at Pasadena College, Elaine not only interned for former Senator and Chair of Higher Education Jack Scott, but she also found herself elected as the first Filipina student External Vice President. Upon transferring to UCLA, Elaine got really involved with Samahang Pilipino as the External Vice President and the Asian Pacific Coalition Representative- serving on the leadership board which coordinated the efforts addressing issues affecting the UCLA Filipino student population, as well as the greater Filipino community. That same year, she took on the role as the State Relations Director of the External Relations Office and successfully ran an "It's Raining Debt" Campaign which collected thousands of petitions opposed to cuts to higher education. In her second and last year at UCLA, Elaine got elected as the first Filipina to win the Financial Supports Commissioner position on the 13 person student government representing over 30,000 students. As the only transfer and Filipina student on the Board, she set very high expectations for herself- including the establishment of the very first Scholarship Program in the student government's history. In her one year term- she was able to exceed all expectations by awarding close to $25,000 in text book scholarships. She devised the program so that it was need-based and that the students who needed it most were the ones receiving it. Now graduated from College, Elaine continues to push herself to not seize in being of help to others. As the Southern California Budget Advocacy Representative at the Community College League of Ca, Elaine now coordinates the advocacy efforts of the entire Southern California region. Besides this- she has committed herself to the UCLA Pilipino Alumni Association as the Scholarship Director in hopes of expanding the scholarship programs to reach as many current and aspiring Filipino students as possible. Elaine considers herself truly blessed to have had these opportunities to lead and serve others. But closest to her heart is the honor to represent Filipinos and make them proud.
