Riordan Programs-Help Support Future First-Gen College Students

The Riordan Programs are designed to lift up the communities that surround us. Our program motivates high school students, college students, and recent college graduates from diverse backgrounds in underserved communities to pursue careers in management. We do this through three core programs that incorporate education, mentorship, and professional development. The Riordan Programs were founded in 1987 by Richard Riordan and William Ouchi as career-based outreach programs for high school and college students in the Los Angeles area who needed the education and training instrumental for professional success. That need for education and training still exists today and, when provided, creates transformational experiences for the students we serve.

Today more than 3,500 Riordan Scholars have graduated from the program. Many are moving on to study at the nation’s top universities, secure positions at elite companies, and become local community and business leaders. All Riordan Programs’ success is owed in no small part to the mentoring integral to each program. The mentors are our own MBA students who have a strong desire to give back. Nearly 3,000 UCLA Anderson students have served as mentors or volunteers. The cross-cultural element creates meaningful learning experiences, helps cultivate long-lasting relationships, and provides valuable opportunities for students to navigate their personal and professional careers.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla RF' 97 featured with his Riordan Fellow Class of 1997.

Two out of the three Riordan core programs are offered tuition-free. Our students come from historically low-income communities and are often the first in their families to graduate from high school and go to college. By offering tuition-free college preparatory programs based at UCLA Anderson, the Riordan Programs are leveling the playing field for deserving, high achieving youth, who would not have access to this type of prestigious opportunity otherwise.

Your donation of any dollar amount will make an impact on the students we serve. 
See examples below of what your donation will help provide.

Through this crowdfunding campaign, we aim to make the Riordan Scholars Program tuition free for every student. 

Each year the Riordan Programs depend on donations to make our Scholars sessions possible. With your generous donation, you will be helping the Riordan Programs cover expenses for print materials, food, student transportation and other program-related needs. Your donation also will support our annual Northern California College trip, where participating high school seniors visit campuses like UC Berkeley and Stanford, and meet with Riordan Program alumni at their corporate work sites, including companies like Google and Pandora. 

Should this fund reach the campus minimum required for the establishment of an endowment or quasi-endowment, The UCLA Foundation reserves the right to convert this fund to an endowment or quasi-endowment.  Please click here to learn more about how The UCLA Foundation invests and manages its endowments.