A thousand students, faculty and staff attended the “Sembrando Comunidad” event, which was part of campus efforts to earn the Hispanic-Serving Institution designation.
Valenzuela spoke about his plans for the division, the importance of public engagement and how his early job at a carwash instilled a work ethic that still drives him.
Campus excellence is also rooted in efforts that go beyond the rankings, including being the only campus in the UC system to guarantee housing to all undergraduates.
Nearly 100 UCLA students spent part of last year in the nation’s capital. The revamp is in line with UCLA’s broader commitment to community-engaged research and learning.