Ricky Horne, Media Manager at UCLA Housing
"You’ll notice first her great taste, but Audrey’s primary superpower is that she inherently CARES… about everything. Not just what her primary interest is, or how something affects her, which is how most people operate. For the three years I’ve worked with her, I’ve never once seen her knowingly dismiss a detail that would have made what we’re working on better. You can identify and sharpen a person’s skill set, but if they aren’t passionate about the mission, then the sum will ultimately be less than its parts. Audrey’s commitment to what we’ve built for the UCLA community is so much more valuable than any measurement you can identify. Over my 24 years of working, I’ve encountered two people who I believed cared more than I do, Audrey Ruiz and the legendary Paul Schrader. To whoever reads this, I selfishly hope she turns you down and keeps working with me."
Grace Bukunmi, CEO of Bukunmi Grace Photography & Styling
"As a young business owner, there are only a few moments in my operations that I’m able to witness moments of compassion, development, and competency. While working with Audrey, I have been able to witness these traits and more. I believe what differentiates the advanced Gen Z worker from prior renditions is heart and tenacity. Without these two skills, the spiritual and physical work that needs to coincide with the capitalist work cannot operate holistically.
What differentiates Audrey from her peers is her ease and comfortability jumping into leadership roles and asserting herself as a competent, stable young adult who’s creative rigor knows no bounds. I’ve witnessed Audrey succeed in stressful situations with clients ranging from Nike to American Express. That ability to persevere beyond initial anxiety and stress to focus in various work structures is what differentiates a leader from a cohort member.
I have greatly enjoyed my time working with Audrey and I am always excited to see what her next actions will be and will continue to support her in her endeavors as she’s supported me in mine."
Terry Giang, Production Manager at UCLA Housing
"Within the Division of Student Affairs at UCLA, our goal is to build and develop our student staff to become strong, self-sufficient young leaders. In all my years at this institution I have never seen a better example of growth and leadership in all my student teams than Audrey Ruiz. Within three years of joining my staff, Audrey has gone from a junior member learning and contributing, to leading a full Social Media Marketing workshop for the entire department of Residential Life. Professional staff like myself and my coworkers look to Audrey as the authority on social media management and her content expertise. I can honestly say that the success of my team is in huge part through the contribution and leadership of this amazing young woman."