Our Mission

The mission of the RPAA is honor the Riordan Legacy by supporting it’s Members as they pursue their educationl, professional and charitable endeavers while making a positive impact on the community

The Riordan Programs Alumni Association (RPAA) was started in 2000 and aims to provide graduates of the Riordan Programs an extension of the professional, educational and personal leadership development gained during the programs.
Additionally, we aim to support the Riordan Programs through recruiting, financial and any other collaborative efforts that enhance the ability of the Riordan Programs to continue to develop program participants to be tomorrow’s leaders.

The RPAA has two flagship initiatives:

Saturday Business Academy (SBA): The RPAA proudly funds and manages the Saturday Business Academy at two Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools. Launched in 2005, the program is designed to prepare traditionally disadvantaged and underserved students with the skills and academic guidance necessary to become California’s future business leaders. Through individual mentorship, college preparatory workshops, and a curriculum that instills a basic competence in financial literacy, SBA has helped the Alliance for College – Ready Public Schools attain its goal of a 100% success rate of students who will graduate ready to enter college. which provide an avenue for the RPAA to give back to the community and connect our alumni and other community members to admissions directors of the nation’s top business schools.

Diversity MBA Admissions Conference (DMAC): The MBA Admissions conference held every summer where the nations top business schools come to recruit talented underrepresented candidates. The MAC gives attendees:
* Access to the nation’s top business school’s admissions representatives early in admissions cycle
* Information about the relative strengths and weaknesses of each program
* Review and tips on the application process
* Small group access to admissions representatives through roundtable sessions
Additionally, the RPAA produces periodic events which pertain to: Networking opportunities with Riordan Alumni and other like-minded groups, career development, personal finance, MBA application process knowledge/assistance, and community involvement.

Annual Reports

Every year the out going board prepares the RPAA The Annual Report that covers events, initiatives and financials for that fiscal  year.

2009-2010 RPAA Annual Report

2008-2009 RPAA Annual Report

2007-2008 RPAA Annual Report

Past RPAA Presidents

1999 – 2000     Alex Lawrence
2000 – 2003     Amir Tehrani
2003 – 2004     Jennifer Ortiz
2004 – 2005     Kristina Dixon
2005 – 2006     Alok Chanani
2006 – 2007     Albert Gonzalez
2007 – 2010     Moises Carlos
2010 -Present     Logan Blake

Feel free to contact us

The Riordan Programs Alumni Association (RPAA) is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all proceeds will go to funding the Saturday Business Academy, a mentoring program designed to prepare over 100 underserved students at Gertz-Ressler and William Ouchi High Schools with the skills and academic guidance to pursue higher education and become future business leaders.

Apply To Become A Mentor Today

In early 2005, with support from the Riordan Programs, the RPAA founded the Saturday Business Academy (SBA) as a pilot program at College-Ready Academy High School in south Los Angeles with 30 students participating in the inaugural program year. The SBA program addresses the needs of High School students who are primarily from low socioeconomic households with the potential and desire to go to college, but lack traditional resources critical for college admittance. Since 2006, the SBA Program has taken place at Gertz-Ressler High School, located in Los Angeles’ Pico-Union community, and offers two distinct courses for the students at the host school.

The SBA Seniors Program is intended for 12th grade students and the focus is placed on assisting students through the college application process with emphasis on essay writing, resume and interview skills, and financial aid planning. The SBA Juniors Program is intended for 10th and 11th grade students, and the focus is on general personal financial literacy and both college and career exposure. The goals of each of the SBA Programs are made possible through SBA mentors, who are young professionals that are paired with the SBA students for the entire program year. In 2008, the SBA Program was expanded to a second campus, William and Carol Ouchi High School located in the Hyde Park community of South Los Angeles.  The SBA program has since increased to 100 student participants during FY 2011 at both campuses.

Through individual mentorship, college preparatory programming and a curriculum that instills a basic competence in financial literacy, SBA’s goal is to have 100% of its participants academically, intellectually, socially, and professionally competitive for college admittance upon completion of the program.

Important Dates for the 2011-2012 year:

Seniors Program : 9/24, 10/8, 11/5, 11/19, 12/3, 12/17

Juniors Program : 1/14, 2/11, 3/3, 3/24, 4/14, 5/5

Current Employer: UCLA School of Public Health, Dept of Health Services

Title: DrPH (Doctor of Public Health) Candidate Education:

Stanford ’02 (BA, Cultural and Social Anthropology, Spanish Minor), University of Michigan ’04 (MPH, Health Behavior and Health Education)

Experience with the Riordan Programs: Growing up in South Los Angeles, Portia started participating in programs at UCLA in junior high. She was a Riordan Scholar as an eleventh grader in 1997. She decided to volunteer with the Saturday Business Academy in order to give back to the program that believed in and supported her. She has served as a mentor to juniors and seniors at Ouchi High School over the past year, where she has given a guest lecture on diversity scholarships and local internship programs such as INROADS.  She also focused on working with students on college essays, resumes, and helped them develop a sense of financial responsibility.  Portia has been actively involved in speaking with and mentoring students in secondary school and college settings since her senior year of high school. She has developed mentoring programs, served as a motivational speaker, and has several mentees at the undergraduate and graduate level. She is passionate about continuing the pipeline of students from inner-city communities who enter college, graduate school, and professional settings. Portia is happy that SBA has provided her with the opportunity to connect with students from her own community, and is incredibly inspired by the students’ hard work ethic, sincere dedication, and future plans. Upon completion of her doctorate at UCLA, she will begin a new career in health care consulting.