About Ryan: Ryan grew up in Folson, California, a suburb just outside Sacramento. He’s the son of a couple Berkeley grads who broke rank and charted his path at UCLA, where he studied Economics and Political Science before graduating in 2019. Aside from a brief stint in San Francisco, Ryan has been in Los Angeles ever since and deployed his passion for sports to establish a career in athletic communications, interning for UCLA Athletics, the Chargers, and the Lakers before his most recent tenure with the Pac-12 Conference & Networks. At Anderson, Ryan looks to explore the technology, streaming, and CPG industries to expand his business acumen and accelerate his leadership trajectory.

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I remember it vividly to this day – the exact moment as a senior in high school in 2015 when I found out I had been accepted into UCLA. I was at a booth at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Folsom, surrounded by family who watched as I finally worked up the courage to access my decision portal. The screen flashed, “Congratulations!” and immediately dropped my phone and ran around the restaurant in pure joy and disbelief. My dream of becoming a Bruin was finally realized. 

I arrived in Westwood later that year to start my undergraduate adventure. It was exciting, awe-inspiring, overwhelming – truly every emotion all at once. UCLA can feel pretty large at times, but once I found my community, I was able to take advantage of everything the university and Los Angeles have to offer. The friends I met on campus are still some of my closest to this day, and we treasure memories from college that include tailgates at the Rose Bowl, seeing Olympic athletes compete on the gymnastics team, beach meet-ups on the weekends, and sampling some of LA’s unparalleled food and drink scene.  

UCLA also provided the gateway to my early career in the sports industry through an internship in the Athletic Department. My time spent as a student assistant for the Athletic Communications office paved the way for subsequent internships with the Chargers and Lakers, as well as full-time roles with UCLA Athletics and the Pac-12 Conference & Networks. 

Before I knew it, I had established a career path in sports that I could only have dreamed of growing up. UCLA had set me on the path to walk NFL sidelines, work press conferences in NBA locker rooms, and interact with the athletes and coaches I always admired. And as I realized it was time for  the next step in my professional trajectory, UCLA was there for me as it always has been. 

I discovered the incredible Anderson community—students and alumni who were generous with their time, honest with their advice, and deeply committed to the “Share Success” ethos. It was clear from the beginning that Anderson was where I wanted to pursue my MBA, and I poured myself into preparing the strongest application I could. 

Ten years on from my undergraduate acceptance in 2015, I was fortunate to get the call to join the Full-Time MBA Class of 2027 at Anderson. I happened to be working the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in San Francisco at the time I received the call from Admissions, an opportunity that would never have been possible had I not stepped into the UCLA Athletic Department as a student years before. It felt like a full-circle moment, one that tied together every step I had taken since that first internship as a UCLA undergrad. 

UCLA has shaped my personal and professional life in more ways than I can count, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities, relationships, and confidence it has given me. Today, as a proud Double Bruin, I’m honored to represent the school that continues to open doors and inspire me in every chapter of my journey.

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Student Blogger: Ryan Andersen ‘27

Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles ’19

Pre-MBA: Pac-12 Conference & Networks

Leadership@Anderson: President, Section D; Director of Prospective Student Affairs, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Business Development, Sports Business Association