Elizabeth Orellana Frias
Zane Patterson
The UCLA Paramedic Program has awarded its first full-tuition scholarship to Elizabeth Orellena Frias and a partial scholarship to Zane Patterson through funding from the Olofson Family Foundation. The Olofson scholarship was established by his son Scott Olofson of the Daniel Freeman paramedic class of 1996 to recognize students with financial need who embody the spirit of paying it forward through community engagement, leadership, and compassion for others.
Tom W. Olofson was a business executive and philanthropist who dedicated his life to lifting up his community and people in need. He attended the University of Pittsburgh on a basketball scholarship and went on to serve as chairman and CEO of Epiq Systems and senior vice president of Marion Laboratories before founding a successful private investment group.
“UCLA is grateful to the Olofson Family Foundation for helping to create the next generation of leaders in emergency medical services,” said Todd LeGassick, Executive Director of the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care. “The scholarship funding is a meaningful way to keep Tom Olofson’s memory alive.”
The UCLA Paramedic Program, one of the top performing paramedic programs in the nation, is a division of the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care in the UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine. The Center for Prehospital Care, which annually serves more than 15,000 emergency medical services (EMS) students, is dedicated to providing world-class EMS education.