Fred Kumpel describes his daughter, Luz Maria Kumpel, in four words: energetic, compassionate, disciplined and practical.
Her father said from day one his daughter has been a ball of sunshine and consistently makes him proud.
“She has the ability to meet someone and with a short conversation become their friend,” said close friend Anthony Cespedes, a fourth-year history and political science student.
Now a third-year psychobiology student representing Bruins United as the Undergraduate Students Association Council presidential candidate, Kumpel’s unconstrained spirit is what family and friends describe as the key ingredient to her success.
Growing up in Bakersfield alongside her mother, father, older brother and younger sister, Kumpel had a happy childhood and bore early signs of leadership.
As a high school student, she worked at a carrot farm and participated in sports, dance and served as student government president.
Surrounded by a group of diverse friends and a family comprised of Scandinavian, Brazilian and Mexican ancestry, Kumpel is no stranger to uniting different groups.
Cespedes recalled visiting Bakersfield with Kumpel and meeting high school teachers, administrators and community leaders who emphatically thanked Kumpel for her contributions to community events. Because of their experiences with her, they were not surprised to hear about her success at UCLA.
Kumpel is not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right, her father said, recalling an instance when Kumpel defended a gay friend after he was being publicly derided. He said instances like these are what will help Kumpel achieve items on her agenda, such as uniting diverse groups on campus.
The candidate said her bulk of experience comes from time spent outside of the classroom at UCLA. Adjusting to a new academic institution and being far from home made Kumpel’s first quarter difficult. But her ability to bounce back after participating in several activities, including serving as an orientation counselor and on Dance Marathon committee, helped her find her niche.
The people and lessons Kumpel has encountered comprise what she considers a strong foundation for a USAC president.
“As president, you’re one of the main voices of students. You connect students, groups and leaders with the administration. You’re a liaison in that sense,” Kumpel said.
Being involved in activities that required frequent interaction with administrators, such as working as a resident assistant and at the Hedrick Hall front desk gave her the experience necessary for this role, she said.
One of the reasons she is running for office, the candidate added, is to see USAC run more effectively. Kumpel plans on accomplishing this, in part, by increasing communication and collaboration between the different bodies of the council.
“I think how things are run now is each office is its own entity, when really it should function as one body, she said. “We have to work together.”
Kumpel said there is a lot of “fluff” concerning reviews of outdated issues in the current system. In response, she would like to implement transparency and direct action, bringing students the results they want to see.
But she said it is difficult to achieve this when so many students are both unaware of the issues and unsure of USAC’s role.
“How can you tackle the issues if people don’t know? We need to get more students involved,” she said.
Kumpel’s platform focuses on safety, affordability and creating positive and lasting experiences that students can take with them after they leave UCLA.
“I think part of why I’m the best presidential candidate is that through my experiences I can bring a new energy and momentum,” Kumpel said.