Leslie Lopez

Leslie Lopez , newly elected Vice President of the SAI Board of Directors, and former recipient of the 2019 SAI Scholarship, has also served as Music Director of First United Methodist Church of San Fernado.

Leslie is a student at the University of California Irvine, studying Vocal Performance and looking to get her Bachelors of Music. Her music career began in 2015 when she had unexpected health issues that kept her from further following her dreams of becoming a doctor. Music has given her opportunities she would have never dreamt of. This past summer Leslie was selected to participate in the Barcelona Festival of Song where she sang art songs in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese. She has performed at CBS Studios for the Cancer Walk Relay for Life, has sung under the baton of Maestro James Conlon at LA Opera and currently serves on the LA Opera College Advisory Committee where she works closely with the staff to make opera more accessible to college students. These experiences have helped her gain tools and knowledge about program management, fundraising, and networking. She is the founder and creator of the SAI Annual Music Benefit Concert which invites music students to showcase their talents to raise funds for future SAI Recipients and their scholarships. Leslie is looking forward to serving as Vice-President, as a fellow student, she is motivated to help others Reach for the Stars. She’d like to give a very warm thank you to Bob Arvizu and President Leah Switzer who found her at a SAI Christmas Fundraiser event that connected her to the SAI Board.