Skip to main content

First Year Belle: Karen Bryan


Bruin Belles has been the best way to transition into life at UCLA. As a first year, UCLA can seem like a huge school, whether it’s in classes, in the dorms, or just walking down Bruin Walk. I was overwhelmed and sometimes intimidated during the first few weeks by all of the people I was meeting. I was worried by the uncertainty of where I would find my place in such a diverse school.

Once I heard about Bruin Belles and was accepted into the organization, I was immediately welcomed with open arms. Bruin Belles has given me a community of likeminded women who are all amazing! There are girls from every year and major, and the diversity of backgrounds makes it so easy to meet so many different kinds of people.

Every week I find myself searching for empty space in my schedule to sign up for more events. There just isn’t enough time in a quarter to do everything that I want to that Belles offers! I love that I am able to participate and attend events that I would never have the opportunity to do, or even hear about, without Bruin Belles. In only the few weeks that I’ve been here I’ve already been able to volunteer at a charity gala, referee a soccer game for elementary school kids in Culver City, go ice blocking on Janss Steps, attend a TV show taping, and work at the Chancellor’s event before the UCLA vs. USC football game. I already feel immersed in campus life and Los Angeles, which I am so grateful for! It has been the best way to get involved in the UCLA community and explore everything that LA has to offer as well.

I love all of the Bruin Belles and everything about it, and I already can’t wait for the next three years in the organization!

-Karen Bryan

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What I Didn't Know

  What I didn't know The morning after I got the highly anticipated call that I got into Bruin Belles, I found this bell (figure 1) on my dorm door: a door belle…get it? I can still very clearly remember the few weeks surrounding this moment. I wanted it SO BADLY! When I saw the Belles tri-fold at the enormous activities fair, I knew immediately that I needed to be a part of that community. On paper, it sounded like everything I wanted: a group of likeminded passionate women who did community service together and other social events. I worked tirelessly on my application and was so nervous for my interview that I signed up for the very first slot (Monday at 8am… yikes). I got the long-awaited call late on a Friday night. Yashvi, the public relations director at the time, told me that I had gotten in, and while still on the phone I screamed “I GOT IN!” to my roommate. My heart was beating so fast. However, I think if I had known what was to come, my heart would have beat so fast it ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Finding My Home

  My time as a Bruin Belle has been incredibly transformative. This exceptional group of empowered women has not only enriched my college experience but also inspired me to make a lasting impact on the world. Entering UCLA, I was eager to find a community that aligned with my passion for service and personal growth. Joining the Bruin Belles provided that and more—a warm embrace within the vast UCLA landscape. At the core of our experience is our dedication to service, from local volunteer work to impactful fundraisers. We take action, build connections, and create change within our community. Being a Belle has given me the opportunity to volunteer for initiatives such as dog adoption, environmental activism, food insecurity, education advocacy, and houselessness. Through volunteering in various areas of our community, I have found purpose and a newfound passion for advocacy. Additionally, BBSA is more than a service organization to me; we are a sisterhood that fosters leadership. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Senior's Reflection

A Senior's Reflection   As my time at UCLA and Belles comes to an end, I want to reflect on all the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have over the past years. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many great people, many of whom I have found through Belles. This community has given me so much and I could not be more appreciative. It provided such a welcoming and open space for me to grow as a person when I first arrived on campus at UCLA after a full year of online school. With the time I have been given in Westwood,  I have been challenged academically, learned to embrace independence and time alone, and have learned more about myself in the process. That is truly a gift.   That being said, some of my favorite and most impactful Belle events have been Meals on Wheels and Baby2Baby. Meals on Wheels was an amazing experience, and I truly felt like I was making a difference in the community. Through this organization, we packed meals and distributed them to older adu...
Post a Comment
Read more