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

Finding Home

I remember going home most weekends when I started my first year at UCLA. I was overwhelmed and felt a little lost (as many freshmen do, even if nobody says so). On one of those weekends at home, I told my mom how I didn’t feel like I had a community that made UCLA feel like home. My parents are both UCLA alum, and she brought up her time in Bruin Belles. She was uncertain if the org was still around, but sure enough, we looked it up and found BBSA thriving. I immediately started going through the website and came across some Blog Posts, like the one you are reading now. After reading about the experiences of previous Belles, I decided to apply. It is crazy to think that I am now sitting here writing my testimony, hoping that it inspires you to join, too!  Bruin Belles has lived up to everything I hoped it would and more. This group is full of the most wonderful women I have ever met, and everybody is so supportive of one another. Everyone is incredibly genuine and just wants the best
Post a Comment
Read more

Finding My Community

Coming onto campus for the first time as a sophomore was especially daunting. Similar to most people, transitioning to in-person classes and dorm life was challenging. As I attended classes and other club meetings, I felt like I might have missed out on opportunities during the online year to reach out to people and make friends. Stuck with random roommates and no close friends on campus, I felt very isolated. This wasn’t the college experience that I had imagined. But then I started attending Belles meetings and events, and things began to slowly click into place.  Bruin Belles is such a uniquely amazing community where everyone is passionate about so many different things in terms of both academics and personal interests. The Belles community inspired me then and continues to encourage me to push the boundaries of my academic and professional pursuit, to put myself out there, and to carry a positive and optimistic attitude into all my endeavors. From volunteering at the LA Times Fest
Post a Comment
Read more

Imposter Syndrome and Finding Myself

The person I was when I stepped on campus 4 years ago is unrecognizable to me now. I came to college knowing that I wanted to be pre-med but having no friends or family following a similar path, I felt so lost in navigating my path on my own. I started college being terrified of failing. I was so naive and so desperate to succeed I was not taking care of myself. My second year was when I reached my lowest point. I was so depressed and lonely, I considered leaving  UCLA. I did not feel smart enough to be there, I didn’t feel likable enough because I didn’t really have friends. Joining Belles in my junior year was a big part of completely transforming my UCLA experience. Belles was the first time I felt completely embraced by a group of people. It was the first space in which I felt like everyone truly wanted the best for each other. The people and the opportunity to help others were exactly what my heart needed at that time in my life. Service is something that is so incredibly importan
Post a Comment
Read more