Skip to main content

My Experience So Far


Coming in to UCLA as a transfer student, I have to admit that I was pretty nervous. The school I transferred from only has about 900 students, so going from that to the largest school in the state, with about 40,000 students, was a bit of a shock at first. There were so many people, so many activities to get involved in, and way too much to process at first.

I had known about Belles because my mom’s cousin was a Belle during her time at UCLA. I knew it was a highly regarded organization prided on professionalism, leadership, and service—but what I didn’t know is that I would find my true home on campus and become a part of it.
Getting the phone call that I had been accepted as a Belle was the highlight of my week, but little did I know that it would quickly become the highlight of my quarter as well!
Belles has literally become a second family to me, and a place to belong on a campus full of strangers. It’s 80 of my best friends. I have become a part of one of the most amazing groups of young women out there. The interesting thing is that we are all incredibly diverse, our interests, goals, and aspirations lie all over the spectrum, and yet, we have all come together as members of this Association, dedicating ourselves to high values of leadership, service to UCLA and the community, and maintaining the professionalism that Belles has been known for since its beginnings 1946. We have all come together to be a part of something unique and great.

I couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of such a wonderful thing.

I have never met such a kind, intelligent, motivated, and strong group of people. I have never had the opportunity to partake in so many wonderful events—from socials like trips to Disneyland (my favorite theme park!) to philanthropy events like the Halloween Dance at the Veteran’s Hospital (definitely my favorite so far), I have always had an incredible time bonding with my fellow Belles and exploring and serving the Los Angeles community as well. There is never a dull moment. We are always laughing, smiling, and having the best time. Having a group like this truly means everything to me.

I can’t wait for what the winter quarter and spring quarter bring. If fall quarter has been this much fun, then I can’t even imagine what’s in store ahead.

Lots and lots of Belle love,
Ashley Jakubczyk
First Year Belle

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