Second Year Belle: Birtu Belete

I love Christmastime more than any Jewish girl that I know. I'm not sure if it's the Christmas carols, cozy winter clothes or the spirit of giving, but there's something about the Christmas season that makes me happier than any other time of year. The Salvation Army's Annual Sears Holiday Shopping Spree reminded me exactly what Christmas is about. One hundred boys and girls between the ages of five and eleven were given a hundred dollar gift certificate to buy essential items for the holiday season. I had the privilege of shopping with four wonderful children all of whom inspired me and made me feel so lucky for all of the amazing opportunities I've been given. The children were so conscientious and good-natured, it was amazing to see how well these young kids understood the value of a dollar. They were so gracious and I could tell that they appreciated the time we were spending together. I think the highlight of my day was when one of the little boys I shopped with told me that his dream in life was to go to UCLA! I am so grateful for Bruin Belles for allowing me to take part in such wonderful events. Seeing the smiles on these kids' faces was priceless and I couldn't have asked for a better way to usher in the holiday season.

Birtu Belete
Second Year Belle

Comments

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

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

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

Bruin Belles Service Association: Blog

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