Bruin Belles Service Association: Blog

I constantly tell people that joining Bruin Belles freshman year was arguably the best decision I made that year.   I am a second year now and I still think it was my best idea.   I remember looking for a way to get involved and Belles jumped out at me at the Activities Fair.   What could be more perfect than a group of 90 quirky, beautiful, driven women all bonded together by their love of philanthropy (and sometimes delicious food)?   If you find something better, let me know.   It’s hard to pick a favorite Belle event from the past year because there are just too many.   The best part is that I get to bond with fellow Belles while doing philanthropy events. I just ran the We Run This City 5k with Belles, which is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, as well as a competition between UCLA and USC.   I think that perfectly embodies Belles.   We love UCLA, philanthropy, and each other.   I can’t wait for the rest of this ye...

To our Alumni and BBSA Supporters, When I first joined Bruin Belles Service Association at the beginning of my freshman year at UCLA, I never would have guessed that it would come to be the defining aspect of my college experience that it has. I am constantly in awe of the dedication, compassion and enthusiasm that exudes from every girl in this organization, and it is for this reason that I believe BBSA truly is a gem when it comes to student groups, not only at UCLA, but at all different schools. As hard as it is to imagine, each year in BBSA only gets better and better, building upon the foundations created by years and Belles before, and then flourishing in its own unique way. The 2012-2013 Executive Board met over the summer to plan out our vision for the entire year, and we decided that the three characteristics of BBSA that we really wanted to emphasize this year are community, opportunity and integrity. Being a Bruin Belle is very much about serving our commun...

Leadership is a concept that is talked about around the world daily, in classroom settings, job interviews and among world leaders. Executives are always trying to find new and innovative ways to teach leadership and teamwork within their corporations. Because of my involvement in Bruin Belles, I was given the opportunity to participate in an innovative leadership workshop called ‘So You Think You Can Lead.’ This three hour leadership seminar focused on dance, and how dancing can teach one things about leadership and teamwork.  At first, I was skeptical because, in my experience, dancing is more about trying not to embarrassing myself and remembering steps, but this was different. Dr. Edy Greenblatt, who travels the country putting on leadership conferences, organized a group of about 10 professional dancers called the ‘Leaping Leaders’ to help teach us how leadership and dancing are correlated. The second we walked into the room we were ushered into a conga line so...

I’ll be the first to shamefully admit that when I first signed up to bake bread for Challah for Hunger, my motives were not exactly Gandhi-esque. I thought: it’s convenient, right near campus, I get to learn how to make food and eat it in the end. Sweet. I did not know what foundation the proceeds of the challah were going, all I knew was that challah was delicious. I did indeed learn how to roll and fill the challah dough (a useful skill) and purchased a loaf for myself, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, a period of illumination occurred some time in between the dough-rolling and the challah-eating, when the bread was rising in the oven, when UCLA Alumna and Jewish World Watch Co-Founder and President Janice Kamenir-Reznik gave an enlightening presentation on where exactly the funds from Challah for Hunger were headed. The Jewish World Watch is dedicated to putting an end to mass atrocities, such as that which irreparably devastated European Jewry (amongst many ot...

About three years ago, my awkward freshmen self, walked up to a table on Bruin walk and handed in an application. It was three pieces of paper, stapled together consisting of some general information about myself and a few short answer questions about what kind of volunteer work I liked. I had heard about this mysterious club called Bruin Belles through a friend that lived on my floor, and so of course I was intrigued and wanted to apply. Little did I know that one week later I’d receive a call from a board member letting me know I’d gotten in. She however did not tell me that this would make college for me.  Since joining Belles those three years ago, I have not regretted one thing. Not spending my early morning Saturday hours playing with kids, or being knee deep in paper work at the Meals on Wheels office. Or taking a study break to grab pizza or fro yo with the other girls. Belles has truly made my time at UCLA mean something. As corny as it sounds (I apologize, I am SUP...

Join us on at UCLA Hillel for an incredible opportunity hosted by our friends at the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of Southern California. They were generous enough to let us join in on the fun and we cannot wait. We're offering this event to our members for Women's Leadership credit, but we're trying to help get the word out to the greater Los Angeles community. When: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 Time: 7:00-10:00 p.m. Where: UCLA Hillel - 574 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024 More information below: Do you lead Gangnam style or more like Beyoncé? What is ideal? Learn critical leadership skills and tools at So You Think You Can LEAD, a fun, interdisciplinary workshop conducted by Dr. Edy Greenblatt. Dr. Edy, who earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior at Harvard, is an author, motivational speaker, management consultant and world-renowned dancer. Her workshops teach leadership skills by integrating best pr actices and management research with dance ...

Bruin Belles has been a huge part of my life as a Bruin.  Since I joined four years ago as an incoming freshman, Belles has given me countless opportunities to explore LA that I otherwise would not have gotten. I studied abroad during my junior year and while I cannot begin to describe what a wonderful experience I had, there was one thing missing during those nine months spent in Europe. That missing piece was Belles. I not only missed all the wonderful girls that make up this organization, but I also missed the service and the culture of giving that is so prominent amongst us. This is why I decided to run for Executive Board upon my return.  Being Social Director has been an amazing new chapter in my life as a Belle. I have learned so much about so many of our members and I cherish every one of them. Whether it's goofing off playing charades, watching some ballers on the basketball court, or running around campus in the rain, the Belle Love electrifies the very air. I am...

What originally drew me to Bruin Belles was the sense of honor, professionalism, and history that was portrayed by the board members.  Established since 1946, Bruin Belles truly does have a long history of providing service to the school and the community. What is truly amazing is that this history is still being written today, not just on campus, but also in the world beyond UCLA. Such an example is found in the Belles Alumni Wendy Greuel. Wendy Greuel is currently running for the 2013 election for mayor of Los Angeles. A UCLA alumnus, Wendy has pursed an active career in politics and served under the Clinton administration in 1993. She has also been involved with the Second District on the Los Angeles City Council and The Corporate Affairs Department of DreamWorks SKG. She was also the Recipient of the UCLA Award for Public Service in 2009. Wendy Greuel is a proud Bruin and Bruin Belle and has exhibited how we can translate and continue to make a difference in the communi...