An Incredi-Belle Four Years

I remember the day my roommate, Victoria, came back from the activities fair with a small flyer that would have an enormous impact on both of our UCLA experiences. She told me about Bruin Belles, gave me the flyer, and encouraged me to apply. Fast forward to the end of the application process and the two of us are shopping in Westwood when I receive a phone call informing me that I was accepted into BBSA! I hung up the phone and my intense excitement quickly turned to stress, as Victoria had yet to receive a call. After a stressful few minutes (realistically thirty seconds), Victoria got the same phone call and we went back to our dorms beaming. At our first fall retreat, I met some of the kindest women I have ever known. They welcomed me into a family that has been a cornerstone of my time as a Bruin. As a car-less freshman, Bruin Belles gave me countless opportunities to venture into new areas of our exhilarating city with amazing new friends. Belles eased my transition from a small high school and proved to be a wonderful support system and community. Sophomore year I grew close with new Belles and maintained friendships with those who graduated, visiting them everywhere from San Diego to Boston. Our weekly meetings and philanthropy events continued to be incredible additions to my increasingly busy college schedule. I decided to give back to the organization that had given me so much and was elected as Public Relations Director my junior year. I had the privilege of serving on executive board alongside some of my closest friends, including Victoria. Serving on executive board was so rewarding and allowed me to bond with members in a new and exciting way. My time at UCLA has been infinitely improved by being in BBSA. I truly cannot imagine being a Bruin without being a Bruin Belle and I will always be grateful for the tremendous Belle Love that has been such a beautiful part of the last four years.

Birtu Belete

Distinguished Belle

Fourth Year Bruin Belle

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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

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. The s

Stepping Outside my Comfort Zone

Spring Retreat 2023 was by far one of the highlights of my BBSA experience, for reasons I never expected. Throughout my second year in Belles I served as a Social DB, and for this retreat, was tasked with the job of heading the Activities Committee. A couple months of planning and preparation later, I was wracked with anxiety about being so in charge– what if nobody had fun? What if we planned too much? Too little? What if someone gets hurt, what if I screw up as a host, what if quite literally anything negative happens? It was a very rigid, unforgiving feeling, and I was then left with the personal expectation that I was going to get there and not be able to enjoy myself because of this pressure. I was terrified of letting anyone down, especially so because this was the first weekend retreat Belles has hosted in years. If anything went awry, I felt fully unprepared to handle it, but at least I could say I had considered the worst. I tried to take solace in that semblance of control,

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