What is it exactly
that Bruin Belles Service Association does? That’s a tough question to answer simply.
Of course, we help with philanthropy events in Los Angeles, from volunteering
with Meals on Wheels to helping out with extravagant galas to getting our hands
dirty as we tend to endangered plants on campus. But I’ve often found it
difficult to describe Belles in a way that isn’t just listing all of the
activities that we do in the community and on campus. It wasn’t until I heard
Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, speak at a Campus Culture
event a couple weeks ago that I got a better idea of how to understand what
Belles does as an organization and, more specifically, what it means to me to
be a Bruin Belle. When asked about what it feels like to help communities
ridden with gang violence, Father Boyle responded humbly that he in no way set
out to “help” anyone. If anything, he explained, he aspired to be helped and to learn from other
people. He told countless stories of times he had learned from former gang
members and others in his organization, and made it clear that he never set out
to “save” or “help” anyone living in the margins of society. His philosophy was
that philanthropy is about learning from others who come from different
situations. In that moment, I had a new perspective on why Bruin Belles means
so much to me. It’s not about setting out to change any lives, or even about
selflessly helping people; it’s about learning from each other and from the people
with whom we work. Every time we go to volunteer, we learn something new about
how people overcome their own struggles and we have the opportunity to act on
what we have learned.
His talk made me
think of my time volunteering with Reading to Kids last year, where I witnessed
hundreds of kids who yearned to learn and improve their reading skills enough
to spend their Saturday mornings at school. I learned from them that sometimes,
when the system isn’t working in your favor (whether it’s due to lack of
funding for your education or burdens in your community that interfere with
your opportunities), you have to take the initiative to make it better
yourself. His talk made me think of Play Day, where I saw an extremely talented
elementary school girl beat every high school boy on the opposing team in
soccer. I learned to never underestimate the quiet ones. His talk made me think
of the Lips monologue written by our
very own Lexi, which taught me that not everyone’s experience of womanhood is
the same. Most of all, his talk made me think of the Women and Waffles event
last quarter, where I learned that I was surrounded with incredible people who
were consistently teaching me and inspiring me to become a stronger person.
I’ve found that whether we are out in the community volunteering or even just
on each other’s couches discussing politics over waffles, Bruin Belles gives me
the opportunity to learn from people who know so much more than I do. For that
reason, Belles has provided me with not only a fantastic group of friends, but
also a strong network of mentors who inspire me to continue challenging myself
and hearing other people’s stories. I’m excited to keep learning.
Natalie Saragosa-Harris
Distinguished Belle
Fourth Year Bruin Belle
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