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My Support System

While there are many words that reflect all of the wonderful attributes of Bruin Belles, in my opinion the one word that best defines this incredible group of women is supportive. There is nothing that quite compares to the support that comes from Bruin Belles. Belles are there for you if you need mentorship, want to discuss world issues, need someone to lean on, want someone to volunteer with, and truly everything in between. These women are always there for you, especially when it comes to supporting the things that you are passionate about; for me that is fighting Pediatric HIV/AIDS. Every year the Pediatric AIDS Coalition at UCLA, an organization I am a part of, holds a 26-hour Dance Marathon during which we take a literal stand to raise money and awareness to support the end of pediatric HIV/AIDS and the stigma that surrounds it. For me what makes Dance Marathon special is the support of Bruin Belles. Bruin Belles never fails to have a team of passionate, fun, and philanthropic women at Dance Marathon to support an extremely important cause that is personally very important to me. When the rigor of the event began to get the best of me I knew I could always turn to a friendly Bruin Belle to lift my spirit and boogie with. There is no other group of people that I would rather get to spend 26 hours straight with while we bond over our shared passion for philanthropy. The support of Bruin Belles allows each us to pursue and share our passions and is what has made me feel most at home here at UCLA. I can’t imagine getting through college and life without the unwavering support of Bruin Belles.


Shivani Desai
Distinguished Belle




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