Skip to main content

The Impact of Others

Looking back upon the my last 3 years at UCLA, it's impossible not to reminisce about the people who have had a powerful impact on my time here thus far. Each and every member of my belles family has inspired me with their passions, taught me something new, and blessed me with their friendship. I am so grateful to have these incredible ladies alongside me! Each of them has something that they care about deeply, and they are willing to sacrifice so much to serve the people around them. 

Some of my best belles memories are when my big belle, baby belle, grand big belle, and all my other family members were revealed! It brings me so much joy to look back on all the memories and laughs we've had and to think of all that is to come. It's the moments like Women's Leadership Conference when you sit alongside each other while learning what it looks like to live empowered lives, like getting to know your future grand big for the first time at Disneyland, and like running around campus in onesies at night with your new family that leave memorable impressions on my mind and heart. 

It's been said that a lot of who we are can be shaped by the people we surround ourselves with. I would consider myself extremely lucky if even a little bit of who I am was shaped by these incredible girls I get to call my belles family. Thank you to each of you for constantly inspiring me and continuing to show me what compassion and selflessness looks like. Your individual gifts, talents, and passions are lights in the world and I'm grateful that I get to see them in all you do. 

Devin Barbin
Distinguished Belle

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

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