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Belle Family

Winter quarter is one of my favorite times in Belles because it means Winter Retreat - my favorite Belles event - and, thus, getting or adding to your Belles family. Coming to UCLA from Houston, Texas, I knew absolutely no one when I moved here. At such a big school, it was a truly intimidating and I constantly wondered how I would find my home here. At yet, within a few weeks at UCLA during my first year, Bruin Belles gave me that home. I immediately felt accepted, and all of the Belles events fulfilled my search to participate in meaningful and exciting activities. 

However, when I got my Belles family winter quarter of my first year, that changed everything for me. Not only did I have this amazing organization to help me find my place at UCLA, I now had a three awesome women who were invested in me and who were there to specifically support me. And, it wasn’t just one way - I was there to support them as we chose to go through the ups and downs of college together. My Belles family is very important to me, and our like-minded goals encourage me daily to be my best self.

Annika, my big, and Lulu, my grandbig, and Liz, my great-granbig, are three of the smartest and most capable women I have ever met. Their ability to balance so many leadership roles, extracurriculars, classes, among other things, is something that never ceases to amaze me. My respect for them abounds, and I look up to them so much. 



This year at Winter Retreat, I just got my little, Zoya, and I could not be more excited to continue this amazing Belle tradition.


It is so important to maintain a strong support system in college, and to designate people who you can trust and know will be there for you when you need it most. It is my hope that I can pass down these important qualities as my Belle family continues to grow over my next few years at UCLA, and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this year allows my fabulous Belle fam to take on life together. 

Cassidy Irish
Secretary Distinguished Belle

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