Skip to main content

A Sense of Belonging

 When I look back at my first two years at UCLA, the differences between the two are immediately noticeable. By the time my second year was in full gear, I was more comfortable, doing better in my classes, and making memories that I knew would stick with me for a lifetime. This change in my college experience was no coincidence- it was a result of joining Bruin Belles. 

   Freshman year, as it tends to be for many of us, was quite the difficult transition for me to make. Going from living in the same town for my entire life and having been constantly surrounded by family and friends to being on a huge campus over a thousand miles from home was something that I don’t know how I could have prepared myself for. That first year was a lot of trial and error- with extracurriculars, with classes, with my major- any and every part of my life felt like it was undecided and thinking about the future was a daunting task that I avoided at all costs. I often found myself questioning my decision to come to UCLA, thinking that it was too much for me to handle and that I would never belong here. 

As cliche as it sounds, joining Bruin Belles at the start of my sophomore year changed everything. The shift felt so natural, yet it was so immediate. I found myself surrounded by the most incredible people who were all so passionate about such a variety of things, and every conversation I had left me feeling empowered and uplifted. The community I found within Bruin Belles really trickled into all other parts of my college experience, allowing me to embrace other opportunities that I would not have felt comfortable taking on otherwise. Having a group of people that I knew I could turn to and fall back on gave me the confidence and security to be a bolder and more adventurous person both in my academic career as well as in my personal life, and the impacts this change in mindset have had on who I am are glaringly noticeable. The growth that came with stepping out of my comfort zone has left me continuously searching for more opportunities to keep doing the same. 

Though our organization is by no means perfect, the dedication each member holds towards striving to make Bruin Belles the best it can be makes me proud to be part of this community. I am thankful to have found my place here, and I am eternally thankful for the friendships, opportunities, endless laugher, and countless memories that I owe to Bruin Belles.


Alysha Panjwani
Women's Leadership DB

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more

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. T...
Post a Comment
Read more

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, ...
Post a Comment
Read more