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A Message from Our 2012-2013 President


To our Alumni and BBSA Supporters,

When I first joined Bruin Belles Service Association at the beginning of my freshman year at UCLA, I never would have guessed that it would come to be the defining aspect of my college experience that it has. I am constantly in awe of the dedication, compassion and enthusiasm that exudes from every girl in this organization, and it is for this reason that I believe BBSA truly is a gem when it comes to student groups, not only at UCLA, but at all different schools.

As hard as it is to imagine, each year in BBSA only gets better and better, building upon the foundations created by years and Belles before, and then flourishing in its own unique way. The 2012-2013 Executive Board met over the summer to plan out our vision for the entire year, and we decided that the three characteristics of BBSA that we really wanted to emphasize this year are community, opportunity and integrity. Being a Bruin Belle is very much about serving our community – both at UCLA and in the surrounding LA areas – but also about being a part of a community here at our beautiful school. When you are one of thousands of Bruins, having this close-knit group of girls surrounding you who all have the same passion for service is such a special thing. Our second major goal is for BBSA to continue to provide girls with opportunity, particularly opportunity to create change. It is so easy for the voices and abilities of college-aged women to get overlooked, and our hope is that being a part of this organization gives our girls a vehicle to spark positivity and kindness in all the philanthropy work they do. Finally, we have been working very hard to emphasize the integrity of BBSA. Our focus on professionalism and dedication is something that has always set us apart from other organizations at UCLA and, I believe, truly equips girls well for making their mark in the world outside of college. If anything, being a Belle fills our closets with cute business casual clothes for all of our future interviews, internships and jobs.

The 2012-2013 Belle year has already been wonderful, thanks to so many people. Michelle Quan, our PR Director, coordinated an absolutely amazing 4-week long Recruitment that resulted in the most applicants BBSA has ever had and a group of spectacular new members. We have revisited some favorite Belle traditions, including the Dreamstreet Gala and multiple Veterans Dances, and started what will hopefully be some new ones, namely the first ever Winter Retreat, organized by our lovely Social Director, Cara Trombadore. There is so much else I could mention, but then this would turn into more of a novel than a newsletter. Just trust me when I say that BBSA is awesome this year, but what else is new?

What I love about the fact that we have started sending out alumni newsletters is that it speaks to the lasting impact that being a Bruin Belle can have on each girl who is fortunate enough to have the experience. It connects all Belles together – letting our alumni know what their old organization is up to these days, and showing current girls just how much BBSA can mean even after their years at UCLA. Along these same lines, we have started offering current apparel to Belles who have graduated, so that they can keep on repping all of our swag while they are out conquering the real world. If there is one thing I know, it’s that I’ll still be buying apparel ten years from now. Can we start the design on “My mom was a Bruin Belle at UCLA” onesies for my future children?

With all of this being said, I want to take a quick moment to brag about the rest of Executive Board and thank them for all the incredible work they have put into BBSA so far this year. I could never truly explain how much these women have done to help make this organization the best it can be, but the world has to know how amazing they are. So Bertina, Jackie, Maryam, Victoria, Michelle, Cara, Heather, Bri and Erica – you are all absolute rock stars.

There are still so many exciting things in store for the rest of the year, and I hope we get to see all of our lovely alumni really soon! Until then, know that we are always thinking of you and always missing you – so come visit us!

So much love,
Carrie Jercinovich
2012-2013 President

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