An Incredi-Belle Four Years

I remember the day my roommate, Victoria, came back from the activities fair with a small flyer that would have an enormous impact on both of our UCLA experiences. She told me about Bruin Belles, gave me the flyer, and encouraged me to apply. Fast forward to the end of the application process and the two of us are shopping in Westwood when I receive a phone call informing me that I was accepted into BBSA! I hung up the phone and my intense excitement quickly turned to stress, as Victoria had yet to receive a call. After a stressful few minutes (realistically thirty seconds), Victoria got the same phone call and we went back to our dorms beaming. At our first fall retreat, I met some of the kindest women I have ever known. They welcomed me into a family that has been a cornerstone of my time as a Bruin. As a car-less freshman, Bruin Belles gave me countless opportunities to venture into new areas of our exhilarating city with amazing new friends. Belles eased my transition from a small high school and proved to be a wonderful support system and community. Sophomore year I grew close with new Belles and maintained friendships with those who graduated, visiting them everywhere from San Diego to Boston. Our weekly meetings and philanthropy events continued to be incredible additions to my increasingly busy college schedule. I decided to give back to the organization that had given me so much and was elected as Public Relations Director my junior year. I had the privilege of serving on executive board alongside some of my closest friends, including Victoria. Serving on executive board was so rewarding and allowed me to bond with members in a new and exciting way. My time at UCLA has been infinitely improved by being in BBSA. I truly cannot imagine being a Bruin without being a Bruin Belle and I will always be grateful for the tremendous Belle Love that has been such a beautiful part of the last four years.

Birtu Belete

Distinguished Belle

Fourth Year Bruin Belle

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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

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

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

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