Skip to main content

Expanding My Horizons

One of best things about attending UCLA is the sheer amount of diversity on our campus. From our student body to the number of majors offered, there are so many unique aspects to being a Bruin. And yet, as a second year pre-medical student, I found myself missing out on all of this. Day in and day out, I would be attending the same science classes, with the same classmates and participating in extracurricular activities with other students that had the same career goals as I did. As much as I loved being a STEM student, I knew I didn’t want to graduate from UCLA without meeting people with different interests, hobbies, career goals, perspectives, and experiences. Bruin Belles was the organization that made that dream a reality.

I remember walking into fall retreat (my first event ever!) for the first time and feeling nervous. I was outside my pre-med, science, healthcare-focused comfort box, and I wasn’t sure how I was going to fit in with all the other Belles. It only took a few minutes to dispel any of those worries. I was so excited to see how genuine and compassionate every single Belle was – about service, about women’s leadership, and about each of their unique passions. It was so refreshing to celebrate our unique backgrounds and interests, while sharing a common love for service and empowerment. The best part? This amazing environment didn’t stop at fall retreat. Without fail, I’ve been surrounded by inspiring, intelligent, and inclusive women at every Belle event I’ve been to. Seeing these women dedicate themselves to a variety of philanthropic causes around Los Angeles has only served to make me appreciate the power of community service even more.

Perhaps one of my favorite memories from Belles was being a part of the Women’s Leadership Conference committee last year. BBSA is so unique in its emphasis on empowering women and I wanted to take the initiative to be a part of that mission. Watching the leadership conference go from a fledgling idea to a full-blown, successful, rousing event was incredible and humbling. Not only did I play a role in inspiring other women on our campus, but I was also inspired myself. The Women’s Leadership Conference reminded me of the work that was yet to be done in the realm of women’s empowerment and the necessity for young women to lead that movement forward. I am committed to furthering this cause as I begin my professional career.   

As a senior reflecting on four years of college, I can honestly say that being a part of Bruin Belles has been so crucial to my undergraduate journey. In addition to participating in service events and fun socials, just being in the presence of friendly and compassionate women helped me develop self-confidence and pride in my abilities. While I’m sad to see my journey as a Belle come to an end, I will always be grateful for everything it has given me.

With Belle love,
Runi Tanna


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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
Post a Comment
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more

One Year Ago, Today

One year ago today, I was working on my application for Bruin Belles. As I think back to that time of my life, I remember the immense sense of uncertainty I felt. Would Belles like me as much as I liked them? I look back at this time of my life, a mere 365 days ago, and hardly recognize the person I was. Belles has been a large part of this personal journey.  When I applied to BBSA, I was just beginning my junior year at UCLA. My first year had been cut short because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and my second year of college was entirely online. Determined to make the most out of the later half of my undergraduate career, I applied to Belles. I was resolute on finding a community that made UCLA feel like home (as cliche as it sounds) while supporting my personal and academic growth. After attending my first Belles event, I knew I had found what I was looking for (and more).  As an organization, BBSA has given me invaluable opportunities to serve the Los Angeles community, allowed me to le
Post a Comment
Read more