No Longer a Baby Belle

I will always remember the night that I was accepted into Belles. I was with friends at cafe 1919 eating gelato (what a throwback) when my phone started blowing up with instagram requests from current belles. Right from the start, this made me feel so welcome. When I came home to my dorm a few hours later, I was so excited to see a cutout belle on my door with my name on it. That weekend, I met the board at the board/baby belle brunch and then the rest of the belles at fall retreat. Since that day, I have been honored to have so many amazing women in my life to look up to, learn from, and be inspired by. Whether it was my six fellow freshman baby belles, the wonderful women on executive board, or most recently my alumni mentor, I have gained so much from being in the presence of belles.

Watching senior spotlight presentations this year at general meeting, I was struck by A) how incredibly diverse in interests, passions, and experiences belles are and B) how much I learned about some belles that I hadn’t known before! I can guarantee you that each and every belle is worth getting to know, listening to and learning from. It is this wealth of different experiences and knowledge that makes belles such an amazing resource in which to be involved. From class recommendations to professional advice to good old-fashioned commiseration during midterms and finals, belles have always been there to lend a hand.

This year, as I aided in recruitment tasks with the rest of the DBs, I was struck by the fact that I was no longer a baby belle. When I was first applying to belles, I couldn’t have imagined that I would soon be on the other side of the process, welcoming prospective baby belles into their interviews and speaking to them at open house. Everything that I’ve learned from belles has helped me grow as a helper and leader, and I have loved watching my fellow 2019 baby belles grow and change as well.

Tess Kara

Public Relations Distinguished Belle

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As I reflect upon the past year, my heart swells with gratitude. I am so very thankful to be a part of this community. When people ask me what Bruin Belles is, I always begin with the words passionate, and compassionate. For in our multiplicity of interests, personalities, and ambitions, the shared heart of our organization is service. Whether dressed up in Belle attire or clad in old gardening clothes, some of my fondest college memories have transpired in BBSA, and I know that my time as a Bruin has been made infinitely richer through knowing and serving alongside fellow Belles. I contemplated for a while about what I wanted to share in my blog post, and I arrived at the conclusion that while being a Belle cannot be summed up in any singular experience, one poignant thread of this organization are the car rides we share on our way to, and back from an event. Whether we are squealing with delight over a Belle alumna’s recent grad school acceptance, singing our hearts out to Dan + S

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