Some of the other bloggers have already written about Bruin Day, but I can offer a unique experience as an out of state student. When I was deciding whether or not to attend UCLA there was no Bruin Day. I really wish there had been, because Bruin Day is an amazing day. I could not believe the amount of pride and Bruin spirit that was present the entire day. There were so many student volunteers who rolled out of bed around 6 am on a Saturday in order to get down to Bruin Day and help out. I am sure the reason they did this was the same reason I did, and the same reason why I am a Bruin Ambassador. They love UCLA and love any opportunity to share that love and passion. My day started out at the hospitality tent where I checked people in by giving them their schedules for the day and answering question. Just from my very brief interactions with admitted students, I was struck by the excitement, nervousness, and diversity of these students. I was often asked the same question “where do I start?” Or “what do I do?” Many people remarked that they felt overwhelmed by everything and slightly lost. I laughed when people said this because for me Bruin Day is the perfect example of UCLA in a nut shell. The day offered many opportunities and things to do, but there was nobody who told you exactly what to do in what order, or how to do things. Of course there was help everywhere you looked, but it was up to the students and their families to take advantage of the opportunities offered, just like student life at UCLA.
Without a doubt, the highlight for me of the day was getting to participate in the out of state panels. I am always excited when I meet an out of stater at UCLA especially ones from the east coast, so when I got to interact with so many on Bruin Day, I really enjoyed the experience. UCLA is letting in more and more out of staters and international students which I am really happy about, but it is difficult to convince people to leave home and go so far away. I relish the opportunity to share my experience of going to the opposite coast and making it my home. I loved Bruin Day, and I love UCLA. Go Bruins!!!