Hey everyone! My name is Isabella (She/Her), and I am currently a first-year pre-med student studying Psychobiology. I am also working towards declaring a minor in Spanish! A little about me: I am from San Francisco, California, and I love being active in my community. I chose to come to UCLA because of the beautiful campus, the abundance of resources available to students, the strong network of student organizations, and its connection to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Like many students entering UCLA, I initially felt intimidated by the idea of joining such a large university and becoming one among thousands of undergraduates. Coming from a small high school with a graduating class of only 80 students, the transition to a campus of this scale felt overwhelming. Now, as I enter the final quarter of my freshman year, I have slowly come to realize that being involved in smaller communities has made the transition much more manageable!

This school year, I have gotten involved in different communities, allowing me to gauge where I can grow and learn more about what is most enjoyable to me. In the fall, I started working as a Community Development Intern (CDI) with UCLA First Year Experience (FYE). FYE provides support to students during their first year on campus through a variety of resources and events. One resource they offer to students living in on-campus housing is the Living Learning Community (LLC) program. There are 14 LLCs spread across buildings and building floors in undergraduate housing. Each LLC is designed to bring together students who share common interests or identities and support their academic, social, and personal needs through a living-learning environment and related programming. CDIs, such as myself, help plan events for LLC residents and create connections between the community and relevant campus partners. Much like a club, LLCs are led by the CDIs who serve as student leaders, and students in the LLC get to shape their experience and contribute to its programs and events.

I serve as the CDI for the Pilipinx LLC, which allows me to stay connected to my Filipino culture while providing resources and support for students who share a similar identity. I really enjoy learning from and living amongst other Bruins who share my identity, and my LLC truly feels like a home away from home. As a CDI, I also get the opportunity to support my fellow residents both academically and socially by planning events in collaboration with other Pilipinx student organizations and resources on campus, Pilipino clubs such as Anackbayan (the UCLA Pilipino social justice group), LLCs, and student organizations on campus. Some of my favorite community programs I have hosted include Pipe Cleaners Crafts and Porto’s, where I taught the residents how to make Pipe Cleaner Flowers while we enjoyed Porto’s baked goods, and Cookies and Cram, where we transformed our floor lounge into a community study space and provided sweet treats to support residents during finals week.

In addition to my work with First Year Experience, I have made it a priority to pursue my passions via extracurriculars! In the fall, I joined the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, the Samahang Pilipino Education and Retention (SPEAR) mentor-mentee program, and an End Overdose club that focuses on distributing Naloxone and Fentanyl testing strips. This past winter quarter, I joined the Institute of Neuro Innovation (INI), became the Sustainability Chair for my sorority, and joined the Salsa Society on campus. I put myself out there a lot during my first year at UCLA, and through these experiences, I have learned a lot about myself and the communities I hope to continue supporting and learning from. Being surrounded by such a driven and supportive community motivates me to continue growing both personally and academically. I am incredibly grateful to be part of a university that inspires me to learn, connect, and contribute, and I look forward to the next three years.

GO BRUINS!