-- cultivating the authenticity of UCLA as an institution, the diversity of the student body as a collective, and the grit of Honors students as individuals.
The allure of UCLA is not only due to its amazing programs and outstanding resources: its beauty largely rests within the standing of the university and the characters that comprise it. It is within that exceptional student body that a community and a sense of belonging is formed — and deeper within that, the realm of Honors students, who find comfort in peers and a sense of identity through their individuality. It is those factors that make the Honors Bruin experience.
Honors students are able to foster authenticity and inclusivity through the school they attend, the greater community of Bruins they are a part of, and the individuality they find in the process.
Bellow are three simple factors that lead Honors Bruins to be authentic and inclusive, while having the individual grit that allows them to find a sense of "Bruin Balance".
1. The Authenticity of UCLA
UCLA is able to be one of the most authentic universities in the world, proven by how it has been repeatedly set apart from other universities nation-wide and world-wide as (one of) the best of the best! Though these ranking legitimize the prestige of our school, they also provide an insight to the genuineness it offers in comparison to several other institutions.
As a result of the originality UCLA embodies, students who attend this university are able to represent that same authenticity that it is known for. Bruins are special and unique in how they are admitted, because they are representations of the aspects that value UCLA — aspects that few others possess.
This sense can further develop during their time as UCLA students, especially for students partaking in Honors. Honors students partake in endeavors that is not expected of other Bruins: creative research projects, thought-provoking courses, unique volunteering activities, and cherished friendships with others in the program! Honors students willingly partake in these activities, and in the process, they form an inspiring student body that is more authentic than the one before it. This can speak to why UCLA's rankings have only continued to flourish through the years, the particular nature of the selectivity of student applicants (Honors and non-Honors), and the continued cultivating sense of genuineness that comes with being a bruin.
Source: UCLA Website - Rankings
2. The Diversity of the Student Body
The two infographics above are from College Factual, which provides extensive diversity reports based on demographics surrounding race, sex, age, and geographic origin. In their findings, they concluded that UCLA has,
"Excellent over all diversity... University of California - Los Angeles is considered to be very diverse across all factors." - collegefactual.com
The overall student body of our university is composed of people from all different backgrounds and experiences. Thus, when students come together to work on projects or assignments, cooperate at different athletic events, or form life-long friendships, they need to be open to including people different than themselves. That is why Bruins are able to form such admiring perceptions — it is in who they are able to become together, as a community, that builds their character. It is in this diverse character, developed by a diverse experiences, that they are able to accomplish greater things in life later on.
More specifically, Honors students at UCLA have a unique sense of this inclusivity because not only are they surrounded by some of the best people from all different backgrounds, but people who want to continue their success by taking going above and beyond. In the process, these Honors students mingle with one another. This experience adds to each student's character by gifting them with the opportunity to empathize with people who hold different views due to their background. These interactions give Honors Bruins to learn new ways to live their lives, including new: ways to workout, foods to eat, music to listen, politics to identify with, etc. Essentially, Honors students become unique advocates for inclusivity and diversity in their pursuit to the highest learning opportunities available at UCLA.
3. The Grit of the Honors Bruins
Honors students at UCLA couple authenticity and inclusion with hardworking qualities as they rise the bar for what it means to be a Bruin. They enhance their character by partaking in a series of challenging courses depending on what Honors program(s) they are a part of: Honors Collegium, Departmental Honors, Honors Scholars, and more! All the while, they are learning from a diverse faculty and student body, who encourage them to continue their path to success. In order to partake in such rigorous activities, Honors students need to have a sense of mental toughness.
The mental toughness of Honors Bruins is notable because they are continuously exercising it by pushing themselves. Honors Bruins choose to partake in the program: they are curious about the world around them, they are constantly following an enlightened train of thinking, and they are choosing to do more than the standard that is set for them as regular students at UCLA. Therefore, they are not solely defined by their status as an honors student: they are a daughter/son/sister/brother/mother/father/husband/wife/friend, they are workers at their own jobs outside of school, they are team players, they are activists and volunteers, they are artists and athletes, they are human.
Honors students are able to foster a well-rounded image because they are continuously working hard and holding themselves accountable. They set their own standard of what it means to be a Bruin and a person. They are part of a larger community of the honors group, the larger student body, and the UCLA admits — but they are also distinctive in their individual identity that evolves in their time as a student.
Collectively, Honors students are part of an amazing community that gives them a sense of belonging; individually, Honors students are their own people, finding their way in the world, and learning from mistakes through their resilience and grit.
The Honors Bruin Balance
Honors students at UCLA are able to find a sense of balance in their lives through being funneled in a generic system that others are put in, but choosing to make it their own. They participate in extremely challenging courses while maintaining a healthy social and personal life, attending to their mental and physical health, and exploring their interests inside and outside academia.
The graphic above explains how students who partake in the Honors Collegium are participating in one of the most highly impacted courses offered at UCLA. Several of students in the Honors Collegium are also holding majors/minors/focuses on different fields that are also highly impacted at UCLA, on top of already being part of a student-body at a highly-impacted university. Honors Bruins are able to continue their path because they hold themselves accountable to the balance that is needed in their lives and have a community of students and faculty who also do the same for them.
The key to balance for an Honors Bruin regarding state of being rests within their life experiences and characters that push them to do things out of the ordinary: they want to help as many people, learn as many things, experience as much of the world, and improve their mental/physical/emotional state all as much as possible. It is in this unique drive that Honors Bruins can find happiness, more specifically, it is in accomplishing these tasks in which they are able to be virtuous, curious, healthy, social, and well-rounded individuals.
Thus, it is a consequence that in the process, they learn to find a balance of wants and needs, as their aspirations lead them to inspire others.