On April 19, more than 15,000 prospective students and their families were welcomed to UCLA for Bruin Day. This event gave students an opportunity to explore what it would be like to register at UCLA and join the ever-growing Bruin family. In conjunction with the general activities of Bruin Day a number of student diversity groups initiated events for incoming students. These diversity efforts provide a community of support and offer resources for people who share a similar cultural background.

As part of UCLA Bruin Day many prospective students received a Bruin Proud pin. Additional pins were also given out to celebrate the diversity groups at UCLA. Handing out these pins was a small way to celebrate the communities that make up the Bruin family and complemented a larger effort to recruit a diverse student body, by connecting new Bruins to UCLA Diversity Alumni Networks.

Alumni volunteers and diversity groups, including UCLA Latino Alumni and UCLA Black Alumni, volunteered to help with these programs in various capacities. Volunteers helped at information booths and spoke at admit dinners set up for their respective communities. These events offered a unique opportunity for alumni to share their experiences and to help provide advice and encouragement to those contemplating attending UCLA.

Student-initiated admit events have had a long history at UCLA in helping the institution recruit students from various communities. These events focus on students from historically underrepresented populations, and have been around for almost two decades. Some are overnight and have many intentional initiatives to build trust with the families that send their students, as well as partnerships with the high schools they came from. Many of the organizations engage alumni in these programs to help provide a supportive community and connect new Bruins with a strong network of people with similar backgrounds and cultures. The student groups that coordinated events include: Afrikan Student Union’s “Black by Popular Demand;” MEChA De UCLA’s Raza Weekend, a four day event; Samahang Pilipino’s PREP/Bruin Life Weekend; and admit weekends were hosted by Queer Alliance PRIDE, Pacific Islander Student Association and Southeast Asian Student Organizations at UCLA.

The inspiring stories that alumni shared about their time as students, were not only stories of success, but also of persevering through adversity. Many shared specific resources for students of diversity that would help them succeed at UCLA and reiterated that with the help of their community, UCLA was able to open up pathways and provide a family away from home.

Individual volunteer involvement can really make a difference in the climate and success of diverse communities at UCLA. The success and growth of Alumni involvement in admit efforts will also be present on May 9 for the transfer students admit programming.

To learn how you can get involved, please contact senior director of Diversity Alumni Networks Patricia Nguyen at pnguyen@support.ucla.edu.