I’ll never forget the Beat $C Rally 1997. On that fateful night, we had everything geared up and ready to go. I was the executive director of the amazing campus spirit committee through the UCLA Student Alumni Association, and we had been working on the Beat $C Rally leading up to the big rival football game against USC. The whole week, we had daily events for Bruins to show off their school spirit, and each of them went off without a hitch. The rally at the end of the week was going to be the BIGGEST and LOUDEST event in the history of this rivalry, and not even the clouds in the sky were going to dampen our spirits. Until it drizzled. At first, no big deal. But then the drizzle turned into drops. Next thing you know, it was pouring down rain. That’s when we were told the bad news. Downpour equals no rally and definitely no bonfire. We didn’t want to accept it, but knew because of safety issues, we probably had to cancel the event.

But here’s the thing. When you are part of something special and GREAT, and you’re doing it with your closest friends, miracles happen. We all got together and started singing every song we could possibly think of related to sunshine, and we danced in the rain as a way to say, “You’re great, but not today!” and about 30 minutes before the official start of the rally, the rain all of a sudden stopped and the sky cleared. That’s when it happened. I looked towards the dorms and saw HUNDREDS of students walking down to Bruin Plaza to join the rally at the IM Field. Then I saw HUNDREDS more coming from the apartments. Next thing we knew, there were THOUSANDS of students singing and dancing with us and cheering on our football team, and I am convinced that because of this committee and all the Bruin spirit from the community, UCLA beat USC that Saturday, 31-24. GO BRUINS!

Student Alumni Association, Campus Spirit Committee. Dani is pictured in the bottom row, center. “I was the executive director of Campus Spirit from 1997-1998. We called ourselves the ‘Goonies’ and were insta best friends.”

I also loved Canyon Point 1997. It was probably the fifth or sixth week of the new school year and many of the residents of Canyon Point A5 had already found their groove and started feeling like they made the right decision coming to UCLA. But that wasn’t the case for everyone, and as the resident assistant, I wanted to help everyone feel as safe and comfortable as quickly as possible. One afternoon, I was in my room getting some work done at my desk with my door open, as usual. One of the residents came home from class and walked by my room and said “Hi!” as he always did. But this time, I noticed him walking past my door a couple of times, each time with a new question or thought, but always followed by “Sorry…I don’t mean to disturb you!” Always so polite and kind, this freshman had come to UCLA from out of state without knowing another soul. He was shy, but friendly, and, from what I can tell, hadn’t yet made many friends. I knew it would take time, but I also knew this moment was an opportunity to connect. The last time he passed by my room, he commented on my music, “The Beatles are my favorite band!” Bam! Instant connection. There were a lot of amazing things that happened my junior year at UCLA, but hanging with my resident that afternoon singing the entire “Abbey Road” album together at the top of our lungs for 45 minutes will always go down in my books as one of my most memorable moments!

For three days a week for one quarter, I was in music heaven with a class all about the Beatles. As a senior, I had an early registration slot and therefore got first dibs on this course, and thank goodness, because it was jam packed — approximately 500 students. I got to take the course with a fellow Bruin Woods counselor/good friend and it was amazing! We learned the historical and societal context of all our favorite songs, as well as the behind the scenes of one of the best bands ever. The professor was insanely knowledgeable AND entertaining, and a big part of every class was listening to and singing Beatles songs. Lastly, not only did I ACE the final, but I got an A+ in the course. I didn’t even know you could get A+’s at UCLA. Best class ever!

Bruin Belles Service Association, Multicultural Fine Arts Festival, 1998. “I was a Bruin Belle for four years and served on the board of directors for two years. I co-directed the First Annual Women’s Leadership Conference in 1997 and directed the First Annual Multicultural Fine Arts Festival. I do believe they both continued for quite some time after I graduated.”

I pretty much lived at the James West Alumni Center because of my involvement with the Student Alumni Association and Bruin Belles, but my favorite place was somewhere I could just curl up in a corner with my books and feel surrounded by greatness. Even though the Charles E. Young Research Library wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing building on campus, it was exactly what I always needed when I needed to bury my face in a book or beat out that research paper. With its chill yet serious vibe, it never let me down.

Double majoring in psychology and political science allowed me to not only explore different passions of mine, but also different styles of learning. They tapped into different interests of mine in unique ways, and taught me that there are many ways to engage with knowledge. These experiences would later inform my practice as a high school teacher and I did my best to make my students’ learning experiences both personal and unique.

UCLA is about CONNECTIONS. It’s where I started to connect to who I really am and how I want to show up in this world. It’s where I connected to different experiences and different viewpoints and learned that the world is so much bigger than myself. It’s where I connected to so many different people who, whether for a quarter, a year or 23 years, have touched my heart in profound ways. It’s where I met my best friends, my chosen family. It’s not just a place. It’s a lifestyle and there’s nothing like it in the world.

Campus Spirit Committee, 1997-1998. Dani is pictured on the right, wearing a black-and-white dress. “This event was held on Bruin Walk to celebrate UCLA’s birthday; we had a giant card for students/faculty/alumni to sign. I think we also had cake!”

My UCLA College legacy is hopefully one of joy, pride, growth, and love.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the school work, extracurricular activities, college life, and just growing up. But I did my best to find JOY wherever I could — even in the most minutiae of everyday life. It’s what kept me grounded and present and made it all memorable.

There’s nothing more amazing than being a part of something great and taking great PRIDE in that. I am a proud Bruin — proud of the work I did at UCLA, the relationships I made and nurtured, the legacy I left behind.

UCLA was filled with opportunities that made me super uncomfortable, but it’s when I found the courage to get out of my comfort zone, that I experienced the most GROWTH. Take the leap. Trust the journey. It’ll be worth it.

To LOVE UCLA is to embrace the past, present and future of the university, which also means to always contribute to making UCLA a better place for those to come. Just as UCLA will give you more than you ever dreamed possible, don’t forget to give back to UCLA.

I hope that the UCLA College continues its commitment to diversity and representation — where all members of the UCLA community can feel seen and heard. With all the divisiveness in the world, I hope that the UCLA College continues to be that place where we can come together to both challenge and celebrate each other in the hopes of building a better future.

“Finals week, winter quarter 1997. The photo tells it all!”