HaU BLOG Posts
My most memorable experience this quarter was our GB retreat. It was my first time going to a GB retreat and WOW it was amazing and unforgettable. From getting to know more GB members to helping out with activities, to staying up with Bianca to write recuerdos (being the last ones awake), every single minute spent at GB retreat was completely worth it! I loved bonding with other Hermanas y Hermanxs and seeing both our vulnerability and competitiveness in action. I truly needed this retreat and I cannot put into words how much I am grateful for having attended. I have to say any moment that I spend surrounded by HaU members I feel happy! The college I made does little to recognize the amazing work that our co-chairs Jo and Brenda put in to making this event possible. However, I want to give huge props to them for making it happen <3 So grateful to be surrounded by amazing, poderosxs, inspirational, and beautiful people!! <3 HaU has my heart foreverrrr
Love, Leslie I have to admit that this quarter has been one of the most stressful quarters at UCLA yet. However, I have found different ways to cope with stress and anxiety and I hope that these things can help y'all too. During the pandemic, I really got into going for walks when I needed to destress a little. I have also really enjoyed studying and de-stressing in nature. I can't tell y'all the countless times that I drove to Whittier Narrows, a recreational area, to study for my midterms and finals during the pandemic. Additionally, I also got into cooking over the pandemic. I found out that cooking some of my favorite foods, such as aguachiles can be really relaxing. Especially because I get to eat good afterwards. Another thing that I enjoy to do when I want to wind down is bake. I love baking ricotta cheesecake, cupcakes, flan, etc. Plus being able to enjoy them is a huge win! I also love some retail-therapy. I love to go to Target or do some online shopping as a means of distraction, while also treating myself at the same time. Lastly, when I am really stressed and just need a breather I like to go visit my niece, Lanei. Being around her and her young energy really grounds me and makes me see things in a different perspective. So my recommendation would be to do things y'all enjoy doing, such as baking, cooking, being around loved ones, and treating y'allselfs!
Hi Hermanas! My name is Yasmin and I’m currently a first year student majoring in Business Economics. I’m from the Bay Area and so far, LA has been a fun environment to live in. In such little time, I’ve met a high number of wonderful people. It connects to one of my main goals, social networking. Social networking leads me to meeting even more new people and having access to many opportunities. It’s one of the main reasons why I decided to join Hermanas Unidas. Besides that, I joined to find my group of people. I wanted to be surrounded by a supportive group of Latina women who wish you nothing but the best! Being a Hermana to me means to be a part of an understanding community where you can give back and also receive support and different resources to guide you. I can’t wait to meet and get to know you guys very soon! <3
Holisss babes! My name is Alma Ortega, I'm a first year human biology and society major! I live in Sproul Hall, I'm an Aries, and I'm a first generation Mexican-American. In middle school I was introduced to this book by one of my latino teachers who understood that for us Latinas, life can get pretty rough. The book "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros is about an adolescent/ young adult Latina named Esperanza who discusses her life in short vignettes. She goes through the motions of life and some hardships she encounters as a minority in the United States, which makes her such a relatable character to us. "The House on Mango Street" brings up a lot of social inequalities, gender norms, as well as encounters with s*xual assault/ harassment; something most authors might not typically bring up. Thanks to this book, I've become more aware of myself as a Latina, as well as others in the Latinx community that face similar problems. I highly recommend y'all read it, it's really short and super interesting. By far, one of the most relatable novels I've yet to read. Till next time hermanas <3
Throughout the beginning of the schoolyear I found myself always finding something to get me down. Whether that be the situation of having spent only two quarters at UCLA or my living situation during the beginning of fall quarter where I was sleeping in my family’s living room in our small apartment. It was not until I began to actually reflect on all the good things that I have in my life did I begin to wake up with a brighter attitude and feel more motivated in my academics. I will be honest, every single quarter has come with challenges, headaches, tears, long nights, and early mornings. Now that I look back at these past two quarters I want to be grateful for the lessons, growth, and blessings. I would like to continue working on my self-love and self-care so that I can be stronger and also live a life with more smiles than regrets. There are several things I am grateful for, but I will only mention one for each quarter which I put in my collage. For fall quarter, I am grateful for being able to travel to Mexico to live with my grandma and my great-grandparents these past three quarters. For winter quarter, I am grateful for being able to raise two cute puppies who always express their love with high jumps and harmless bites. Lastly, for spring quarter I am grateful for my mom who always manages to show me her endless and infinite love for me as she sent me my stitch (my favorite disney character). In my collage I also included some of the things that made my sophomore year a great *virtual* experience and I am truly so grateful for every moment of it. HaU has played a big role in my growth this year and for that I will always be extremely grateful for <3 Thank you all for any amazing year! I’m sending love, strength, good vibes, and hugs to anyone that is in need of them <3 -Les
Hey hermanas! My name is Karen Garcia and I was the academic chair intern for spring quarter. As my first year has come to an end, I've been reflecting on everything that has taken place over this past year. And while I'm proud of finishing off my first year of college in the middle of a global pandemic, I can't help feeling nostalgic of what could have been. But rather than dwell in it, I'm grateful for having had the opportunity to grow and for persisting during these challenging times. I'm glad I found a community in HaU and that I was able to meet new faces even if it was through a screen. From study-a-thons to GB meetings to planning my own event, I'll cherish every memory I have made so far and look forward to all the ones I will make. I know this is only the beginning and that the best is yet to come. I'm proud of all of you for making through it!! Enjoy your summer, you deserve it!! I look forward to meeting you all in person soon <3
Karen Garcia Hello everyone! I had the wonderful opportunity to be Fundraising Chair intern this quarter and I am really grateful for the experience of learning new skills and being more involved. I wanted to share this vision board I created for the Envision Your Future academic event. I really appreciated the opportunity to attend this event and hear from the amazing achievements and aspirations of others! I was able to incorporate some meaningful words and phrases into a scrapbook-style board. With much appreciation and admiration, Aracely Garcia Romero
As we enter into our last few weeks of spring quarter and the school year, I wanted to share a poem I made in my Chicano/a Studies 10A class alongside a visual representation, and I hope you all enjoy it.
Liberation from Culture’s Chains Culture builds beliefs and values, yet my culture refuses to value me. Appropriating devotion to the man, scandalizing the desires of the female. It is the assertion of marrying and having a family first, but never asking what you want out of life. Being a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, is out of the question for a housewife. “Callate cuando él hable”. “Obedecelo porque es tu amado esposo”. The same, tyrannical remarks repeated to women day by day. Being told to silence our voice and be a marionette in front of men. Critiqued for speaking up And reprimanded for being deviant. Follow the predetermined rules And you are una santa. But the moment you break them eres una mujer mala. Every day can be a prison-sentence, seeking for the day that the chains of culture no longer weigh you down. Waiting days, weeks, months, and years. Sooner or later the opportunity will reach me, to become the individual I desire to be. My culture can critique, but its critiques will never define me. I shall redefine my path in life, leaving behind my submissive state. Culture will no longer control my choices and notions, as I liberate myself from these chains and step into a world of individualistic fates. Jacqueline Arroyo Palafox Hola Hermanas! My name is Kayla, I am a first-year Political Science major and I had the pleasure of interning for Lety, the campus liaison, this past quarter. Participating in the steering internship was a really incredible opportunity that allowed me to connect to UCLA in a way I had not been able to before. Getting to college has been my goal for as long as I can remember. I envisioned it would be an amazing opportunity through which I would get to learn about what I am passionate about and build friendships with incredible people. Unfortunately, online learning has not allowed me to experience much of what I had hoped to. Although transitioning to college during COVID and online learning has been incredibly difficult and isolating, Hermanas Unidas has allowed me to start feeling more at home within the UCLA community. It’s inspiring to see hermanas being so successful in their diverse fields and be so welcoming and encouraging to all the new hermanas. I love the space everyone in Hermanas Unidas contributes to and the community y’all have created so I am very happy I found a community within HaU. I also enjoyed being exposed to all the effort the steering team puts into making HaU run smoothly and hope to become even more involved in Hermanas! Con cariño, Kayla
Hola Hermanas! Here are some motivational quotes I found! I have been reading some of the blog posts, and I agree that this quarter has been tough! Being a co-intern for HaU has been one of the highlights of this quarter. Brenda is amazing at what she does, she is hardworking, dedicated, and is such a great person to be around! It was so great seeing what happens behind the scene of HaU & the amount of work steering puts into each event! Good luck spring quarter, les mando un abrazo virtual! - Karina <3
This quarter was one of my most difficult quarters yet. I felt like I started off strong and slowly as the weeks went by I began feeling that things were starting to get out of my control. I began doubting myself and the career I was pursuing. It was hard feeling like all the stress I was putting myself through would be worth it when it wasn’t bringing me any joy. Being pushed away from academics made me dive into the other parts of my life that did bring me happiness. Doing this allowed me to discover new interests and even find my potential future career. I couldn’t understand why I felt so miserable this quarter but now it couldn’t be any clearer. Everything truly does happen for a reason.
Brenda Martinez Hola Hermanas! My name is Karina Acevedo and I was the alumni liaison intern for winter quarter. During winter quarter I focused on practicing self care and taking care of my emotional and physical needs. I thought I would share some of my favorite self care tips for anyone in need. I know these times can be stressful, but please remember to take care of yourself and put yourself first. You are all capable of so much and deserve to be taken care of. On that note, goodluck to everyone this coming spring quarter! Las quiero, Karina
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AuthorThe following posts will be from your fellow Hermanas. Archives
March 2024
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