Bruin Family Insights

This month we're continuing season three with a discussion on how to cultivate healthy communication between parents and their college students. We had two special guests for this conversation, Kendra Barreras (a current UCLA student) and George Brown (Director of UCLA's Student Alumni Programs & Family Engagement), who shared unique perspectives based on their personal experiences with their own families and George's professional experience having worked with UCLA students for over 20 years.

On this episode we explore the topic of college parent mental health and the pressures of parenting a college student with Dr. Nicole Presley Green, Senior Executive Director of Student Resilience and Mental Health Services at UCLA.

Show Notes:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): https://counseling.ucla.edu/

Campus Assault Resources and Education Program (CARE): https://careprogram.ucla.edu/

Resilience In Your Student Experience (RISE): https://risecenter.ucla.edu/

UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UCSHIP): https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/insurance

In this episode, we wrap up season two of the podcast by taking a look back at all of the amazing conversations we've had and looking forward toward what's to come this fall with the UCLA Parent & Family Association.

On this episode we talk all about new student and family sessions, and resources for new families with Ryan Darling, associate director for New Parent & Family Programs with UCLA's Office of New Student Academic Programs.

Show Notes:

New Student Academic Programs (NSAP): https://newstudents.ucla.edu/

Parent & Family Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/parents/

New Student Checklist (Freshmen): https://admission.ucla.edu/admitted-students/freshman-checklist

New Student Checklist (Transfers): https://admission.ucla.edu/admitted-students/transfer-checklist

Registrar: https://registrar.ucla.edu/

New Student Mentoring Network: https://newstudents.ucla.edu/transition-programs/overview/#tab-id-2

Winter Academic Advising: https://newstudents.ucla.edu/transition-programs/overview/#tab-id-3

True Bruin Welcome: https://community.ucla.edu/truebruinwelcome

Fraternity & Sorority Life Recruitment: https://fsl.ucla.edu/rush-recruitment-intake

Housing Move-in: https://portal.housing.ucla.edu/my-housing/moving-in/moving-into-on-campus-housing

April is National Financial Literacy Month and this episode is all about financial wellness! In this conversation we explore resources and programs offered to students at UCLA, discuss tips and tricks for building sound financial practices and learn how building financial skills in college can set students up for long-term success. Our guests are Sara Potter-Gittelson, director of the UCLA Financial Wellness Program; Karl Gerstenacker, financial advisor with Wescom Financial Services; and David “D.J.” Jabczenski, director of Investment Services for Wescom.

Show Notes:

UCLA Financial Wellness Program: https://financialwellness.ucla.edu/

Wescom UCLA Webpage: ucla.wescom.org

Ackerman Student Union: https://www.asucla.ucla.edu/student-union-services

Student Loan Services: https://loans.ucla.edu/

Financial Aid and Scholarships: https://financialaid.ucla.edu/

Scholarship Resource Center: https://www.scholarshipcenter.ucla.edu/

Economic Crisis Response Team: https://studentincrisis.ucla.edu/economic-crisis-response

Basic Needs: https://basicneeds.ucla.edu/

UCLA CalFresh Initiative: https://basicneeds.ucla.edu/services/calfresh

The Millionaire Next Door (book): https://themillionairenextdoor.com/

On this episode we have a wonderful, wide-ranging conversation with Rhea Turteltaub, UCLA’s Vice Chancellor for External Affairs. We explore a variety of topics including UCLA’s culture of philanthropy, how the administration has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, what the future holds for the University and more. In her role as vice chancellor for External Affairs, Rhea oversees a number of areas including Alumni Affairs (the Parent & Family Association’s home!), Development, Advancement Services, and Government and Community Relations in the ultimate goal of building relationships that promote advocacy and financial support for UCLA. In addition to her work with UCLA, Rhea is also a Bruin parent herself!

Show Notes:

Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/
Development: https://externalaffairs.ucla.edu/external-affairs/development.html
Government & Community Relations: https://advocacy.ucla.edu/
Centennial Launch "Lighting The Way" Projection Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5HSSQrs8eQ

On this episode we discuss the topics of mental health and resilience with Dr. Drea Letamendi, Interim Director of the UCLA RISE Center and Associate Director of Mental Health Training, Intervention and Response for Residential Life. We explore how the pressures of college impact students’ mental health, how the pandemic has influenced our collective mental health and resilience, and strategies and resources for supporting students’ wellness.

Show Notes:

Dr. Drea Letamendi: https://drdreapsychology.com/

Resilience in Your Student Experience (RISE): https://risecenter.ucla.edu/

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS): https://counseling.ucla.edu/

RISE Resource Brochures: https://risecenter.ucla.edu/resources

Case Management: https://studentincrisis.ucla.edu/who-can-help

Bruin Family Insights Campus Safety Episode: https://anchor.fm/ucla-parents/episodes/Campus-Safety-and-Security-with-London-McBride-e1d4uil/a-a78ptq9

Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu

This month's conversation with UCLA PD Crime Prevention Officer London McBride covers an array of areas including UCPD structure and resources, crime prevention, safety tips and information, policing in America and more. London has been with UCLA PD for over 15 years, where he has also served as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Lead Officer and Detective. In addition to his work with UCLA PD, London is a member of Culver City’s Policing & Public Safety Committee and their Equity & Human Relations Committee. He is also the president of a newly formed organization called Police Against Racism (PAR).

Show Notes:

UCLA Police Department: https://www.police.ucla.edu/

Community Service Officers: https://www.police.ucla.edu/cso

Crime Prevention Brochures & Information: https://www.police.ucla.edu/prevention-education/brochures

Campus Safety Tips: https://www.police.ucla.edu/prevention-education/education/campus-safety-tips

Reporting Incidents & Crimes: https://www.police.ucla.edu/other/reporting-incidents-crimes

This month, we are rounding out our Parent Perspectives series, during which we have been exploring a number of factors that influence the Bruin family experience. On this episode, we're talking about the similarities and differences of joining the UCLA community as a freshman family and a transfer family.

Show Notes:

Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu Counseling & Psychological Services: https://counseling.ucla.edu/ RISE Center: https://risecenter.ucla.edu/ Bruin Resource Center: https://brc.ucla.edu/ Transfer Student Center: https://transfers.ucla.edu/

This month, we continue our Parent Perspectives series in which are exploring how a number of factors influence the Bruin family experience. On this episode, we’re talking about the experience of being a Bruin parent and an alumnus.

Show Notes:

Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/

Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu/

Dining Services: https://menu.dining.ucla.edu/

Athletics: https://uclabruins.com/

Spring Sing: https://alumni.ucla.edu/traditions/spring-sing/

Powell Library: https://www.library.ucla.edu/location/powell-library

OC Bruins Alumni Network: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-networks/orange-county-network/

Chancellor's Society: https://chancellorssociety.ucla.edu/

Career Center: https://career.ucla.edu/

Alumni Career Engagement: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-career-engagement/

UCLA One: https://uclaone.com/

Housing Live Chat: https://portal.housing.ucla.edu/live-chat

Alumni Mentor Program: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-mentor-program-2/

UCLA Pediatric AIDS Coalition: https://pediatricaidscoalitionuclaedu.wordpress.com/

Fraternity & Sorority Life: https://fsl.ucla.edu/

Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/

Bruin Woods: https://bruinwoods.ucla.edu/

This month we're continuing our Parent Perspectives series, where we highlight and explore how a number of different factors influence the Bruin family experience. In this episode, we explore the experience of being a first-generation college student. At UCLA, “first-generation” is defined as a student whose parent/guardian has not received a four-year U.S. bachelor’s degree.

Show Notes: 

Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/ 

First Gen Alumni Network: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-networks/first-gen-alumni-network/ 

First To Go: https://firsttogo.ucla.edu/ 

Community Programs Office: https://cpo.ucla.edu/cpo/ 

Improving Dreams, Equity, and Access at UCLA (IDEAS): https://ideasucla.weebly.com/ 

MEChA de UCLA: https://community.ucla.edu/studentorg/393 

Undergraduate Students Association Council (USAC): https://usac.ucla.edu/about/ 

Academic Advancement Program: https://www.aap.ucla.edu/ 

Association of First-Generation Undergraduates (AFGU): https://community.ucla.edu/studentorg/4066

We are kicking off our new season with a series called Parent Perspectives. In the coming months, we will highlight and explore how a number of different factors influence the Bruin family experience. In this episode, we explore the differences and similarities of joining the UCLA community as a local family and an out-of-state family. 

Show Notes:

UCLA Handshake: https://career.ucla.edu/handshake

UCLA ONE: https://uclaone.com/

Student Organizations, Leadership & Engagement (SOLE): https://registrar.ucla.edu/term-calendar

UCLA Term Calendar: https://registrar.ucla.edu/term-calendar

Tassels to the Left: https://www.ugeducation.ucla.edu/degreepath/

Parent & Family Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/parents/

Parent & Family Association Helpline | Email: mybruinis@ucla.edu & Phone: 310-794-6737

Bruinlink Newsletter: https://alumni.ucla.edu/parents/about-parent-family-association/#bruinlink-newsletter

Parents' Council: https://alumni.ucla.edu/parents/parent-involvement-support/#parents-council

Each June, the energy at UCLA is full of excitement and anticipation as thousands of students celebrate commencement, closing the chapter on their college education and moving onto their next journey. While 2020 and 2021 have looked different due to the pandemic, one thing has remained constant: the continued presence of the UCLA Alumni Association in the lives of students, alumni and families no matter where their journey takes them. On this episode, we hear from Dr. D'Artagnan Scorza, president of the Alumni Association, about how graduates – and their families! – can take advantage of all the Association has to offer, and get a firsthand look at what it means to stay connected to UCLA even after earning a degree.

Show Notes:

UCLA Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/
Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu/
Fielding School of Public Health: https://ph.ucla.edu/
Study Abroad: https://ieo.ucla.edu/
Afrikan Student Union: https://www.black-bruins.com/
Bruin Promise: https://alumni.ucla.edu/bruin-promise/
Alumni Travel Program: https://alumni.ucla.edu/travel/
UCLA Extension: https://www.uclaextension.edu/
Alumni Networks: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-networks/
UCLA ONE: https://uclaone.com/
Alumni Mentor Program: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-mentor-program-2/
Alumni Scholarships: https://alumni.ucla.edu/scholarships/
UCLA College Commencement 2021 (D'Artagnan's speech begins at 30:48): https://www.college.ucla.edu/commencement/

May is an exciting month at UCLA, as incoming students from around the world submit their intent to join the Bruin family! More often than not, with that commitment also come so many questions and tasks to complete in preparation for attending the University. One of the most important rites of passage for new students – and their families! – is attending orientation. On this episode, we talk with Ryan Darling from UCLA New Student & Transition Programs about what to expect from orientation this year, how you and your student can prepare for the transition to UCLA, and how the University welcomes students to campus in the fall. 

Show Notes:

New Student & Transition Programs: http://newstudents.ucla.edu/
Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu
Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/
Registrar's Office: https://registrar.ucla.edu/
Admission New Student Checklist: https://admission.ucla.edu/admitted-students/freshman-checklist
Orientation Part Two: http://newstudents.ucla.edu/transition-programs/orientation-part-2/
Alumni Mentor Program: https://alumni.ucla.edu/alumni-mentor-program-2/
UCLA Community: https://community.ucla.edu/
PFA New Families Page: https://parents.ucla.edu/welcomenewfamilies

Here at the Parent & Family Association, our team receives many questions about student health and UCLA. Understanding health and wellness resources on campus, learning how to navigate the UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP), and now figuring out how COVID plays into all of this can oftentimes be stressful for students and their families. In this episode, we discuss the many wonderful resources available to students through the Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center. We also breakdown the mystery of UC SHIP and talk through the impact of COVID-19 on student health services.

Show Notes:

UCLA Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/

UC Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP): https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/insurance

Waiving UC SHIP: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/insurance/benefits/waiving-uc-ship

Bruin Care: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/insurance/bruincare

Student Health Fees: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/fees

UCLA Immunization Requirements: https://www.immunizationrequirement.ucla.edu/

Contact the Ashe Center: https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/contact

UCLA Newsroom Ashe Feature: https://newsroom.ucla.edu/magazine/arthur-ashe-student-health-wellness-center-covid-19

Career development and planning have taken on a completely different look in the last year, particularly for college students preparing to enter the workforce. Internships and career-readiness experiences have been upended or drastically changed, and job prospects remain uncertain as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The good news is that there are resources through UCLA and beyond to help both your student and you navigate career changes and uncertainty, and we explore many of these opportunities in today's episode.

Show Notes:

Alumni Career Engagement: https://ace.alumni.ucla.edu/

UCLA One: uclaone.com 

Career Center: https://career.ucla.edu/

V Mock: https://www.vmock.com/uclacareercenter

Handshake: https://career.ucla.edu/handshake

Career Ready Bootcamp: https://career.ucla.edu/crb

You can find Liz Mohler at her website: http://www.lizmohler.com and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizmohler/

The past year has been quite a journey for UCLA students – and college students worldwide - as they have navigated remote education, and the many challenges and opportunities that come with being remote. This season on Bruin Family Insights we have heard perspectives from students and faculty about college in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic; now it’s time to explore what this experience has meant to some of you, the parents, while supporting your students! In this episode, we hear from Dr. Michele Cooley-Strickland, mom to a class of 2023 Bruin, and Diana Mendoza, mom to a Bruin graduating in 2022. Michele and Diana are both members of our UCLA Parents’ Council leadership team, and Michele is also a licensed psychologist with UCLA Geffen School of Medicine. 

Show Notes:

Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu/

Parents' Council: https://parents.ucla.edu/parent-involvement/council/

Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS): https://www.counseling.ucla.edu/

Resilience in Your Student Experience (RISE): https://risecenter.ucla.edu/

UC Student Health Insurance Program (UC SHIP): https://www.studenthealth.ucla.edu/insurance

Diana's favorite chicken recipe: https://www.budgetbytes.com/greek-marinated-chicken/

Michele's favorite chicken recipe: https://bit.ly/3u51tbw

For decades, UCLA’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students, faculty and staff have been at the forefront of shaping what it means to create welcoming spaces and support resources within a university setting. These efforts have culminated in the expansive (and ever-evolving) programming, services, resources and advocacy efforts now put forth by the UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center, which is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary! In this episode, we learn how UCLA supports LGBTQ Bruins, and how parents and families can effectively support students within the community – whether your own student, or other Bruins you meet along the way.

Show Notes:

UCLA LGBTQ Campus Resource Center: https://lgbtq.ucla.edu/

Andy Cofino Bio: https://lgbtq.ucla.edu/Our-Staff

UCLA QTBIPOC Student Experiences Project: https://lgbtq.ucla.edu/QTBIPOC-Experiences

PFLAG: https://pflag.org/

Human Rights Campaign: https://www.hrc.org/

LGBTQ+ Glossary of Terms: https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms

Pose (television show): https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/pose

Disclosure (documentary): http://www.disclosurethemovie.com/about

In mid-November, the Parent & Family Association hosted Supporting Your Student in Winter Quarter and Beyond: A Town Hall for Parents and Families. The discussion addressed questions, concerns, and other emotional and academic implications pertaining to students, particularly as UCLA continues remote learning through winter quarter in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, the second of two about the Town Hall, we chat with Alexandra Brown about the academic success implications of the town hall. Alex is the senior director of UCLA Student Alumni Programs & Family Engagement. She also serves as the president-elect of AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education, a national professional organization committed to supporting professionals in higher education who promote student success through informed parent and family engagement.

Show Notes:

Parent & Family Town Hall Recording: https://www.facebook.com/57081651825/videos/133430551547345
Parent & Family Association: https://parents.ucla.edu/
Academic Counseling: https://www.registrar.ucla.edu/Academics/Academic-Counseling
Academic Term Calendar: https://www.registrar.ucla.edu/Term-Calendar
Alumni Association: https://alumni.ucla.edu/
Alumni Travel: https://travel.alumni.ucla.edu/tours/
Career Center: https://career.ucla.edu/undergrad/resources
Dean for Students: https://www.deanofstudents.ucla.edu/
Registrar's Office: https://www.registrar.ucla.edu/
UCLA ONE: https://uclaone.com/

Welcome to Bruin Family Insights, where we equip Bruin families with knowledge to help you get to know UCLA better, and encourage your student to thrive during their time at UCLA and beyond.