Recent grad takes advantage of the City of Angels

Class of 2015 alumna Mounika Narayanan stood in Wilson Plaza in the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, surrounded by thousands of fellow students screaming at the top of their lungs at a football pep rally/bonfire on Nov. 24.

Various performers, singers and football players dared them to chant “BEAT ‘SC” even louder. Narayanan, enveloped in a hyped crowd, felt an unprecedented sense of pride of being a Bruin welling in her chest.

Narayanan said her first year at UCLA has already made her feel like an entirely different person.

“I would say for any person going from high school to college, the entire atmosphere itself, from living in the dorms to being in a new city, is very different,” Narayanan said. “It’s just an interesting culture to be living in and working with people mostly 18 to 22 [years old].”

Living in Los Angeles, known as the entertainment capital of the world, Narayanan can barely contain her excitement to explore the city. However, she has had to find a fitting balance between rigorous school work and relaxation time.

“I still have yet to do The Hollywood Sign hike, see the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the LA County Museum of Art and other museums in the area like the Getty,” Narayanan said.

Though she can’t do all the sightseeing she would like, Narayanan said that the sheer number of clubs on campus provides an environment in which people can expand interests by interacting with students who share the same passions.

A former member of the Indian Cultural Awareness Club (ICAC) and Toga Tamasha, Narayanan tried out for Bruin Bhangra and UCLA Nashaa, making both dance teams. However, she ultimately decided not to join either.

“I wanted to focus on discovering what I wanted to do in life, developing myself professionally in other ways and forming meaningful relationships with my friends,” Narayanan said.

Instead of pursuing dance, Narayanan found a better fit with the Student Alumni Association and Society of Women Engineers, where she helps coordinates promotional events and fundraisers.

“Both of these organizations have helped me grow so much this year, and I am excited to try other clubs and organizations in the following years,” Narayanan said.

Despite the numerous exciting opportunities at UCLA, she still finds herself missing home sometimes.

“I miss the close relationships I had with teachers and sometimes I miss the feeling of knowing almost everyone in school,” Narayanan said. “At times, I also miss how gorgeous and green Saratoga itself is, its hikes and views and the quietness and space you get from being at home.”

Narayanan advises future UCLA attendees to be prepared for an entirely different atmosphere.

“Going to a school like UCLA might take a hit to your self-esteem because it is a challenging academic institution and you are going to school with the best of the best,” Narayanan said. “But it is all about coming out of these situations and bettering yourself. Enjoy these four years because you are going to grow so much and [will] find yourself.”