Bruintality and Beyond: My Journey with ACS at UCLA
- May 5, 2025
- 4 min read
Blog by Kai Maks
When I came to UCLA, I didn’t have a clear picture of what major I wanted to pursue, what classes I wanted to take, let alone what clubs I wanted to join. Everyone said the same two things: “I found all my friends in my clubs,” and “All the clubs here are super competitive.” While the first was exciting and relieving, the latter freaked me out. I was already suffering from imposter syndrome and didn’t know where to start. Well, good thing UCLA has just the thing for this type of problem: the Enormous Activities Fair (EAF).
At EAF, I was able to explore the hundreds of societies, organizations, and clubs at UCLA, including those that aren’t overly competitive. After perusing the dozens of booths in the scorching sun (the free knick-knacks made up for it), I took my flyers home and organized them. I also went on the UCLA Undergraduate Admissions page to find a complete compilation of the 1,000+ clubs and organizations on campus. That’s where I found the American Cancer Society at UCLA.
The American Cancer Society’s mission is “to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.” Not only does this nonprofit raise millions of dollars toward cancer research, but it also provides other resources, such as cancer helplines, treatment lodging and transportation, clinical trial matching services, and more. ACS at UCLA, however, is a collegiate branch that brings the same mission to students on campus. In the past five years, the club has raised over $1,000,000 in support of the ACS mission, and this year we raised over $75,000. Our biggest event of the year is Relay for Life, a 12-hour fundraising festival held at Drake Stadium during the spring quarter. It’s one of the most rewarding and empowering events, where we not only get to hear the stories of cancer survivors, remember those we’ve lost to cancer, and continue to fight cancer, but we also celebrate life and community.
There are three branches within the club, but I specifically belong to the Luminaria Committee within the Mission Branch. The main efforts of my committee are to hold empowering events and ceremonies to remember those we have lost to cancer. Not only did it become a space for me to process my grief, build connections, and find hope, but it also allowed me to foster those same feelings for others. I’ve found a family here at ACS, and I can only hope that others find the same sense of belonging in other communities here on campus!
That being said, I’d like to highlight just a few things I’ve done with ACS that truly embody the spirit of being a Bruin!
Community Involvement
Although ACS is just a collegiate branch of a larger organization, its mission is shared across various organizations with the same goal of ending cancer. Two of those organizations include the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Our club was able to participate in both organizations' fundraising walks this year, demonstrating the broader impact the club has beyond UCLA itself. As an out-of-state student, these events showed me the love and community of LA, and how strong its members are!
Volunteering
I was also able to participate in the Community Interns program within ACS, a program designed to foster volunteering throughout the broader LA area. Once again, this helped me feel the love of LA while making an impact. One of my favorite opportunities was helping at the Discover Shop, an ACS-affiliated second-hand store in Beverly Hills. As someone who loves to thrift and experiment with fashion, it was cool to see my interests intertwined while simultaneously furthering the mission!
Fundraising and Outreach
One of the biggest parts of ACS is the money we raise each year for cancer research and other cancer-related efforts. Through these goals, I’ve learned so many skills, including networking, time management, and communication. I’ve been able to share my passion for the fight against cancer with my closest friends and family, reaching beyond my local community. I’ve found support across state lines, and it has been so rewarding! I was able to raise over $2,600 this year, which was more than double my fundraising goal.
Finding a Family
Most of all, I’ve found more than just a community—I’ve found a family at UCLA. The members of this club have demonstrated resilience, support, and love time and again, not only within the walls of the club but also beyond them. This club truly embodies what it means to be a Bruin and exemplifies the essence of Bruintality. As I reflect on my first year at UCLA, I’ve come to realize that clubs and extracurriculars should be more than just resume-builders. They should serve as a foundation, a reminder of why you do what you do. Sure, there are classes that are necessary and, at times, feel like a chore, but a club should never feel that way. It should reignite your passion, connect you with diverse individuals, and inspire you to be yourself.
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