Feb. 17, 2011

On February 16, 2011, more than 40 current Bruin student-athletes attended the inaugural Bruin Varsity Club Networking Night. The event was hosted by the Bruin Varsity Club, in conjunction with the Bruin Athletic Council. The event featured 10 successful Bruin Varsity Club mentors, representing various professional fields, who spoke to the student-athletes about professional development in a roundtable discussion format.

The Networking Night commenced with a period of social networking, where the student-athletes were given the chance to practice their professional etiquette skills with each mentor. The event continued with three rotations of roundtable discussions led by the BVC Mentors. The focus of the discussions was to provide networking tips and insight as to each mentor's personal and professional post-graduate journey.

Brad Wright, former Bruin basketball star and Vice President of the Clippers NBADL affiliate, served as a mentor and was honored to be a part of Bruin history in the making. "The Bruin Varsity Club mentorship program will give current student-athletes an opportunity to participate in the making and advancement of their futures and will usher in a new era of UCLA family values."

"It was incredible listening to the mentors' stories and pieces of advice," remarked senior gymnast, Allison Taylor. "Current student-athletes had an incredible opportunity to network with members of our extended Bruin family and learn how to launch successful professional careers."

Research in both educational settings and in the workplace indicates that students and employees alike are more likely to succeed if they have had a mentor, and the UCLA Athletic Department and Bruin Varsity Club are proud to provide this opportunity to both current student-athletes and alumni.

For additional information on the Bruin Varsity Club Mentor and Networking programs, please contact Courteney Cosso, Director of the Bruin Varsity Club, at (310) 206-4458 or ccosso@athletics.ucla.edu.