Parents' Weekend welcomes spirited Bruins

“Parents’ Weekend was a perfect excuse for us to get on campus and see our daughter, but it turned out to be a lot more than that,” said Laurie Shepard, who, with her husband Rod, joined approximately 3,000 other Bruin parents and family members for the three-day event this past weekend, Oct. 16-18. “It’s a great way to build up the parent network, because our kids are going to be friends for a long time. Now we have a personal connection.”

 

Laurie Shepard’s sentiments were echoed by fellow parent Krista Fredrickson Murray, who blogged about the weekend on the UCLA Parents Facebook page: “We enjoyed getting to know other proud parents. The best of all was seeing how happy our first-year son is and knowing that he made the right choice.”

 

The weekend gave parents a student’s-eye view of campus, with a choice of experiences that exemplify the academic, cultural and social opportunities available at UCLA. Presentations ranged from Egyptology to the birth of the Internet and from the Academic Advancement Program to Greek life. And with a spirited family festival, on-campus tailgate party and tours of university attractions, the weekend provided a fitting welcome to our amazing community.

 

Participants were greeted in legendary Royce Hall by Chancellor Gene Block, who applauded parents: “Welcome to your UCLA. It is an extraordinary honor to be a UCLA student — an honor that your sons and daughters earned with their achievements.” The audience enjoyed a stirring presentation of UCLA’s new welcome video and were later seen traversing campus, gathering in lecture halls and chatting along Bruin Walk.

 

Notwithstanding the football loss to Cal, Laurie Shepard said, “Parents’ Weekend made me feel like I was a part of the university. And I just got an e-mail from someone we met this weekend. Her son is on the basketball team, and my daughter plays for the women’s team. Now we can enjoy the college experience — together.”

Check out the Parents' Weekend photos. To learn more about activities and resources for parents and families at UCLA, visit the Office of Parent Programs online.