Third year Communications major, Christine Holland, gracefully balances her extracurricular activities, work, academics, and social life. Like many of us, stepping out of our comfort zones to be involved with something new and then maintaining this balance among other aspects of our life is difficult. Read how this Orange County native overcame that challenge and has grown so much from her experiences at UCLA.
What organizations are you involved with on campus?
I’m a part of Bruin Belles Service Association, a women’s philanthropy group on campus, as well as a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.
What is one important lesson that you’ve learned since you‘ve been at UCLA and how has that shaped the person you are now?
I’ve been living with anxiety ever since middle school, but my experiences I’ve had at UCLA have taught me how to not only deal with it, but thrive despite of it. The intensity of this school and vast amount of opportunities were very overwhelming and almost crippling for me my first year at college. But after basically reaching rock bottom, I realized that I was tired of living my life this way—of letting my anxiety get in the way of doing the things I wanted to do. This realization helped me slowly build a new mental foundation on how I think about and process the things that come my way in life. The anxiety is still there, and I think it may always be there, but now I know that it doesn’t control me. And now I’m taking a public speaking class, I’m in a sorority with 150 other girls, and I hold a leadership position in a major club on campus—all things I would never dream to be possible just two years ago.
If you could have coffee with one person (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
Emma Watson, definitely. She has been my idol for most of my life, ever since she first stepped into the spotlight as Hermione Granger all those years ago. And I still admire her so much for what she’s been pursuing post-Harry Potter with her HeforShe movement. I’d love to sit down with her and just talk about life.
What are you most passionate about and what experience has led you in that direction?
I’m very passionate about promoting a positive body image and self-confidence in young girls and teens. I definitely struggled with these things when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I always look for ways to help other girls struggling with the same things, as well as seek to counteract the societal norms that create this culture of insecurity in girls in the first place.
What has been your favorite memory here at UCLA?
I don’t have a specific memory, but I can say that moving into an apartment with my best friends has brought some of the best experiences I’ve had here.