The Daily Bruin changed me – but not in the way you would think.

Attending UCLA was a dream of mine. When it came true, I knew I was up for a challenge.

I learned you should not park on the upper floor of lot seven – that’s where they ticket, so park on the bottom floor. I learned the best time to get a study spot in Powell Library is 11:30 a.m. I learned that even after you select all your classes ahead of time and are ready to enroll, the system will somehow always crash.

But perhaps most importantly, I learned that no matter how many lectures you attend from the same seat, someone will eventually sit there and throw off your rhythm.

I mean, how could UCLA leave these important realities out of their marketing!

All jokes aside, somewhere between me juggling a full-time position at a law firm, studying for graduate school exams and trying to maintain balance, UCLA taught me something I will never forget: Always be curious.

That notion led me to the Daily Bruin.

I have to be honest, if we are measuring my experience with The Bruin by article count, history may not remember me as a record-breaking columnist. I certainly did not spend every day chasing a story the way several of my section peers did.

But I can say with certainty that even when my own writing slowed, I kept reading.

I have read amazing stories about communities I was unfamiliar with, students I will never meet whom I will always be bound to through UCLA and perspectives I never bothered to think of.

It is these stories that are the most meaningful to me. The stories that make you think deeper, encourage you to question the status quo and keep you fully immersed.

To me, that is the bedrock of curiosity.

My whole life, I’ve loved asking questions. Questions as simple as. “Where did you grow up?”, “What is your favorite hobby?” or even “What is the best sport?” are revealing to me. I learned that you cannot fully understand why someone feels a certain way until you take the time to truly know them.

I found The Bruin encapsulates that desire to question, understand and listen.

Journalism taught me to sit with uncertainty and hear someone’s experience without immediately thinking of your own. While difficult, that is a lesson journalism offers.

At a time when most people align themselves with what is considered normal or agreeable, journalism forces you to dig past headlines and into the experiences of others.

These past several years, I’ve had the opportunity of learning with students whose lives are completely different from mine. Some from various countries around the world, others based in Los Angeles. But regardless, we all walk the same halls with ambitions, fears and perspectives.

I think that is why The Bruin has mattered most to me: It has been a major outlet and source of my open-mindedness. It is a reminder that learning is constant and sometimes comes simply from reading someone else’s story.

There would be nights I would scroll through The Bruin’s webpage, reading the latest stories after my long days. I recall a piece on gratitude and living in the present. I remember thinking that I, too, was always so focused on what was next and not what was already in front of me.

That was one of many stories that made me stop, think and adjust.

Other nights, I was reading about students who were dealing with unfavorable immigration policies, health concerns or difficulties with on-campus housing.

Each piece I read widened my perspective about the world around me, gradually altering who I was becoming. I started to realize I was evolving into someone more engaged, more empathetic and less certain in my assumptions.

So, yes, this change was probably not what you expected. But for me, being a part of The Bruin taught me that exploration is a choice we make every day. It is the decision to keep reading, listening and learning – no matter where you are.

I could not have learned this without having the opportunity to read such incredible stories.

Thank you to my fellow Opinion columnists for providing that – but also to the various sections that covered the important, sometimes sad, sometimes silly stories we all experienced in different ways.

Thank you to my parents, my siblings – Aaliyah and Nav – and my grandparents for always believing in me.

And thank you, UCLA. What a time I’ve had.

Brown was a 2024-26 Opinion columnist and News contributor.