UCLA National Honor Society Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma, or ALDPES, is an organization on campus dedicated to supporting UCLA’s most academically driven students. The nature of the society combines two national organizations, Alpha Lambda Delta, or ALD, and Phi Eta Sigma, or PES, allowing for a nationwide network of connections, funding and opportunities for ALDPES members at UCLA. First-year students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher are sent an email from the dean of students at UCLA regarding involvement in this society and are then inducted into the organization for a lifetime membership, which includes access to ALDPES resources, networks and scholarships.
One of ALDPES’ most recent events included a mini therapy horse event where two mini horses, Blue Moon and Liberty Belle, graced UCLA’s campus March 7. Students were able to hug the horses for a fun photoshoot, walk them around Wilson Plaza or help them play the piano by holding up small keyboards. The event inspired a sense of joy, unity and fun on UCLA’s campus. Marco Segovia, the coordinator of the event, shared his inside perspective into the project and how his organization contributes to UCLA’s community, campus and student body.
Through the efforts of the ALDPES Social Affairs Committee, Segovia was able to contact and reach out to Mini Therapy Horses, and after he obtained approval from the Health Department, he brought the mini horses to UCLA for the student body to enjoy. Mini Therapy Horses’ social outreach is not limited to just UCLA events; they also have ties with veteran programs, homeless shelters and children’s hospitals with a mission to provide “calm, comfort, and happiness.” The event was open to the public and relates closely to the message espoused by ALDPES — to build a community of excellence that contributes to the academic, physical and spiritual aspects of college life.
Naomi Lin, the president of ALDPES, explained that the society is able to organize this type of event for UCLA students through its economic structure, where membership fees are donated to nonprofit organizations to improve and aid the larger Los Angeles community. Outside of supporting and collaborating with organizations like Mini Therapy Horses, Lin explained the recent work the society had done with Forever Found, a human trafficking prevention organization that specifically focuses on the “prevention, rescue, and restoration of child trafficking victims.” ALDPES promoted a donation drive to collect supplies like shampoo, tampons and deodorant for victims of human trafficking. Lin presented Forever Found as an example of the work the society is able to accomplish because of their reach and resources that can directly aid others and provide a strong sense of community within the organization.
A further additive bonus of membership within ALDPES is access to scholarships, funded by the society for its members. Lin noted that members can apply for “$4,000 of scholarship money during spring.” One of the main goals of the society is to provide students with scholarships based on their academic performance and to highlight academic effort and excellency. Additionally, Segovia highlighted the professional development opportunities offered by the society that include resume building workshops, free LinkedIn headshot curation and volunteer service events that reestablish its community-centered mission.
A parting message from President Lin and other ALDPES members was to inform incoming students who meet the 3.5 GPA requirement that the invitations to join the society are sent through email and could accidentally be placed as spam. Therefore, they emphasized that students should be on the lookout for this email. For students who wish to work with organizations like Mini Therapy Horses and Forever Found or plan events based on their own philanthropic goals, ALDPES wants to provide a platform for students to attain, maintain and achieve excellence in all areas of their college experience.
Gallery:
Liberty Belle tilts her head, searching for food. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife.
Blue Moon poses with a student to take an action shot on two hooves. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife.
Liberty Belle plays the electric keyboard with her mouth.Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife.
Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
A student and Liberty Belle embrace each other in a warm hug. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife
Two students take a smiley selfie with Blue Moon. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife.
Blue Moon shows the crowd her skateboarding technique. Photographed by Maia Salti/BruinLife.
Photographed by Finn Martin/BruinLife.
