Being Thankful

Since it is Thanksgiving, it is tradition, at least in my family, to take time and reflect on the things we are thankful for. 

This year, being no different, I am using my blog post as a platform to give thanks to the things that make me smile, make my days brighter, and more importantly, make me a better person.

In the interest of being as concise as possible, I have narrowed my thanks into 5 sections.

Health: I am grateful that I am a relatively healthy 23 year-old and that I am here to tell my story. 

Career: I am beyond lucky; I was able to earn two degrees at a great university, found a great first job that I enjoy a few months after graduation, and to have the passion to continue making my way through my career. 

Goals: I am thankful for my goals and dreams that push me forward and allow for me to work towards something everyday.

Friends: To all my friends, you bring out the best in me. I am thankful for all of our memories, all of our stories, and more importantly, all of you. From my sorority sisters to my coworkers, I am blessed to have such great friends in my life.

Family: More than anything else I am thankful for my family.  While we don’t always agree or condone each other’s choices, our love has no limits.  Thank you for always believing in me and providing me with a strong foundation as I enter this adult world. To my mom, you are my backbone; I would be nothing without you.  To my sister, I am grateful we are so close, you are my biggest fan and I wouldn’t want to share any of our jokes with anyone else. To my grandpa, you are the greatest man I have ever known. I love you. To my brother, you drive me crazy, but I wouldn’t be me with out my wittle brother. To my boyfriend AJ, there is no one else in this world that I would want to share the rest of my life with- thank you for always keeping me on my toes, making me smile, and more importantly, loving me at me best and worst.  To my “in laws” Tony and Tricia, you are amazing people and I am so lucky to be a part of your family. Thank you for opening you home and your heart to me! To my "brother in-law" Jeff, thank you for being the funniest person I know and for always looking out for me! To my four-legged animal family members, I am thankful for all the joy you bring to my life every day!

So now, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I urge you all to consider what you are thankful for!

The Final Countdown

Twenty-three days. That’s how many days I have left until I walk across the stage and accept my diploma with the School of Public Affairs. That’s twenty-three days until I receive my Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.  On December 19, 2014, I will have been in School since August 2010.

I’ll be completely honest with everybody. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs was NOT my first choice when I was applying for colleges. I had a lot of options when it came to places to choose from but ultimately I chose UCCS because my ex best friend asked me to go with her. I never wanted to consider Colorado Springs as an option and halfway through my sophomore year, I was ready to transfer. It was when I was on my way to the library that I was approached by a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma and she was trying to get me to go to recruitment. I didn’t want to go…I was the furthest thing from what I thought was the “typical” sorority girl but after going to recruitment, I quickly fell in love. I felt at home and I was loved and accepted. I had finally found where I belonged at UCCS.

People always say bad things about Greeks, but what they never tell you is that if you join the right organization, you’re right at home. Joining Phi Sig made the time go by faster when I finally wanted time to slow down. I found my home away from home and I fell in love with my organization but not only did I fall in love with Phi Sigma Sigma, I found my soulmates.

I would have never met my best friends if we didn’t all end up in Phi Sig together.  We all came into Phi Sig 6 months apart but I couldn’t imagine my life without the two of them.  I watched one of them go from new member to Panhellenic delegate to archon and the other go from scribe to vice archon and I’ll never be able to describe how proud I am of them. They both inspire me to be the best person that I can possibly be and I know that I can depend on the two of them, just like they both can depend on me.

While I don’t have my own big sapphire, I do have my twin little sapphires and they are the most beautiful women that I know. They are my rocks. I’ve taught them a lot and in turn, they’ve also taught me a lot. They’ve been there through all of it with me and we’ve truly grown together. Everything that’s good in the world is what dwells inside of their souls. I’m proud of them and I know they’ll go on to do great things both inside and out of this chapter.

As for the rest of my chapter, I have no idea where I would be without any of them. I’ve laughed for countless hours and stood in the parking lot talking to them in the freezing cold! I know that wherever I go, I’ll always have them! The time that I’ve been in Phi Sig, I’ve grown as a person and have become a woman of substance and character and I have the past four years to thank for that! 

The countdown to the end has finally begun and I’m officially 23 days from being a college graduate. I’m 23 days from being the absolute best version of myself. I’m 23 days from being a Phi Sigma Sigma alumna. 

I'm 23 days from beginning the next chapter in my life but I promise that I won't forget the chapter that I came from! 

Wedding Time

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you are all looking forward to your week off! I am currently in the beautiful city of Charleston for my cousins wedding. I'm so excited for tomorrow Laura is going to a beautiful bride. Charleston has always been my favorite place. It feels almost as much like home as my actual home. The city has such a laid back vibe and the people are friendly. It's really the perfect southern city. I have so many memories here from where I spent the summers with my cousins on James Island and Folly Beach. It's so great to be back and with family, my Dad is one of 6, and the only one who lives in Georgia. I am so happy to be able to see all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, there are a lot of us in the Dangerfield clan! This break is much needed and I hope you all get to spend it with family and loved ones as well.

Quality Over Quantity

What do most people look for when it comes to recruitment ?

Do they look for leadership potential? Do they look for people that would mesh well with them? Do you look for people who won't create drama and bring everyone down? While each sorority is different, it is absolutely key to find people who work well with others and who would be leaders within your organization. 

Within the past few weeks, we've elected for our executive board and executive council for the 2015 term and it was then that it hit me. This year our we actually have people who want to fill positions. 

It's been a problem within our organization that we don't have enough people to fill positions or that we get our positions filled and then weeks later, people drop their position. 

It's been this time around that we, as a chapter, have actually had people be willing to fill almost all of our positions. Though there are things left unfilled, I find it better that they were left unfilled then somebody winning and then dropping. 

I'm curious, what do you look for when you're looking at PNM's? 

If leadership skills or leadership potential aren't some of the things that you're looking for, maybe it's time that you start thinking about these things before the next recruitment period comes around. 

I, personally, would have a smaller chapter of quality sisters than a large group of women who aren't contributing anything. 

As a senior and a veteran member of my chapters executive board, as well as executive council, I want to leave the chapter in a better place than it was when I came in.

After three years of being in my chapter, our sisterhood is the strongest that it's ever been and I want it to stay that way long after I'm gone from this chapter. 

Southern Nest!

       One of my new favorite stores on Etsy is Southern Nest! It is any sorority girl or big girl entering the real world's dream! It is all about the monogram. The owner's name is Courtney and her store is so charming.Southern Nest offers the top quality wooden monograms on the market. Get creative and monogram your home! A little vintage, a little preppy....welcome to Southern Nest.
       "Today, a team of multiple hardworking individuals are what make the Southern Nest operations flow so smoothly. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, we continue to be the leader in wooden monograms. Southern Nest was recently featured on the Today Show, Rosie Pope of Bravo's Pregnant in Heels, Charlotte Observer, Huntersville News and Herald, and chosen as one of Charlotte's 2014 Best of Charlotte companies. We work incredibly hard to deliver a BREATHTAKING product and send our customers a little piece of the South."
       I was lucky enough gain two beautiful products of theirs one highlights my sorority and the other highlights my monogram. Both of these things I am beyond obsessed with! If you are interested you can go to their website and use the code SOUTHERN to receive 10% off! 

Southern Nest Giveaway

Welcoming New Sisters as an a Alum

When you about to graduate, you usually hear people say the things they will miss about their university, their friends, their Greek Lettered organization, basically every positive thing from their college experience.

Then these people go on into the real world and move past their college years into full adulthood. The biggest miss conception of this transitional period is that you will soon forget all the things you miss.

Yes, you do move on and eventually become a "real person" (you know the kind with a full time jobs, their own apartment, and more importantly two tons of student loans) but certain things trigger the flashbacks to, let's face it, the best time of your life.

One of the said times, is when your sorority/fraternity/club post pictures of their newest class of new members. Just two weeks, I was lucky enough to watch the newest members of Phi Sigma Sigma- Delta Omega enter our lifelong sisterhood.

While I only met these women a handful of times, I know that my sisters worked hard to find the best people to fit into our organization.  Though I had nothing to do with them becoming a new member, I am proud to finally be able to call them my sisters and share that special bond that only we can share.

The end is near

With the end of the semester fast approaching time seems to be closing in on me. It's funny how we think that we have forever to do something and then it sneaks up on us before we even know it. Lately, I have been feeling like there just are not enough hours in the day to do all the things I have to do, Honestly I've been having a lot of nogalista and wishing that I could be a freshman again. I just wanna go back in time a little bit to where the work was easy enough that I could still go out every weekend and make A's. Upper level classes have hit me like a ton of bricks, and I swear group projects will be the death of me. I have been yearning for a day where I have nothing to do besides sit in bed and watch netflix but unfortunatley I don't think that day is coming until Christmas break however, seeing as how the last week of classes is the week after thanksgiving break. I want to be done with this semester and I want two extra weeks of classes all at the same time. I'm really trying to finish strong and not let all my hard work be put to waste even though my motivation is starting to dwindle. I hope that thanksgiving break will refresh at least give me enough of a break from classes that I am ready to rock finals.