Five Year Reflection

It is crazy to think that five years ago this past Thursday, I  officially became a sister of Phi Sigma Sigma. It is even more amazing to think that the idea of joining a sorority didn't cross my mind until getting to Pace. Being in Phi Sig has had such an important and life changing impact on my life and to think that for years I didn't know that was what I needed is crazy.

Phi Sig has made my college experience, it shaped me into the women I am today and provided me with more opportunities and growth than I could have ever imagined.

In five years I learned the value of leadership by becoming a committee head, then the Vice President of Administration and eventually the Executive Vice President of Panhel, and finally being Phi Sig's Sisterhood Development Chair.

I also learned the value of friendship and met some of the greatest people you could ever hope to meet, women that have helped me become a better person and who have inspired me, and who still play important roles in my life. I was not only blessed with an amazing big, whose positive attitude and strength was exactly what I needed when I got her but also three amazing and beautiful Littles, three amazing grandlittles, and one incredible great-grandlittle.

In addition to my beautiful linage, I was lucky enough to be pledge mom to the best eight kids a pledge mom could hope for. Beyond that I have met some of my best friends, women who I will stand beside at their weddings and they will stand beside me at mine.

Overall, each sister I have made I have became a richer person for each and every one of them (no exaggeration) has been able to teach me something and has had and important role in my life. Beyond the pearly gates of Phi Sig being in Greek life has made way for some other great friendships beyond the letter, friendships fostered by the common understanding of what it is like to be "Greek".

Perhaps most surprising is what I learned about myself. I learned what I am capable of and how I work with others. I learned who and I am and what things I value.

Overall the five years I have spent as a sister of this amazing organization has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made and I am beyond grateful. I hope that those of you who read this can look back at the time spent in your chapter and remember how it changed you because before you know it you will be staring back five years later and hopefully realizing why joining your chapter was one of the greatest experiences of your life!

What It Is Like To See Your Pledge Sister After Months Apart

During the second semester of my junior year of college, one of my best friends, my college roomie, my pledge sister, Jemma, accepted an amazing internship in Washington D.C. (we all knew she was destined to do great things).

She has more or less been down in the nation’s capital ever since.

While I have seen her a handful of times since then, speak to her often, and of course like  her occasional post on social media, she made an unexpected visit this past weekend and I made sure that I was able to see her (despite working an 8 and half hour shift at my part time job before hand).

After months apart, following the paths of our own lives, It was great to see her and celebrity where who we were, who we became, and where we have ended up thus far. Perhaps more importantly, it was nice to confirm that distance has not diminished our friendship but instead further solidified it.

Quite honestly, it was like she never left thus confirming that our friendship despite our busy schedules, fast past lives, and different careers can survive the test of time.

With the spring semester in full swing at this point, many sorority women are preparing to graduate --- this in general is a scary thought.

However, while the future can be uncertain, the lasting friendships that were fostered during your sorority years will live on with you forever. Jemma and I are just one example.  

Preparing For Your Big's Graduation

One of the greatest things about joining a sorority is getting a big. I remember ecstatically waiting to see who my big would be ( I can assure you, I was not disappointed). Your big is your role model, your friend, the person who will help guide you as you enter this new and exciting world of Greek Life and, even more importantly life. So naturally, it is a difficult transition as your big's graduation date approaches.   With spring semester starting, many little's are now facing that daunting realization that there big is graduating into the big girl world.  To help ease some of the sadness, here is a list of tips to help make your last semester with your big the best one yet!

1) Hang out as much as you can. This may seem obvious but the the hustle and bustle of school it is easy to forget.

2) Start creating traditions that can go on after your big graduates.  Weather it is a weekly movie night or a monthly coffee date, have a scheduled time to be together allows you to plan ahead.

3) Take a ton of pictures. Every event, or trip to the bar, or just casual hang out sessions, document the moment. Being able to look back and be reminded of your time together, it will help easy the feeling of lost after you go from seeing them everyday to every few weeks. 

4) Speaking of pictures, plan something special to give your big for graduation, For example, with all those pictures, a scrapbook is a great graduation present! I made one for my big and she loved it!

5) Have the younger members of your sorority, especially if they are in your tree, get to know your big too. Long after your graduated your big and you will still be part of the chapter, it is important to leave some sort of impact or legacy.

So as you prepare to enter your spring semester, remember to use the opportunity to spend as much time with your big as possible, cause before you know it, you will be the big graduating and leaving her little for the many opportunities that the world has to offer.

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. 

Unconditionally

As I posted last week, I lost somebody that I loved dearly. I had never met anybody like him and he meant the world to me. Overnight everything changed and within 36 hours of his accident, he passed away.

It was during the weeks following his death that I received more love and support from my sisters than I ever could have imagined. The day that he passed away, two of my sisters came into the room I was having a meeting in and they brought me flowers and cookies. Within 20ish minutes from those two coming in, four more sisters came in with more flowers, more cookies, and Starbucks. I had already been overwhelmed with what I was feeling but this really made me break down. For the first time in my life, I had the undying support of all of my friends. After getting home from my meeting, the doorbell rang and my roommate (and best friend) answered the door. In came two more sisters with flowers, cookies, and chocolate flowers.

As the week went on, I attempted to force myself to get on with my life. For days, I wouldn't go out. That Friday night, I went to a haunted house and to the movie theater with some of my sisters and one of my sisters, a new member who hasn't known me but for a few weeks, gave me a card and chocolate.

It really hit me at that time...I'm apart of the greatest support system in the world. I'm a greek. I have the greatest friends on the planet. I have 40 women who I can call, day or night, and I know they'll answer the phone.

Nothing bothers me more than when people say, "you pay for your friends!"

No..I don't pay for my friends. Never have I ever paid for the love and support that I receive day in and day out. I didn't pay for the unconditional love that I have received since I came into this organization when I was a sophomore in Spring 2012.

I have never in my life had friendships like the ones that I've made while I've been in Phi Sig. In my time that I've been in Phi Sig, I've found my best friends, my partners in crime, my future bridesmaids, and ultimately, I've found my soulmates.

I met my two best friends because we all came into Phi Sig 6 months apart. The three of us have served on executive board for two terms. I live with one and the other one may as well live with us because we're always together anyway. I have the two best littles and I have just recently received the best grand little into my family. I've had the two best rosebuds that I could have ever asked for that have been there through everything with me.

I ultimately have everything that I ever really needed. I lost love in a very tragic way, but I was also blind to see that I had people around me the entire time that loved me when I was at my worst. I've had people that would hold me while I cry and bring me the unhealthiest of food, even when I didn't need it.

I've been blessed to have the most wonderful support systems of all.

Don't forget to tell your loved ones that you love them and that you care. Don't forget to savor every minute you have with them because you never know if things could change. Embrace those around you, because whether you realize it or not, you have the most wonderful of people around you who will love you unconditionally.