A Letter To All New Graduates:

Hello Graduates:

Hello Graduate!! Welcome to the exciting (yet terrifying) world of adulthood. After years of schooling and preparation, you have finally made it and are now officially a college graduate with the whole world in front of you!!!

Now that you are here, please take a moment to think about all you have accomplished. Take the time to reflect on all the memories you created during college, about what you learned in your field and about yourself, consider how much you have grown and how much growing you still have time to do!!

Now that you have took a moment to look back, now use this opportunity to look forward. What is next? Some of you may have figured that out, some of you may not have, and that is okay!  This is the perfect opportunity to think about what is really important to you, what you want in life, and where you want to end up!!!

You can be anything you want to be, you can achieve whatever it is that you want to achieve. You are a college graduate, and there is nothing holding you back. So go out there, leave your mark on this world and make it a better place.

The world is your oyster, so go get them tiger!!

Sincerely,

The Sorority Girl Thought Team

My senior speech!

Three years ago I came to San Francisco State, as a transfer student with units of a junior. I had only school on my mind. Yet deep down I knew something was missing during my first semester at state. I didn’t know anyone here. I didn’t think anyone would accept me due to my age and awkward social skills. I wanted to get involved in school and meet new people but I was struggling to find where I belonged. It was not till I was walking through the quad that I realized what I really needed and wanted... I saw  my sororities table and I knew I had to be a part of this amazing organization that not only was involved in campus but promoted woman empowerment and togetherness as equals. I went through the recruitment process in spring 2013 and it was the best choice I have ever made in my life. I fell in love with my Big, and my G big and my entire family. Before I joined my sorority I only had two sisters I now have over 100 who will be there for me through times of good and bad.

Now that I am a senior I look back at my years in the chapter and see how much I have grown as a Phi Sig but also as a young woman. I'm thankful to Phi Sig for the opportunities that it is has given me in my life but best of all it made my secret Disney wish come true. I always wanted a little sister, and Phi Sig gave me gave me two amazing little sisters, and two amazing grand little sisters. Who I know will be bridesmaids at my wedding someday and also nanny for me at the drop of hat. When I graduate this month, I will take love and support my sisters have given me and always remember to Aim High. Phi Sig is not only my family and my home, it’s the place where I’ve felt like I can accepted for who I am.  Its not four years its for life. Because once a Phi Sigma Sigma…always a Phi Sigma Sigma<3

 

Graduation Playlist!

Graduation day for me is just around the corner..ok I maybe stretching it a bit but it is next month. I’ve been thinking about my graduation day and what soundtrack I would want to be playing as I walked to get my diploma. Let alone what songs to play at my graduation party, but there are so many great songs to choose from.  Not to mention it’s hard to pick just one song that can reflect on my college years. With transferring in as a junior, joining Phi Sigma Sigma, there have been so many awesome changes. I’m so excited to see what the future holds for me, and this list reflects that, Enjoy!

Graduation Playlist

Breakaway-Kelly Clarkson

Break Free-Ariana Grande

Unwritten-Natasha Bedingfield

Applause- Lady Gaga

We are young- Fun

Best day of my life-American Authors

Long live-Taylor Swift

Rather be-Clean Bandit

Drops of Jupiter-Train

Fancy-Iggy Azalea

Time of our lives-Pit-bull

Heartbeat song-Kelly Clarkson

Don’t stop believing-Journey

Goodbye-Spice Girls

Graduation song- Vitamin C

Life as Sorority Alumna

With the end of the semester coming near, many sisters of chapters all over the country will be making the jump from being a collegiate sister to alumnae. When I was living out my years as a collegiate sister, I thought alumna-hood would never get to me and I'd be a fun, active, collegiate sorority sister forever. All too quickly though, I found myself as an alumna sifting through old pictures reminiscing over my college days.

Shortly after relocating a few states away from my collegiate chapter, I realized there was an alumnae chapter in my area. I thought, "Wow, this is my shot to get to do it all over again!" Until one day, I was told the alumnae chapter had been inactive for quite a few years. Being as young and gung-ho as I was, I decided to reactivate the chapter.

Now, for the past two years, I have served as the Chapter President for my alumnae chapter. I have found life as an alumna to be even more satisfying than I thought. I have been able to lead my chapter and recruit new sisters to be involved with the chapter. We have participated in multiple philanthropy events such as Campfire USA, the American Heart Association's Heart Walk, Girls Love Mail, and many others. As an alumna, there are still so many opportunities to give back to the community in the name of your letters.

Not to mention the bonds that have been formed… The sisters still involved with alumnae chapters are the sisters who truly want to continue to help their sorority grow and flourish. You're going to meet sisters who are still just as in love with their letters as the day they received their bids. You're also going to meet their daughters who look forward to going through recruitment and continuing the tradition of sisterhood as a legacy. It's one of the most fulfilling feelings I've ever been able to experience.

So while you work on decorating your graduation caps and picking out the perfect outfit to walk across the stage in, just know that your time with your sorority isn't finished just because you receive that piece of paper you've worked so hard for. There is still a whole world of opportunities to connect with sisters, give back to the community, and represent your letters and values in the best way possible. Good luck graduating seniors, and welcome to life as an alumna.

"Outside" by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding Can Be Consider a Sorority Anthem!

The other day I was driving to work, nothing unusual, and the song “Outside” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding started playing on z100.

So I did what I always do, I sang along.

As I was singing (badly I might add), I realized that I was starting to think about how I felt in my sorority after graduation, about leaving my chapter, at being on the “outside”, an alumni sister, not an active sister. 

While I am sure this song was most like not written to describe the feelings on recent sorority graduates, it really does describe what it is like being a new graduate of a sorority and in many ways tells you what you need to hear about it.

The main statement in the entire song, which is repeated several times, is as follows:

“I'll show you what it feels like
Now I'm on the outside
We did everything right
Now I'm on the outside "

The line “we did everything right, now I am on the outside” stands out to me because as sorority women, we made the right choice to join and participate in our chapters, now that we are moving on and we have to let the women who followed, the women we helped select and mold, take over the chapter as we watch from a safe distance. 

While it is not as dramatic as the song sounds, as alumni we are still very active in our chapters, I know I still am, it reminds up that at the end of the day that our time as a college sorority women is official behind us, and we now have to help our chapters grow and prosper outside the walls of active sisterhood.

Needless to say, now every time I hear the song I can’t help but think of being alumni in a sorority.

Take a listen and let #sgt know if you hear it too!

About To Graduate? Here is Something to Consider While Looking For A Job

It is now officially April, and while many students are excitingly waiting for summer break to begin, there are a great many students ready to enter the job force.

With that in mind, it is important to be prepared. I am not just talking about having your resume updated, making a list of potential employers, and doing practice interviews.

While all those things are important, it is more vital to take the time to sit down and take the opportunity to determine what it is you really want to do.

This doesn’t mean that there is where you will start up; many times you have to start somewhere just to get your foot in the door. However, having a plan gives one a sense of purpose.

In addition to having an ultimate dream job in mind, I urge you to take that a step further and find something in your field that you would love to wake up every morning and go to work.

Call me crazy, but I feel that it is basic human right to go to work everyday and enjoy what you do.

Now, I know this may not be a reality for every person; we all make sacrifices for other things that we find as priorities.  I also know that many people would consider my philosophy about the work force naïve, but honestly I don’t care.

I truly believe that we, as “worker bee’s”, are happier working in something we care about.

As a photographer, the term starving artist comes to mind, but I would rather be a starving artist that a miserable anything else.  I realize that you may not, and that is why you need to determine your workforce priorities.

So as graduation (much to your horror) approaches, I urge you to take the time before you start applying to consider your what is important to you, what you want to do, and how to get there.

After all, you are just starting in the work force; do you really want to be anything but happy for the next 40 plus years in the job force?

Exactly!

Graduation?

I'm afraid to graduate, terrified actually. I have no idea what I'm going to do with my life once I leave college and my sorority. I don't want to be forced to move back to my hometown, not only do I not want to live with my parents but there's not enough opportunity for me to build my career there. I still have a few semesters before I graduate but as I watch older sisters graduate I can't help but think I'm next. When I graduate I won't be an active member of my sorority anymore no more hanging out with sisters in the library, date nights, or formals. I'm going to miss my chapter so much.                                                Also, There's all these things I need to do in order to prepare to graduate. On the top of that list is get an internship. I've seen multiple entry level PR jobs that require a year of experience. So that's great. Having a big girl job is also kind of intimidating when I still feel like a baby out in the real world.                                     I know that being out of school will be great with no more homework or papers to write but at the same time I've been in school for the majority of my life and so have most young adults these days so it's hard to imagine anything else. I truly hope that when it comes time to walk across that stage I'm ready.

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.