A Sorority Girl's Swan Song
Hi there.
If you know me well enough, you probably have an idea about where this is coming from.
If you don't know me, then know that for the past year I've served on the Executive board for the Panhellenic community at USC, specifically directing formal recruitment.
And if you don't know what that means, we can just say it's been a heck of a busy year.
It's with a bit of a bittersweet heart that I write this post.
Sweet, because my time will once again be my own (kinda, wedding to plan and college degree to obtain).
Bitter, because this has been such a monumental chapter in my life. I have grown in ways I never thought possible, I have learned skills I never thought imaginable, I have taught things that I didn't understand before, and I have come to have a heart for college women.
But, before I pass on my title and take my final bow, there are a few things I would like to say about sorority life.
First of all, I am incredibly proud to be a Panhellenic woman.
Getting the chance to represent this community to the University, to freshman parents this past summer at orientation, to our city at large, has allowed me the opportunity again and again to tell of the achievements of our community here.
And to my Panhellenic sisters, let me tell you.. You are a group of individuals who genuinely care.
You care about education. You care about developing leadership skills. You care about philanthropy and service.
And more importantly, you care about each other. You care about the sister who broke up with her boyfriend, the one who got in a car wreck and broke her arm, the one who failed her test after studying for two weeks. You care for the sisters who lost loved ones. You care for those who are diagnosed with terminal diseases, you care for all those in between just trying to make it through college.
And you don't just sit around.
You actively respond. You fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, you bring flowers to the sick sisters, you are leading the academic honors societies, you are there to help in the campus crises. You are involved all over campus in hundreds of organizations.
Like you are the most involved ever.. I can find you
all
over
campus.
Secondly, sisters, do not let the negative stereotypes of what sorority women should be define who you are.
Hollywood will always be there to shame you into thinking that sorority women don't care about their education, are only here for the wild parties that they throw every night, and are not active contributors to society.
False. false. and false.
You are women with brains. Use them.
You are women with compassionate hearts and passionate spirits. Use those too.
Stand strong in who you are, what you're doing, and why you're doing it.
Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself in a room full of people who have negative stereotypes about who you are. But with that, you must be careful to resist those stereotypes.
So sisters, keep hosting the philanthropy events. Keep focusing on sisterhood. Continue doing what you're doing by developing leaders, growing community members, preparing women who are kind, loyal, loving and who are going to excel wherever the Lord puts them.
And finally, to my sisters, to my best friends, to my advisors, to my people..
thank you.
Thank you for taking this girl who was unsure how to use her voice and teaching her how to speak her mind to thousands of people (literally).
Thank you for teaching me how to spot potential in others, and push them to new places.
Thank you for giving me an avenue to grow, to learn, to challenge and be challenged.
Thank you for allowing me to help lead this amazing community of thousands of women, and for the dear friends that led alongside me.
It's been a true privilege to have served this community for the past year. One I hope I did not take lightly. I have been pushed to new horizons, and I have loved every moment of it.
I am grateful that the Lord saw fit to put me in this place, at this time, with these people, and I can only hope that I have brought Him glory in my work. Because He is the one who deserves it all.
And, if it was my plan, I never would've been here to begin with.
But that's why it's His purposes and not my plans.
Praise Him for that.
So, my friends, my sisters.
It has been a year of challenges and joys, of friendships and laughter, of uncomfortable phone calls and many, many, many emails.
And now I gratefully pass it on to the next wonderful group of collegiate women.
And to them, I say, enjoy it. It'll fly by.
But know that when it's over, you will walk away with hundreds of dear friends, thousands of memories, and a million thanks.. and you will be extremely grateful that no matter where you end up, you will always have a community in support behind you.
Love,
Alana
If you know me well enough, you probably have an idea about where this is coming from.
If you don't know me, then know that for the past year I've served on the Executive board for the Panhellenic community at USC, specifically directing formal recruitment.
And if you don't know what that means, we can just say it's been a heck of a busy year.
It's with a bit of a bittersweet heart that I write this post.
Sweet, because my time will once again be my own (kinda, wedding to plan and college degree to obtain).
Bitter, because this has been such a monumental chapter in my life. I have grown in ways I never thought possible, I have learned skills I never thought imaginable, I have taught things that I didn't understand before, and I have come to have a heart for college women.
But, before I pass on my title and take my final bow, there are a few things I would like to say about sorority life.
First of all, I am incredibly proud to be a Panhellenic woman.
Getting the chance to represent this community to the University, to freshman parents this past summer at orientation, to our city at large, has allowed me the opportunity again and again to tell of the achievements of our community here.
And to my Panhellenic sisters, let me tell you.. You are a group of individuals who genuinely care.
You care about education. You care about developing leadership skills. You care about philanthropy and service.
And more importantly, you care about each other. You care about the sister who broke up with her boyfriend, the one who got in a car wreck and broke her arm, the one who failed her test after studying for two weeks. You care for the sisters who lost loved ones. You care for those who are diagnosed with terminal diseases, you care for all those in between just trying to make it through college.
And you don't just sit around.
You actively respond. You fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, you bring flowers to the sick sisters, you are leading the academic honors societies, you are there to help in the campus crises. You are involved all over campus in hundreds of organizations.
Like you are the most involved ever.. I can find you
all
over
campus.
Secondly, sisters, do not let the negative stereotypes of what sorority women should be define who you are.
Hollywood will always be there to shame you into thinking that sorority women don't care about their education, are only here for the wild parties that they throw every night, and are not active contributors to society.
False. false. and false.
You are women with brains. Use them.
You are women with compassionate hearts and passionate spirits. Use those too.
Stand strong in who you are, what you're doing, and why you're doing it.
Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself in a room full of people who have negative stereotypes about who you are. But with that, you must be careful to resist those stereotypes.
So sisters, keep hosting the philanthropy events. Keep focusing on sisterhood. Continue doing what you're doing by developing leaders, growing community members, preparing women who are kind, loyal, loving and who are going to excel wherever the Lord puts them.
And finally, to my sisters, to my best friends, to my advisors, to my people..
thank you.
Thank you for taking this girl who was unsure how to use her voice and teaching her how to speak her mind to thousands of people (literally).
Thank you for teaching me how to spot potential in others, and push them to new places.
Thank you for giving me an avenue to grow, to learn, to challenge and be challenged.
Thank you for allowing me to help lead this amazing community of thousands of women, and for the dear friends that led alongside me.
It's been a true privilege to have served this community for the past year. One I hope I did not take lightly. I have been pushed to new horizons, and I have loved every moment of it.
I am grateful that the Lord saw fit to put me in this place, at this time, with these people, and I can only hope that I have brought Him glory in my work. Because He is the one who deserves it all.
And, if it was my plan, I never would've been here to begin with.
But that's why it's His purposes and not my plans.
Praise Him for that.
So, my friends, my sisters.
It has been a year of challenges and joys, of friendships and laughter, of uncomfortable phone calls and many, many, many emails.
And now I gratefully pass it on to the next wonderful group of collegiate women.
And to them, I say, enjoy it. It'll fly by.
But know that when it's over, you will walk away with hundreds of dear friends, thousands of memories, and a million thanks.. and you will be extremely grateful that no matter where you end up, you will always have a community in support behind you.
Love,
Alana
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