Goodbye Riverside (But see you again soon!)

I’m spending the day packing in preparation of leaving Riverside tomorrow morning. Although it’s not the officially end to my consultant year, today is definitely bittersweet.

I could go on and on about my last three and a half months in Riverside, California. From colony marketing to colony recruitment week and bid day, fast forward to Initiation and Installation, I have had many busy weeks as a colony consultant. This experience has not only allowed me to be a part of building a chapter from the ground up, but it has thrust me out of my comfort zone.

I’ve explored the unfamiliar: Los Angeles to San Diego. I’ve checked Riverside and Southern California must-sees off my list and even had time to go to Disneyland. Twice.

I came to Riverside not knowing a single person and walk away not only with 100 plus new sisters, but also countless new friendships. That’s why I don’t think I am as sad as I should be saying goodbye – I know it’s far from the end, and I cannot wait to cheer all these special people on from the East Coast.

Not to overuse a cliché, but all good things must come to an end: This “end” allows us to move forward, change, develop and strengthen. As I move forward into a new career, our new chapter at UCR will strengthen as they experience their first formal recruitment and new member class.

Thank you Theta Omega for giving me the best experience and being the best colony (I am totally biased). You have staked your claim as the funniest set of sisters I have encountered, but you’re also among those most passionate and driven.

By knowing you, my life has been “enriched by true friendships”. Honestly, y’all rock.

Thank you University of California Riverside and Southern California for being a pretty great final stop and definitely a place I will always feel at home.

One Hundred and Fifty-Five.

Fifteen Days: Officer Elections, Pillars Week, Diamond Dash, Last Colony Meeting, Sports Week, Officer Training, Diamond Days, Initiation, Installation, Officer Transition Workshop, Two Recruitment Workshops & First/Last Chapter Meeting.

Needless to say, it’s been a busy last half of May in Riverside! The colony elected their first officer class, and those women have been working hard on their training before the summer months start. The colony also participated in their first Pillars Week and Sports Week within the Fraternity Sorority Community.

Perhaps the most exciting (and the busiest) week was Diamond Days. The charter members took time on the night before their Initiation to do a Sister Share, where they each shared their favorite ADPi memory. I loved hearing what mean the most to them in the past eight weeks.

Saturday, May 30th was Initiation and Installation Day! We welcome 107 sisters into Delta membership and the 155th active chapter of Alpha Delta Pi was installed as the Theta Omega chapter. The weekend brought lots of friendly faces back to Riverside, including our fabulous installation team! At times it was chaotic, but it was one of my favorite Alpha Delta Pi memories to date. The realization (and the waterworks) hit when our charter members were singing two of the most perfect ADPi Song: “Pass It On” and “Home” by Phillip Phillips. It was incredible to see how far this colony, and now chapter, has come in eight weeks and how it has brought the most incredible new sisters into my life. I thank my lucky stars that I was choose to help colonize at UCR!

After the excitment of the night, we still weren’t quite finished for the quarter! We held Officer Transition Workshop the morning after, along with a Recruitment Workshop facilitated by the Remarkable Rebecca Gentry that night. The jam-packed schedule was worth it to end the quarter talking about who this chapter is, where they are and where they are going!

I also loved having my fellow consultant sisters close throughout these crazy two weeks! I am so thankful for their constant love and support, along with all the amazing things that they have done for Theta Omega!

It’s not quite goodbye to Riverside! I will be here until I fly to Arizonia for Grand Convention. For now, it’s wrap-up officer meetings and recruitment prep for the next few weeks (along with enjoying my remaining time in Sunny California!).

The Last Leg

It’s been another month since I last posted, and I am now officially heading into my last month as a Leadership Consultant! It’s amazing how fast this journey has gone by – it’s literally taken me from coast to coast over the past ten months!

So what’s been happening in California? I returned to Riverside after my break in South Carolina (full of family, friends and sleep!) and came back in the midst of election preparations. Lots of hours of one-on-ones talking about officer roles filled my second half of April. The colony also had their first mixer at the mini-golf course (planned by pseudo-Director of Social Enrichment/fabulous support consultant Paola) and completed Alpha Education sessions!

At the beginning of May, we got a much-needed reunion at 1386 Ponce when the Leadership Consultants returned to Executive Office for wrap-up meetings. Lots of talking, lots of laughter and lots of eating filled these days in Atlanta as we slowly begin to say our goodbyes to LC Life. We also got to tape our LC Convention Skit…Stay tuned!

Last week, we jammed in another mixer at the trampoline park (planned biasedly by yours truly who was dying to go), completing their International Exam, celebrating their first Founders’ Day as Alpha Delta Pi women AND competing in their first Anchor Splash in support of their Delta Gamma friends.

I continue to be overwhelmed and very grateful for the many, many Panhellenic women who support our colony! Our new members have been paired with a “Panhellenic Pal” who have been able to show them the ropes of what it means to live out the Panhellenic Creed at UCR!

So what’s next/what’s left? Immediately, I’m about to head into Pitch Perfect 2, a perfect sisterhood event to see a movie that opened on our Founders’ Day! This week brings elections and Pillars Week, along with the return of my consultant sisters Paola and Meg for the rest of the month! Then next week, we head into Sports Week, Diamond Days, Initiation, Installation and Officer Transition Workshop. Whew! It’s going to be a crazy two weeks, but I’m excited for our Alphas to officially become Delta members on May 30^th, AND for the Theta Omega Chapter to be officially installed as Alpha Delta Pi’s 155^th active chapter!

After those two crazy weeks, it’s time for more officer training, wrap-up, pack-up and then on to Grand Convention in Arizona (with maybe another trip to Disneyland thrown in there!).

July 1^st will be my official end to this Life From My Pi Phone since I am flying back to South Carolina that day! As bittersweet as it is to end this year, I am very excited to be starting my next chapter in Greenville, SC as a new account coordinator with Flourish!

Riverside, Recruitment, Retreat, Relax

It’s been a busy past few weeks in Riverside! When I returned to CA, preparations for colony recruitment at UCR shifted into high gear. Before we knew it, our colonization team was arriving in Riverside ready to meet the women who would become our future sisters. The week consisted of a Blue and White Information Night, Philanthropy Night and interviews. I loved colony recruitment week – Not only because we got to welcome home new sisters, but also because of the time spent with current sisters. I enjoyed spending time with our colonization team, meeting local alumnae sisters and meeting our collegians from UCLA, Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.

Then it was finally UCR Bid Day! We welcomed home 109 new sisters and from there we’ve hit the ground running! Their first week as Alphas included their first colony meeting, a 19ADPi Skate Night and Colony Retreat.

During the last couple weeks, I’ve also had some more time to enjoy Southern California. Our consultant sisters’ spring break to California gave us the perfect excuses for trips to Newport, Fashion Island, Laguna Beach and the much anticipated trip to Disneyland! It was the most perfect way to spend the Easter Weekend!

This past week, UCR has another visitor – Our New Chapter Specialist, Anna Kate, came to introduce herself to our colony members and led our first sisterhood photo shoot! I always love spending time with someone who I consider to be an ADPi Mentor of sorts. Thanks Anna Kate for everything that you do for our new chapters!

April has been full of new experiences for me: new friendships, new facets of being a Leadership Consultant and new colony fun! I love being around a large group of sisters who are experiencing Alpha Delta Pi for the first time – I wish I could bottle their enthusiasm and share it with any sisters who may need a reminder of what that new member experience is like. It is love of our sisterhood in the rawest form, and it makes me fall in love with our organization all over again.

What’s next? I’m heading back to South Carolina for another long weekend and my last time before I finish this job! After that, it’s back to Riverside for more colony meetings, sisterhood events, socials and most importantly, preparing our colony members to be initiated and installed as the Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi!

From Palm Trees to the Palmetto State

March has flown by in a whirl of activity leading up to Colony Recruitment at the University of California, Riverside! We spent the first three weeks of the month marketing, tabling on campus and meeting with potential new members. I continued to be amazed at the caliber of women who make up this campus, and I cannot wait to meet our new members in early April! The Panhellenic women have continued to support our colonization efforts in a way that truly lives out the National Panhellenic Creed, which states, “Cooperation for furthering fraternity life, in harmony with its best possibilities, is the ideal that shall guide our fraternity activities.”

I’ve also taken a little bit of time to enjoy Riverside, from a couple hours laying by the pool to checking out some local stores to watching the new Cinderella movie (I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet!). I even checked “Hike the C” off my Riverside list. The rumor is if you hike up to the C and kiss it, you’ll get A’s for that quarter. The added bonus is that you get an incredible view of Riverside!

This past weekend, I packed my bags and headed east! It was great to be home in South Carolina to see family and friends. In true LC fashion, I wasn’t in one place for very long: I drove up to Charlotte to reunite with fellow traveler Kathryn. Nothing beats sushi, shopping and life talk with a best friend!

The next day, I drove down to Atlanta to grab Hannah before we trekked to Mussel Shoals, Alabama for our chapter sister and best friend Molly’s wedding. I can’t describe how wonderful it is to be back together in the same city with the friends that are each pursuing their own life paths. I am ever so grateful for Alpha Delta Pi on these days because without ADPi, I would have never met these and so many other sisters who play a crucial role in my life. From there, it was back to Greenville to enjoy one last day of break!

What’s next? I’m anxious to get back to the west coast and to welcome home those new Alpha members at UCR.

From Starkville to Southern California

After my February break in Charleston, I headed back to Mississippi State University for my last regular chapter visit of the year. During my fourth and final visit to Starkville, I was able to meet with officers who have been settling into their new positions in Epsilon Eta Chapter. I also got the chance to experience my first actual snow days as a consultant!

I rounded out the week with the chapter’s spring sisterhood retreat where I facilitated a workshop on branding and image! Afterwards, I went with a couple sisters to help prepare for a gala event benefitting a local orphanage. The next day I said my goodbyes to Mississippi and hopped on my plane en route to California!

My first week in town at the University of California Riverside has been wonderful! I have started settling into my apartment and have met some of the most fantastic Panhellenic women that I have come across during my travels. They have been invaluable to our marketing and recruitment efforts this week and are so supportive of Alpha Delta Pi colonizing at UCR! The Panhellenic, IFC, FSIC and campus community as a whole have been so welcoming to ADPi. My consultant sister Paola arrived mid-week, and we have been tabling and meeting women on campus each day in anticipation of colony recruitment week at the end of March.

I closed out my first week by celebrating my 23rd birthday! Thank you to all my family, friends, Alpha Delta Pi sisters and new UCR friends who made March 6th an incredible day. I have been beyond blessed for an unbeatable support system and an incredible life thus far!

More Than a Ritual or a Symbol

In honor of International Badge Day, I thought I would share how my life has been shaped by my membership in Alpha Delta Pi. When reflecting on my relatively short time as a member of Alpha Delta Pi, I think about the sisters that I’ve met each year of my membership!

At 18, I received my bid into Alpha Delta Pi and met the women who are my Alpha Class sisters, my chapter sisters and my best friends. I have figured that I have encountered close to 600 sisters in Eta Chapter alone – How incredible is that? I am thankful each day for my chapter who first made me fall in love with this sisterhood and gave me the support to accomplish so much both inside and outside of Alpha Delta Pi.

At 19, I met my first leadership consultant, Anna Kate. I was recording secretary and not seriously thinking of pursuing another office. In my thirty minute meeting with Anna Kate, she laid out a plan for me to run for Executive Vice President then President, and then apply to be a Leadership Consultant. Well, Anna Kate, I think that planned worked out pretty great!

Anna Kate is a great example of how my sisters have encouraged me to do things I never thought I would be qualified for, and how I can encourage others to do the same! This “plan” guided the next three years of my membership, and it took someone reassuring me that I was capable to pursue these goals. That year marked a new phase of my membership, and brought about the chance to form closer relationships with executive committee members and the advisors who served our chapter.

At 20, I met my next leadership consultant, Jessica. At the time of her visit, I was a new president and my first two months had seen its fair share of challenges. I questioned how a 20-year-old would manage a chapter of more than 300 women while leading them through obstacles that face individual members and our chapter as a whole. From the moment I picked Jessica up at the airport, all my fears and worries began to fade away. Jessica was the calming and reassuring presence I desperately needed. I loved being around her, and I honestly think I skipped class that whole week (Sorry mom and dad!) just so that I could spend as much time with her as possible. Jessica became a part of my support system, which included my best friends, family members and my new executive committee sisters, who would carry me through that term as president. They were always there to boost me up when I needed it the most!

At 21, I was nearing the end of my term as president when I met Katie, another Leadership Consultant. She came during my last week as President of Eta Chapter. I loved being president of my chapter – it was a time-consuming/life-consuming position I would not trade for anything in the world. I loved the new relationships I formed as president with sisters, advisors and International Officers, but I think by the week Katie came to our chapter, I was ready to pass the gavel on. Katie was there for a lot of college/Delta membership “lasts”, since I was graduating two weeks after her visit: last chapter meeting as president and a delta, last executive committee meeting, last date function and last home football game (Thousand apologies to Katie for sitting through the entire chilly game of Alabama beating up on Western Carolina, but I was sentimental and couldn’t pull myself away). Katie prepared me for my next phase of membership as an alumna and helped me with my upcoming interviews for the Leadership Consultant position. Even though she was only with our chapter for a week, Katie has been an invaluable resource and friend in the 14 months I have known her!

On my 22^nd Birthday, I got the call from my soon-to-be manager Annie offering me the Leadership Consultant position – that’s my kind of birthday present! This position, and my 22^nd year, has been a whole new experience in Alpha Delta Pi. I met eight of the most amazing sisters from all over the country who I now call my consultant sisters. Through my travels I have also encountered other Sisters of the Suitcase who now serve as advisors, International Officers or as Executive Office Staff. They are all a true testament to how great Alpha Delta Pi’s consultant program is and how we all share a special bond.

I also met my Violet Sister Haley, who has been a confidant, friend and advisor of sorts during my time of the road. I don’t know what I would do without you, or how I have survived 22 years without knowing you!

This job has introduced me to many, many Executive Office Staff, International Officers and Grand Council members. These sisters are the perfect example of how Alpha Delta Pi is a lifetime membership. They are willing to volunteer their time and talents, so Alpha Delta Pi can continue to grow and thrive for years to come. These women are models for me of how you can be successful in your profession and personal life, but still give back to our sisterhood.

Most importantly, this year has introduced me to hundreds of fabulous collegians during my chapter visits! I think my most favorite part of this year has been meeting these sisters and seeing what role ADPi has played in their life. I love asking sisters how they came home to Alpha Delta Pi. All of their stories are so different, but I think that’s the greatest part. There is no cookie cutter experience for Alpha Delta Pi women!

I know many of my Panhellenic sisters have been touched by their organizations in the same way that I have been. My biological sister is an alumna and volunteer leader for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, so I know NPC as a whole is stronger because of women like her who are dedicated to the sorority and fraternity movement. I love that even though we do not wear the same letters, we hold the same values and beliefs as Panhellenic sisters and can share International Badge day together!

So what’s next? I’m turning 23 in four days, and I have just began my next great Alpha Delta Pi adventure. Yesterday, I moved to Riverside, CA, to begin working on colony marketing and recruitment at UC Riverside. I am so excited to see what this next year, and the next fifty years of Alpha Delta Pi membership brings me!

Goodbye Oxford, Callin’ Baton Rouge and Carolina On My Mind

Since I started my year as a Leadership Consultant, I have spent 98 days with our new chapter at the University of Mississippi. In that time the chapter has grown tremendously, both in size (Delta Sigma has more than 350 members!) and development. I cannot begin to describe how special this chapter and these sisters are to me – I am so proud of everything you accomplished in your first year as a chapter!

I spent my last couple weeks with Delta Sigma helping with officer transition and goal-setting for 2015. I think some of my favorite members of this chapter (besides all those fun first formal recruitment stories J) is the time that I have spent in the library Starbucks meeting with officers and members. These women can attest to the fact that I have spent many, many hours, and consumed ridiculous amounts of caffeine, at the Starbucks since it is a central location on campus. I love when sisters will randomly stop by the chat when I’m sitting working on reports, but I absolutely adore the times where there have been large groups of ADPi women in there working on chapter business, school work or just catching up with friends. I am SO EXCITED for you to move into your new house in the fall. Some of my favorite members of college were meal times or sitting in the TV room in our house, so that’s why I think I love hanging out at the Starbucks since it reminds me of those times.

It’s a very bittersweet goodbye to my Delta Sigma sisters: I’m excited to be doing something new with our colony at UCR, but I hate to leave all the sisters that I have gotten to know so well over the past couple months. I know that this chapter has great things in store in the months and years to come!

After wrapping up in Oxford, I headed south to Baton Rouge for an expansion presentation at LSU. Although the SEC Rival is still in me, I must say I had a wonderful day learning about the campus, seeing Mike the Tiger and meeting the exceptional Panhellenic women, and other staff and administrators who support LSU’s Greek Life! I also enjoyed spending time with International Officers, seeing collegians from my own chapter at Alabama and Ole Miss and meeting our alumnae from LSU.

It was a quick trip, and before long I was back on the road again heading to Charleston, SC, for break! After a not-so-fun travel day due to the ferocious winter storm Octavia (Irony at its finest since that is the name of one of Alpha Delta Pi’s founders), I made it home to Greenville and drove the rest of the way down to Charleston. I was greeted by beautiful weather and family and friends for an early birthday celebration weekend!

What’s next? One last go-around in Mississippi! I’m traveling back to Starkville to see my sisters at Mississippi State. I think it’s only fitting to have my last chapter visit where I kicked off this wild journey back in August.

Double the DLCs, Double the Fun

After finishing up a break weekend in Atlanta and Nashville, I returned to Oxford to spend a couple weeks with my Delta Sigma sisters! The chapter was gearing up for their first officer transition since their recolonization, so there was lots of work to be done. I have enjoyed working with this first officer class over the fall and will definitely miss spending time in meetings with them, but I am so excited to see how the next officers will build on their work!

I got an unexpected opportunity to work our first District Leadership Conference of the year with our District II chapters! I hopped on a plane and traveled to the Tri-Cities to spend the weekend in Kingsport, Tennessee. It was great to see my consultant sister Nicole and other International Officers that I had met on the road. I also was able to surprise the officers of the four chapters I had visited in North Carolina. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed seeing the women of Eta Upsilon, Zeta Beta, Zeta Mu and Zeta Psi!

After a quick trip, I returned to Ole Miss for a week full of officer transition workshop, officer installation and meetings before heading back to the airport to travel to District I DLC in Atlanta. This was my fourth time at DLC I, since my home chapter is in District I, but my first time experiencing this DLC as an alumna! Again, the weekend was full of seeing chapters I’ve visited and IOs and advisors I’ve met on the road or while I was a chapter officer. I also had four glorious days with my consultant sister Rachel, hang out time with my Violet Sister Haley and a mini-reunion with my Eta sisters. I love having the chance to see so many people I love and who have shaped my Alpha Delta Pi experience!

What’s next? I’m heading back to spending my last couple weeks with my Delta Sigma sisters! If you haven’t already seen my big news, I will be spending the last months of my consultant year in Riverside, CA, helping with our next colony at University of California, Riverside. I am looking forward to experiencing West Coast life and being a colony consultant, as well as, another opportunity to work with our New Chapter Development Team, which has become quite a passion for me!

The North Carolina Chronicles: Part Four

Earlier this week, I arrived in Raleigh to visit our Zeta Beta chapter at North Carolina State University! The night I arrived, its newest officers were officially installed and ready to begin their year of service. I enjoyed getting to speaking with the incoming officers and hear about their goals and planning for the upcoming year. What an intelligent and motivated set of officers that are going to be leading Zeta Beta this year!

Usually during my chapter visits, I like to explore the campus and the surround city, but unfortunately the weather was not cooperating during my week in Raleigh. On my last full day, a sister and I were able to bundle up and walk around campus. Hands down, NC State is one of the coolest campuses that I have visited! Their central campus is very traditional and almost all the buildings are made out of brick. Some of their most famous landmarks are the bell tower, Free Expression Tunnel, the Brickyard and the Court of Carolinas.

Free Expression Tunnel

The Brickyard

Court of the Carolinas

We also ventured over to their Centennial Campus, where the engineering and textile schools are located. This modern campus stands in stark contrast to the central campus and boasts the new Hunt Library. All of the women kept telling me I needed to go see the library, which is somewhat unusual since a lot of campuses have other sites on their list of must-see places. When we got there, I could see why the library is at the top of the list. Between the Book Bot (which fetches your book from a huge vault) and the recording studios, gaming rooms and various other pieces of technology, I felt like I had step into Google Headquarters!

I was also able to attend a hot chocolate night at the chapter house (perfect planning since a winter storm was expected the next day!), meals at the house and time spent watching our sisters cheer on NCSU versus their rival, UNC-Chapel Hill.

This visit also gave me time to spend with some alumnae living in the Raleigh-Durham area. Zeta Beta advisors and collegiate province director took me out to dinner in Downtown Raleigh. Dinner time was also spent with a past Sister of the Suitcase and current Recruitment and Marketing Director for District Two! I love getting the chance to spend time with alumnae who enrich the meaning of a lifetime commitment and experience with Alpha Delta Pi.

What’s next? I’m heading on break! I’ll be traveling to Nashville for my best friend and chapter sister’s Bachelorette Party before heading back to Oxford, Mississippi. See you soon Delta Sigma Sisters!