I have learned so many things at Ohio University, but the lessons that will stay with me long after graduation weren’t taught in a lecture hall. The best lessons I have learned have been sitting on the huge couch in the basement, crammed onto the porch, and screaming on stage during Greek Week. I learned how to embrace joining a huge organization and how to learn names and faces quickly. I learned just how important those names and faces are when you need a friend on a bad day, and I learned how to be a good friend to my sisters on their bad days.
I didn’t start off my college experience on the right foot. I was overwhelmed with coursework, various ways to get involved, and the insane number of people on campus. By the time formal recruitment came around, I had all but given up on finding a place where I really fit. Recruitment taught me that everyone fits somewhere, it just takes going the extra step to get to know the people around you to find it. Ever since, I’ve known that Alpha Delta Pi is my place, full of people who understand the importance of going not just the extra step … but going the extra mile for each other. My sisters were there for me when I struggled with my classes, they celebrated with me when I aced tests, and so much more. The women I surround myself with every day have taught me to find confidence within myself to try new things and not be afraid of failing.
Last semester I was caught in a downpour on my way to an interview, without a raincoat or umbrella and instead of showing up to my interview drenched, one of my sisters that lived in the house brought me an umbrella. The simple action of her taking the time to walk to me in the rain so I could get to my interview was so thoughtful and showed me that I really could rely on my sisters no matter the situation.
Alpha Delta Pi taught me the value in recognizing a face in a huge lecture hall and having a cozy kitchen to study and do homework in. It was difficult for me to find a place where I fit just as I am among 30,000 people, but I am so incredibly lucky to have found a place among the amazing women in our chapter.
Despite feeling like an outsider for so long, Alpha Delta Pi gave me a place where I am always welcome. I can walk in and be met with the countless friendly faces of women who are just as happy to see me as I am to see them. No matter how many times I struggle, I have learned that I will always have a sister to pick me up and a place to call home.
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