Who, Why, and How....

Hello again!

Tyler and I already mentioned that we are in this with you all, so here I am, telling you a bit about who I am, why I joined a sorority and why I am still in the field, and how I feel about this class.... I addressed much of this already in my first post, but I will explain a bit more here...

Who Am I ?

We already know I am a 2nd year Master's student in the Higher Education & Student Affairs program here at Ohio State... But I will start with my earlier years...

I grew up in Solon, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland)- I am not a Brown's fan, but I grew up with the Cavs. I love NBA basketball and have been a loyal fan for most of my life. I am, however, completely and totally incapable of playing the game. I have lived in the same house most of my life with my mom, dad, and younger brother (he's 21) and our pets. My family means the world to me and even though I am 24, I still look forward to going home to spend quality time with my family. They are my biggest support system and I would never be where I am today if it wasn't for them these past years! My friends from home are my second family, we have been together since high school and I live for our reunions! I went to college a couple of hours from home at Miami University (in Oxford, Ohio), and it changed my life.

I started college wanting nothing more than to move back home, be with my old friends, and go to school with them at Ohio State (ironic, huh?).... I was miserable, to put it lightly, and was weeks away from leaving campus. I had a pretty challenging roommate situation and I thought moving would help. Turns out, moving helped me find some closer friends, but I still wasn't happy. I felt lost, left out, and without anything to call my own. Its funny how things change, because my time at Miami was easily the best four years of my life to date, and I encourage you all to make the most of your undergraduate experience, it truly is a once in a lifetime chance. So what changed? What moved me from the quiet girl who was ready to pack up and move back home to the woman I am today, ready to lead other students through their own higher education experience? I am sure you all guessed where this was headed, and you are correct... Recruitment,.

Why I Joined a Sorority?

I think I have pretty much laid the foundation for this, but I went through recruitment because I felt like I had nothing left. I figured, why not? Things couldn't really get worse, so a few girls from my floor and I registered in late October, and spent the first semester preparing as a floor, along with our GLG (Greek Life Guide) to go through recruitment in January. For those of you who know anything about Miami, you know that Sorority and Fraternity life is a huge part of the campus... Nearly 40% of our undergraduate students are a member of the Sorority and Fraternity community, and letters are essentially all over campus. I figured, people in this community seem to have a good time, I'll give it a shot. And I thank myself everyday for pushing myself into the unknown.

I went through recruitment, and in all honesty, things did not go as I had expected. I pride myself on being a confident, outgoing, and fun-loving person, I think I am easy to talk to, and I love being around people (hopefully you all agree!). I expected to have "good luck" during recruitment and not be cut from chapters. Side note: Recruitment at Miami is pretty serious and a bit cut-throat... If you ever want to know more, please ask!

So I was cut from more chapters than I had expected, but the one that I felt most comfortable in from the beginning kept re-appearing and I realized about 1/2 way through the process that I knew where I belonged. The day I became a Chi Omega was one of the best days of my college experience, but was also incredibly scary and confusing. I literally had no idea what I had just gotten myself to- no one in my family was Greek, except for a few cousins.

You all know what it is like to find where you really belong, so I will skip all of the details of why I stuck with Chi Omega and why sorority life changed who I am, and instead tell you the positive things in my life that would not be here was it not for my lifelong commitment to Chi O and her values...

1. My best friends
2. My career in student affairs
3. My on-campus leadership positions
4. My commitment to the fraternal movement
5. My appreciation for sisterhood
6. The Chi Omega symphony- for those of you who attended UIFI: Ohio State, you might remember that still brings tears to my eyes...
7. My mentors
8. Learning to live with new and different people
9. Pride for who I am, what I am a part of, the letters I wear, and what I stand for....

The list could go on forever; the point is, Chi Omega and the Miami University Greek community changed my life.

How do I Feel About This Class?

I don't really think its fair for me to answer this. Obviously Tyler and I are a bit biased, seeing we designed much of it..... But I am excited, and I cannot wait to learn with all of you. This is definitely the most creative class I have ever been a part of, I am really looking forward to combining technology, leadership, fraternity and sorority, personal commitment, council goals, and group dynamics into one experience. I think this is going to be a learning experience for each of us, and I hope you're ready to change the world!

See you tomorrow :)