All throughout high school, I never really had one group of friends. I was in a bunch of different clubs and activities, but I never felt like I had one place with all of my friends. I didn’t really feel like I had a best friend. I was lonely and felt like everybody’s second option. Like no one would hang out with me unless everyone else was busy. It was isolating in a cold way that I had grown accustomed to. So, when senior year came to an end, I was ready to start college and find a place where I truly belonged.

I was not expecting to connect with anybody on a personal level during Recruitment at TCU. But when I talked to Alex Osredker, I knew Alpha Delta Pi is where I belong. When Alex talked about her ADPi Sisters, I could feel the joy and love they brought to her life and I thought I understood how much it had changed her life. But stories do not come close to the impact our Alpha Delta Pi sisters have on each others’ lives. On Preference Night, I thought I understood, but once I joined the sorority, I realized how true and deep the bond of sisterhood really is.

It’s in the smiles and screams and hugs of excitement on Bid Day, as we celebrated together.

It’s in the way we proudly wear our letters and sit with each other at class and at meals.

It’s in the way my Alpha Class laughed and joked as we walked to workshops together.

It’s in the way we eat waffles and strawberries and sip on sparkling cider while watching the Bachelor together.

It’s in the way we go all out for mixers, laughing and dancing together.

It’s in the long posts and messages we send to each other to share how much we miss being together.

It’s in the women of Alpha Delta Pi, the women who have changed me forever. I went from feeling alone all the time to feeling like I’m part of something bigger and better than myself. People know me and I know them. The sisterhood between my sisters and I is a feeling that makes me constantly want to be a better person for the girls who mean so much to me. I love my sisters and I am so thankful for these women who have changed my life in the best ways possible. Walking across the TCU Campus, I feel more confident and stronger than I’ve ever felt before. My sisters give me faith, and as Elle Woods says, “You must always have faith in people. And most importantly, you must always have faith in yourself.”

To the women of Alpha Delta Pi- I love you and I thank you for showing me the strength I never knew I had.