Dear sister,
First and foremost, welcome to the family! You now have thousands of siblings to call your own. Don’t worry—it felt weird to me too when I was first told that. Yesterday, you may have been an only child, and today, you can look around at the women celebrating with you, and instead of nameless faces, you can call these women your advocates, your teammates, and your forever friends.
Today you are embarking on a journey that I’ve already traveled. One I know to be long, winding, and—if I’m being honest—absolutely exhausting. But one that is also ever-changing, breathtaking, and, most days, inexplicable. My four years through the adventure of sorority life are something I wouldn’t trade for the world, but today, begrudgingly, I pass the torch to you.
Four years ago I joined a sisterhood that promised me support, guidance, challenge, and love. In return, I was asked to give my heart, my sweat, and my dedication to the morals of an organization that was founded years before me. I was told that my actions would impact future generations; I don’t think I fully comprehended what that meant until this moment. But now, as I walk into “the real world,” I leave those same promises in your hands. I can finally understand that you are the future of this sisterhood.
And if I did my job well, the next four years of your life will be some of the most exciting and transformative you’ll ever experience.
The core of this organization is a legacy line that has transpired for over a century. The women who came before me shaped this organization in such a way that would allow me to come into it, truly live it, and be ever-changed by its values. It’s been a privilege that I will never get to thank them for personally; instead, my gratitude is shown in the way I cared for this organization to that one day it could become yours to live and love. Today is that day.
Although my legacy took time to build and shape, it was created with tears, laughs, hard-work, and true passion. The one thing I know I did right in college was giving my all to this organization; I truly feel as if I made a difference. Therefore, my legacy requires you to love this chapter—and I hope you really do. If that’s the only thing you do the next four years—love this chapter with every single piece of your soul—you will have accomplished an amazing task.
If all of this seems heavy and complicated, well, it is. You are the next part of a legacy that has changed history. Someday, you will understand the honor you have been given. If you truly commit yourself to this lifelong promise, you are guaranteed to have life-altering moments. The person you are now is not the person you will be at the end of your journey. To some, this is an opportunity for reinvention; for others, it’s a painful smack in the face with the reality of life. Regardless, you will change in many ways; you will make bad decisions, you will make best friends, and you will question yourself—but it’s all just part of the final destination.
My final destination is this letter…to you…right now. Until now, I thought my journey was complete, but what marks its finality is the bid card you’re holding now. For you, it represents the unknown, but for me, it’s a symbol of your endless possibilities. As soon as you said yes to sorority life, my journey was done.
Because, you see, this journey was never really about me anyway.
It was about continuing an incredible gift that was given to me and ensuring that the same gift was kept safe to give to you. That was my purpose, and that is my legacy. A gift of compassion, understanding, and unconditional love. The opportunity to make a difference in the world. The ability to find yourself. My legacy and the legacy of everyone before me is a sisterhood that will allow you to grow, learn, and become something pretty damn wonderful.
With a smile and slight hesitation, I wish you luck. I ask that you cherish it the way I did. Enjoy your journey. It’s one for the books, I swear.
Today, your legacy begins. I hope it’s a good one. From somewhere down the next path of life, I’m thinking of you. Keep this safe, love it, and honor it. This is yours.
All my love,
A new alumna
