Every night before I go to bed, I give myself a pep talk to look nice the next day. And by looking nice, I mean wearing jeans instead of leggings and throwing a sweater on instead of a t-shirt. I outfit prep, (kind of like food prepping but with clothes) just because I have a plethora of articles of clothing and an array of the current season's "in" colors due to my insistent shopping addiction. However, I look in my closet in the morning and I guess my motivation did not get out of bed when I did. I see my drawers full of my Greek letters so I throw on my favorite Alpha Delta Pi t-shirt (they are all my favorite) and walk out the door.

I think that some people associate sorority letters with the pride of displaying a winning sports team logo across their chest. People will wear an Iowa State shirt after a big win, signifying that their team is superior to the losing team. However, my sorority is not a sports team. I do not cheer them on from the sidelines because I am a part of the team. I do not wear my letters to be first-class to you. We are all in the game together of seeking our best selves while being surrounded by nourishing words of affirmation from people who will always go the extra mile in all aspects of their life.

I had a job interview that ended when I mentioned my experience of flourishing within a sorority. My interviewer was apparently turned off by the thought of two hundred powerful women, even appalled that I lived with sixty of them. It did not matter how deep I delved into the opportunities given to me by my home away from home. It was irrelevant that my whole world had expanded when I ran home to ADPi on bid day in a new city of unfamiliar souls, although finding familiarity within the women behind the blue door. She could not see past the media-driven stereotypes and could not see my worth. People will hear the word "sorority" and that is the end of their ability to listen. Honestly, if a job does not value something that changed my life and made me who I am today, then I do not want to be surrounded by those people who do not celebrate that my sorority gave me a safe haven to figure out who I was apart from my parents, high school friends, and the comfort of my Kansas City suburb.

I wear these letters from my azure blue ADPi hat to my Alphie the Lion ADPi socks and everything in-between to remind myself that I have the ability to do anything. Because I have met the most influential women through my sorority, I have realized that my dreams can turn into plans and those plans can become a reality. I have ADPi on my planner to remind me that learning is valuable and I owe it to myself and to the women around me to commit to putting my heart and soul into everything. I have ADPi buttons on my backpack to remember that no matter how far I go, my home and my favorite people are never too far away. So, when you see me wearing my favorite ADPi t-shirt, let that inspire you to go find what lights your world and fuels your inner fire.