Thank you!

From every fiber of being in my heart, thank you Delta Phi Epsilon! When I started college I knew I wanted to join a sorority. I had watched “Legally Blonde” way too many times and thought that when I joined a sorority it would be all glitter and pink décor. While there may have been no shortage on glitter, joining DPhiE ended up meaning so much more to me than unicorns and matching shirts.

I truly gained sisters for life. Over four years, I went from not knowing any one in the room, to bawling my eyes out at senior send off tonight. When I lost pretty much every single one of my college friends sophomore year, I was not afraid or scared. I knew I’d have my support group through out college. Looking around the room at chapter every single Monday night and seeing my sisters do wonderful and amazing things inspired me.

They say iron sharpens iron, and that’s what you girls did for me. You motivated me to be someone I was proud of. Joining this group made me who I am today, a girl with standards and dreams. During my last ritual ceremonies, I did something that I had taken for granted the past four years. I listened to what was being said. It’s a simple thing to do, but fully listening and accepting what was being said confirmed everything I felt about the sorority.

From silly things, like making unicorn horns, to the super serious, like when we came together to support a sister in need, every moment meant something and created an unbreakable bond. Often when it comes to sorority life, terms like big and little are throwing about. Seeing my little for the first time and being able to call her mine meant more to me than most events in college.

She became the person I turned to and a person who I was so proud of. Literally, my little could draw a squiggle on a used napkin and I’d call it the best artwork in all the land. This is the girl who I actually mouthed the Friends theme song to across a crowed room with such passion, that you would have thought someone had written the song just for us. Having a person who was merely a stranger at one point become your family is something that one often doesn’t experience in life but joining this organization was the catalyst for that.

Esse Quam Videri, is not only our motto but for me “To be, rather than to seem to be”, became the way I lived my life. It may seem like a simple phrase, one that people should live their life by, however always having it around me shaped me. It made me a person I’m so proud to be.

Becoming an alumni member officially tonight, is one of the hardest things I’ve faced thus far in life (I cried my eyes out like a freaking baby!). It’s a bitter sweet moment, however looking at the faces of the younger girls makes me happy. I know when my class walks across the stage at graduation we are leaving behind a sorority that will do great things and grow even more. I love you Delta Phi Epsilon, thank you for making me into the outstanding woman I am today.