Welcome, PC16! We are all so happy to have met and recruited such an incredible pledge class. You all have so much potential, and though remembering all of your names is a little difficult, your faces are always in my mind when I think of how incredible our chapter has become.

It's been a few weeks since you all ran home to Delta Delta Delta on Bid Day, but it'll seem like it was just yesterday, even a year or two afterward. We all saw something special in you, and you saw a home in us; don't forget that. Down the road, things may get scary. Even so, you'll eventually remember why you joined this sisterhood in the first place, and you'll be so glad you did.

I know you are all probably a little overwhelmed with everything that's going on. You have 150 "sisters," you spend time hanging out in a mansion after class, you're wearing three deltas on your chest, you're representing the entire national organization that is Tri Delta. You are a proud supporter of St. Jude, you are trying to learn everything there is to know about your chapter and you are trying to find yourself. We've all been there, I promise.

So what does it mean to be a member of Tri Delta?

"The Purpose of Delta Delta Delta shall be to establish a perpetual bond of friendship among its members, to develop a stronger and more womanly character, to broaden the moral and intellectual life, and to assist its members in every possible way."

This might seem like a difficult paragraph to process, but it is very simple. The purpose of Tri Delta, our purpose as sisters, is to better each other and to be there for one another. We are to support our sisters, to care for them, to love them when they are at their worst. We are here to raise each other up when we have hit absolute rock bottom. We are here to push each other to do better... to be better.

Being a Tri Delt can sound a little hard, but aren't all the best things in life the kind you have to work for?

I'd be lying if I said that every day I've been in this chapter has been a good day. I'd also be lying, though, if I didn't say that Tri Delta is the greatest decision I've ever made in my life. As a young adult, you are going to make important decision after important decision, and choosing a sorority, as silly as that sounds, is one of those important decisions.

The people you surround yourself with are the people that often define who you are. Surrounding myself with Tri Delts has given me more pride and comfort than anything else in the world has.

As a new member, you've got a lot to learn; I mean this in the nicest way. We've all been in your shoes, and we know just how hard it can be the first semester. My advice to you: don't lose sight of the person you want to be. Lean on your sisters. Stay up at 3 A.M. when your best friend is on her date because you might get to see her kiss the boy she really likes for the first time. Go out and have fun, but don't forget to put school first. Call your family back home. Go to all the sisterhoods, even if your friend group isn't going. Hug people as tight as possible when you say goodbye for the holidays- you never know who might not be coming back. Sing at the top of your lungs with the windows down on those midnight Dutch runs. Take all the selfies, but don't forget to enjoy the moments, too. If someone else is controlling your life, let them go, even if they are your best friend. Be happy. Enjoy the little things. Craft every single cheesy canvas you can find on Pinterest. Love yourself. Be confident. You are good enough, I promise.

You are never alone. As a Tri Delta woman, you can bet that every single woman in this chapter would take a bullet for you. We are sisters, after all.

Welcome to the sisterhood, little ones. It's going to be a wild ride, and I am so excited that this journey is taking off in such an incredible direction.

Delta Love and all of mine, to the crescent moon and back,

Your new sister