A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT

To my hilarious, kind, inspiring sisters,

Thank you.

Thank you for believing in me when I could not. Thank you for the support, encouragement and love that I have NEVER felt before.

Thank you for the late night venting calls, the encouraging sticky notes in my room and the random texts that I doubt you knew got me through the day.

Thank you for showing me what true sisterhood looks like.

“Thank you for showing me what true sisterhood looks like.”

No matter how annoyed I could be, how stressed or tired, and sometimes absolutely dreading going to Olscamp 117 at 6:30 pm on a Sunday night. I left with love and joy in my heart.

To be completely transparent, Presidency is hard. Going into it I knew that, but I had no idea what unique situations I would encounter this year. The President should be positive, be a role model, be someone who has nothing but complete confidence in her sisters. But I will admit I faced this challenge that sometimes in this position you can’t help but have doubts. In yourself. In certain dilemmas (not to be dramatic) that feel like your world is ending at the time. Expecting the worst creeps in and that is something I told myself I wouldn’t let happen. But it did. And what did I learn? That you, Beta Phi proved me wrong over and over again. Doubt is crushed when one sister stays behind after an event to clean up, when a sister is showered with positive texts after a tough day, when one sister takes initiative to better the sisterhood even through the smallest action. Being a part of a 70 member organization has obstacles, but every low is matched by an even higher high. The executive board is deemed as the leaders of the chapter, however, the chapter is nothing without the action and effort of each sister. You’ve shown me true sisterhood by your support and loyalty to the women in this room. You have power. Alpha Chi Omega has taught me power. Alpha Chi has taught me that when a woman puts her mind to a goal, a plan, she is unstoppable. I see examples of that within our sisterhood everyday. It has been an honor to see the influence you have as a real, strong, women and I urge you to not forget that you ARE indeed, a real, strong, woman.

You ladies have taught me more in the last year than I could’ve ever expected. You have taught me to be confident. You have taught me to point out the good things people do. You have taught me to give and to love. You’ve taught me to put myself out there. And you’ve taught me to hold myself to a higher standard.

You might not be asking for it, but my advice to you as you continue in your Alpha Chi journey is to put others first. To be the sister you want or have felt like you needed at your lowest lows. Step out of your comfort zone. I thank Presidency for pushing me to do these things and I am thankful for the opportunity that I was given to know everyone in this chapter on a deeper level than I did before. I can’t express to you enough that each woman in this room has a door and you don’t know what’s behind it. Remember that. Remember that Alpha Chi is yes, a great opportunity to be social and do fun college things, but truly it is an opportunity to become the best you, to prepare you for life beyond college and to help you become a well equipped, well rounded person professionally and emotionally.

Hold each other accountable. Because at the end of the day, you want to be known as the person who loved, the person who cared and the person who was kind not only by the women in this room but by all who you interact with. Sisterhood is a team. This sisterhood requires open minds and hearts. This sisterhood cannot succeed without working together. Speak your mind, take action to make our chapter better and most importantly, be there for one another. Show love to all. Life’s hard. College can suck. Sisters make it better.

“Alpha Chi has taught me that when a woman puts her mind to a goal, a plan, she is unstoppable. I see examples of that within our sisterhood everyday. It has been an honor to see the influence you have as a real, strong, women and I urge you to not forget that you ARE indeed, a real, strong, woman."

With much love,

Madeline Rooney