Take your bid day and remember every moment of it. Remember how you felt during class waiting for it to be time, the anticipation of holding your bid but not being able to open it yet, and then finally, joining the girls that you will call your sisters for the rest of your life!

Today, you have joined a sisterhood: an association, society, or community of women linked by a common interest. You chose your sisterhood because you felt that connection, and we felt it with you. You have found the group of girls you will call your home. These will be the girls you find yourself with going on late-night trips to Insomnia, your saving grace at 2 a.m. when you just need to vent about something.

(Alpha Phi - Delta Rho Bid Day 2015 from Sharmaine Ruth on Vimeo.)

This is only just the beginning! I have told this to every girl I talked to while going through recruitment, and I completely stand behind this; you will get out of the sorority as much as you put into it. You've found your home, now utilize your place. Find your niche and expand within the sorority. Not only will you be helping the sorority grow, you will find yourself growing, as well. Joining committees and running for positions is a great way to give back to your sorority and gives you amazing opportunities with your sisters!

Get to know your pledge class (and of course, your whole chapter). Take a look to your right, and now your left. In four years, when you graduate from college and find those same girls standing next to you, you'll have four years of memories and stories to uplift you through the rest of your life. Spend quality time with one another, go on coffee dates, or spend late nights in the library, because we're sisters and that's what we're here for. You will never have to be in your dorm bored and alone anymore.

Words can not express how excited we are to have you all! You are our futures, and we have entrusted with you the traditions and values that we hold. I hope that you love your new home as much as we do! And I hope you take the chapter above and beyond not just our wildest dreams, but yours as well.

Welcome to the rest of your life. Welcome home!