In the summer of 2018, I became a freshman at Jacksonville State University. Since I grew up in Jacksonville, AL I had been planning my college career to take place right in my hometown. Therefore I truly believed that finding a close net 'family' or just a support system, in general, could only be provided by joining a sorority, the student government association, or being a southerner. Which I, personally, did not have the appeal for any one of these.
As the semester grew closer my father, who was an advisor for the Student Alumni Association, asked if I could work their booth for them at summer orientation. I knew from the beginning of my freshman year that I would be a member of SAA, it was just a question on if I would fit in. I volunteered for 9/10 of these orientations and, although I had only met one member during them I already got closer and closer to the group.
Our first meeting was called "Taco Tuesday", where we cooked tacos and got to sit around and talk to each other. This is where I became very close to my current best friend Victoria Clements. We had met several times on different occasions, however, the Student Alumni Association brought us closer together and I will always be grateful for that.
The further on we had different meetings, new icebreakers, and new conversations with people I never knew I would be so connected with. Soon the semester continued to our "ambassador interviews", a 3-day process to select an elite group to represent Jacksonville State University's Alumni Association.
During this process, we had a night dedicated to 'group interviews'. This was where all pre-selected ambassadors and auditioning ambassadors meet to play different strategy games and bond together. After this event, the whole ambassador group, old and new, became much closer and more dedicated to each other.
My point in saying all this is that no one knows where and who the future might take us. Some of the best people I know I met due to SAA, there are more options for people that want a close net family that doesn't want to be in greek life.
