Dear Sigma Kappa,

When I went into Spring Rush this year, I had no idea that I would become a Sigma Kappa by the end of the week. I didn't know what it meant to be a part of the sisterhood that has already changed my life for the better. When I got that voicemail from our VP of Membership, Heather, telling me that I got a bid to Sigma Kappa, I didn't realize how much my life was going to change from that moment. Choosing a sorority is a big deal, and it's even more scary when you can get bids from multiple sororities and have to pick whether you want to take one bid, drop another, or say no to all of them; but words do not describe how happy I am that I said yes to Sigma Kappa because there are a million reasons why I love you so much.

I love you for your philanthropy. When I called my parents to tell them about my bid, the only thing my mom said was that it was a sign from my grandpa. He had Alzheimer's disease, and it devastated me; it was the first true hardship I had ever experienced, and it will resonate with me forever. The reason that this aspect of my life is so significant to Sigma Kappa is that their main philanthropy is Alzheimer's. Although I am the last person to believe that people are watching over you or that angels give you signs, here was my angel giving me my sign. This is the kind of cause I should be working with. This is the philanthropy that will not only give me the chance to connect with people who understand it like I do, but it will give me purpose. It will give me the opportunity to see the world on a bigger scale and understand how important it is that, "they might forget, but we must always remember them."

I love you for your rituals. Even though I can't talk about what these rituals are, that's kind of the whole point. It is a secret aspect of Sigma Kappa that only sisters know. It's what connects us, binds us together, and makes us special. The idea that thousands of girls across the nation know the same secrets, and we all keep it to ourselves as a sisterhood is, to me, absolutely amazing. It's honestly a concept that I had never even thought of. Before I joined, I didn't really know what rituals were or why they even happen; I knew there was a secretive aspect to every sorority, but I had no idea it was this serious or meaningful. Now I know why they are so important because Sigma Kappa's rituals mean more to me than I could have ever imagined.

I love you for your sisterhood. I barely knew anyone in Sigma Kappa when I joined, but now some of these girls are my closest friends; I went from being an only child to having almost 200 sisters. The Spring Babies showed me how much of a capacity a group of friends can have to love, trust, and support each other. I found my big, Jade, and my twin, Anna, who have literally become my family at this point. They accept me for who I am (and all of my bad jokes), act like we've been friends all our lives, and are there for me no matter what. It's not easy coming into a sorority as part of the Spring pledge class; almost 80 girls rushed Sigma Kappa in the Fall and it's intimidating to try to get close with people that have already spent the last five months becoming best friends. I'm still navigating my way through it and getting to know a lot of the people in my chapter, but even the people I haven't really met yet are still my sisters, and that speaks volumes.

I love you for your guidance. If I need anything at all, I know that I can go to the older girls for help, and they never hesitate to step up and be there for me. My pledge mom Abby has literally done everything for me, and I wouldn't love Sigma Kappa as much as I do if it weren't for her. Even when she sees me do the dumbest things like make up an interpretative dance to remember rituals, she's always by my side and cheering me on, even if she's hysterically laughing at me along the way. Because of my experience with her, I decided to run for VP of New Member Education next year. She taught me how to make others feel truly welcomed and at home, and I'm so eager to (hopefully) do the same for our new girls.

At the end of the day, joining Sigma Kappa was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Even though it's so early in my journey as a sister, I know that I'm only going to love you more as time goes on. I can't begin to thank you enough for what you've already done for me, and I'm so excited to see how Sigma Kappa will change my life even more in the future.

Endless Dove Love.