Growing up, I was never the girl who had a group I belonged in. Sure, I had my few core friends, but I never really found a place where I knew that I fit in. I felt like the constant outsider.

Although I wanted to branch out and find my girl gang in college, going into freshman year, I was still struggling. I had not yet found my "people".

Whenever I would confide to someone about this, the most common response would be "just wait for Rush!", but I was incredibly hesitant to register for recruitment.

All I could think of when I heard the word "sorority" correlated with what I had seen in the first few scenes of Legally Blonde. I didn't think it was for me.

However, since Syracuse is a huge greek school, and all my friends that I had were doing it, I decided to give it a chance anyway.

I am so thankful that I did.

After going through recruitment, the choice for me was obvious: Tri Delta.

Even just during rush, I felt comfortable there. I felt welcomed. I felt like the women there were genuinely interested in myself, my life, and who I was as a person, and vice versa.

I loved how involved all of the sisters were on campus, and especially how passionate they were for their philanthropy, their partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

I loved how everyone was so different from each other, but all worked together so well.

So, when I opened my envelope on bid day and saw the three deltas on the card, I could not have been happier.

Bid Day 2018!

It has been over seven months since I got my bid to Tri Delta.

In those past seven months, I have made friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I have met girls who, surprisingly, share my bizarre sense of humor with me (shoutout to SK and Chelsea). I have found people who have gone through the same struggles that I have. I have met women whose accomplishments inspire me to work harder than I ever have before.

I have had moments of laughs, tears, and everything in between with my sisters. I have made unforgettable memories with unforgettable people.

So, to the lovely ladies of Delta Delta Delta, and especially PC '18, thank you. You have given me the girl group that I never thought I would ever have. You have given me a support system that is stronger than anything I've ever experienced. You have accepted me for who I am as my own individual self.

You've laughed at my stupid jokes when nobody else is. You have given me a place where I feel like I belong on this campus. You helped me find my voice. You are all such strong, diverse, smart women, and I am honored to even be included among you.

Joining Tri Delta has been the best decision thus far in my college career. I cannot wait to see what these next three years bring. And although I'm definitely not the type to be cheesy, I really do mean everything I said.

DLAM,

Elyssa

P.S. No, like really thank you for laughing at my jokes. Means a lot guys.