"Little Did I Know"
August 22, 2017
Florence, Italy. I can’t tell you
exactly why I selected it as my study abroad destination. Maybe it was my deep
love for lasagna or because I wanted to walk the same streets as the cast of
The Jersey Shore. Although I knew what an incredible adventure it would be to
travel to this beautiful place, I never could have imagined the ways in which
my time there would impact me. Little did I know that the once unfamiliar and
intimidating cobblestone streets of Florence would soon become the paths I’d
freely wander without needing a map. I had no idea that I’d end up living on
the same road, in the same city, and attending the same class as one of my very
own zeta sisters. I didn’t expect that I’d spend each day laughing and
exploring with strangers who felt like old friends. Little did I know that the
Florence sunsets would move me to tears and that hearing an Italian say, “Ciao,
Bella” would always make me smile. I found that between the heaping plates of
pasta and the many glasses of Prosecco, there was always room for gelato and
another piece of bread. I would learn that I was horrible at speaking Italian,
but that the friendly locals would love to hear me try, even though they
giggled at my performance. I would find that each new place I explored would
somehow seem even more beautiful than the last. The street art, the statues, the nightlife,
the skinny winding sidewalks, the leather markets, the pizza, the music- all of
it would hold such a special place in our hearts forever. I never knew that
time could pass by so quickly, or how difficult it would be to take my last
look at the Italian sky before stepping into my plane for departure. Little did
I know that my journal full of stories I kept and the hundreds of pictures I
took would now be my greatest treasures, or that I’d feel homesick for Florence
and often dream of going back one day. I never knew I would leave Florence
feeling like a more grateful, wiser person, and I couldn’t have imagined the amazing
memories that would bring so much joy to my heart forever. Little did I know
that Florence, Italy would forever be a piece of a lifelong friendship and
sisterhood that I would cherish forever- A sisterhood where only the two of us
would ever understand the magic of our weeks in Florence.
-Carlee Williamson
Sweet Summer Time
July 17, 2017
Ahh, Summer Time. The sweet smell of campfires, the sun kiss tans, the endless ice cream trips, and just being with your friends.
Summer Time. The time where all of our worries are gone. However, some of the worries we carry is the load of hours of work we encounter. Even though the work schedule can get stressful at times, theres no other greater time than summer. For me, my summer consists of boating, relaxing and going to my cabin in the woods. I live in Northern Michigan, so my summers have a lot to do with the outdoors. However, my all time favorite thing in the summer up north is eating ice cream and watching the sunsets. The sunsets up north are so incredible and so unique that you wouldn't think that it was actually real. A goal in everyone's life should be to spend at least a week in Northern Michigan during the summer and explore and see all the amazing things that Nature has to offer.Looking Back As A Chapter Ends...
April 24, 2017
Today marks about a week and a half
before my time as an active member of Zeta Tau Alpha is up. I can’t believe
that. It truly feels like just yesterday I had received my bid and run into the
arms of my new sisters. I didn’t think that the overwhelming atmosphere of love
and acceptance I felt on that day could ever be rivaled, but I was so wrong. I
have been overwhelmed by the love and support of my sisters time and time again
since that day. I can’t imagine what my college experience would have been like
without this organization, and I am so thankful to have been given the
opportunity to be a part of it.
To sum up into words what the women
of ZTA mean to me is a nearly impossible feat. These girls have been my
backbone, my guiding light, my happy place. It doesn’t matter whether or not
I’ve had the best day of my life or the worst, I know that I can count on my
sisters to be there with me through it all. Growing up, I wasn’t the girl with
the tight knit group of girlfriends. Even with my closest friends, I somehow
felt disconnected from them, like I was always just a little out of sync from
the rest of the group. When I came to college, I knew that I wanted to join a
sorority, but I was also pretty terrified that I wasn’t going to fit in. That
all changed with Zeta. The feeling of inclusiveness that I immediately felt was
not only a relief, but a confirmation that I had just made one of the best
decisions of my life. When I ran home to Zeta, I never looked back.
I can say with confidence that the
woman I am today is due largely in part to my time in Zeta. I have been blessed
to be surrounded by some of the best people that I have ever known, to be able
to take on roles that allowed me to grow as a leader, and to work towards
honorable philanthropic causes. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would
ever cultivate the kinds of genuine friendships that I did. And I definitely
never thought that I, the girl who never cries, could be moved to tears
reflecting back over the past few years. But I am. And while the future might
be scary and uncertain, there are two things that I know for certain: the first
is that I have been beyond lucky to have spent the past four years alongside
the strongest, kindest, and most beautiful women I have ever met. The second is
that I’m not really leaving it behind, because I know that the love and support
of my sisters is endless, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Finding Ourselves
April 17, 2017
I think as college students we sometimes get caught up in this college-town world we make ourselves a home in. When we were younger, we used to get the same question all the time, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” We forget sometimes that the answer to that question is now; we forget that the tomorrows are now turning into the todays. It is human nature to have this image in our head. We have a perfect picture of what we want to do, who we want to be, what we want our life to look like made up in our minds. We idolize this idea of our own personal American dream and we wait. We wait for the perfect moment to do what we really want to do, what we really want to be, and what our life needs to look like in order to make the teenage kid we once were, proud. What we fail to realize is that the picture in our heads of this moment, of this life we want to mold, is right now. Maybe the “We” I am referring to is just me, but I can sure think of a few people off the top of my head who stress just a little bit too much about the timing in their life. It wasn’t until this year that I realized I used to put myself in a glass box. I allowed myself to see all that I could be, but failed to allow myself to break through that celling I was clinging to for comfort. Becoming president of this chapter is something I always wanted, but something I never thought I would do. To many, this position may seem like just a title; but to me, this new chapter of my life was a mile stone for me, and a change in my life I needed more than anything.
Two years ago I took a chance and joined this organization. I hoped I would make a few more friends, have something to motivate me to study, and maybe even get involved in a leadership position. What I didn’t know at the time was that Zeta Tau Alpha was the piece I had been missing. I always thought Greek life was about parties, and fraternity boys, and girls who wear way too much Lily Pulitzer, and with that stigma in my head I promised myself I would never become someone who had to pay for my friends. Somehow, when I finally was convinced to even go through the recruitment process, I realized how terribly wrong I was (which
for me and my stubborn tendencies, is pretty big to admit). I soon saw that this wasn’t about the parties, or the boys, or the brands, and frankly, if this is considered “paying for my friends” I am sure not paying enough money.
Since joining this Fraternity, I have had the pleasure of being able to observe the amazing leaders that have come before me and learn from the strides each of these influential women have made. From these observations and from my own personal motivation, I soon came to see that the type of woman that can hold such an ample position such as the one I’m in now, was exactly what I wanted to become. To me, I believe to be the President of a sorority, you have to be a leader. To be President means making executive decisions, being someone who has the answer to all the hard questions, and even if she doesn’t, being able to take the initiative to finding that answer. Being President means being a voice for a group of people, being a role model, and being someone who not only understands and follows the bylaws and rules that have been paved for their organization, but who respects and values the reasoning behind those set rules. While I do believe all of the qualifications I’ve just listed are extremely necessary to be a President, I believe there is a big difference between just being President, and being a great one. “Hard work beats talent, every single time.” These are the words my father used to say to me when I was younger when I felt like I was hitting brick wall after brick wall, and although I couldn’t see it back then, this statement couldn’t be more true. To be President does not mean you are the most talented, it means that you work hard; it means that you are driven, and most importantly, being President means that you are passionate about what the organization that you are leading stands for.
I believe it only takes one person to see something in someone else to allow them to believe that they are anything more than ordinary. If you would have told me two years ago I would be in a sorority let alone the President of one, I would
have thought you were crazy, but if there is one thing I would tell the girl I was two years ago if I had the chance, would be that the only person I had to prove I was anything more than ordinary to; was me.
Being apart of Zeta Tau Alpha has given me the confidence to be the woman that I am today and the courage and drive to be the woman I want to be tomorrow. To me, this position means new beginnings; it means I got to prove all those who didn’t think I could do it wrong, it means I allowed myself to venture out of my own personal comfort zone, it means I’ve conquered one of my biggest personal struggles and broken down one of my tallest walls; most importantly, it means for the first time in forever, I didn’t restrict myself; for the first time, I took that leap and did something I wasn’t exactly ready for, but I’m learning that that is the best way to grow.
Sisters AND Brothers
March 20, 2017
The honorable night of being named the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi is something that will forever hold a special place in my heart. As I looked wide-eyed around the room, taking in the moment of each guy singing me the sweetheart song, I became ecstatic over the idea that I now got to share letters with some of my best friends. The idea of representing the chapter of guys that I have fostered some of my most genuine friendships with throughout college felt ever significant. On that day, I would have told you that getting that privilege was surely the best part of the whole sweetheart experience. As I continue the experience of being sweetheart, however, I realize increasingly that being sweetheart is far more than owning my own set of Sigma Chi letters.
The men that I now have the great privilege of sharing
letters with are far more than just another group of friends to me. They are
some of the people that I have found myself with throughout my college
experience. Through trials that seemed like they would never end, nights full
of laughter, constant support, celebrating accomplishments, and a few too many
stupid decisions. We spent many moments together over the last four years; some
we claimed we would never forget and some we did not realize would stand as such
great memories. Being their sweetheart now means more than sharing letters- it
means growing through deeper, more authentic relationships within the family.
It means gaining opportunities to walk through life and share experiences with
even more of the brothers.
Of the many perks of being sweetheart, the greatest is the
gift of sharing the bond that Sigma Chi establishes with my biological little
brother, Nick. Growing up, we have always been one another’s biggest fans.
Throughout the many seasons of our life Nick has continuously and gracefully
taken on whatever burden I may carry, never allowing me to feel alone. Watching
Nick grow through Sigma Chi and now experiencing it together planted much more meaning
in our friendship. When life takes its toll on our family, we are assured in
our Sigma Chi family to turn to. Nick and I experience support from the same 90
people, only allowing us to grow closer. The sense of security that we experience
daily is just one of the ways that Sigma Chi has blessed my life. Although we
each have our differences and imperfections, the empathetic support we have for
another is what makes the bond that we share so undeniable. Looking back on
that special day almost makes me laugh at how little I knew about the beautiful
mess I was getting myself into.
Being the Sweetheart of Sigma Chi means a multitude of
things to me, with each day bringing new blessings. It means something as small
as knowing I always have someone to go to the library or grab some food with. It
means I even have someone to jump in a car last minute and drive down to
Florida with. It means finding joy day to day from how sweet each guy is to me.
And of course- it means always feeling loved, protected, and valued. The guys
bless my life daily through their support, their confidence in me, their ability
to turn just about anything into a laughing matter, and their continuous
goofiness. Recently, a sweetheart from 1976 reached out to me about The Zeta
Rho chapter of Sigma Chi. A smile beamed across my face as she told me a story
of how through the trails of her life, her brothers are still her support
system today. That is what being sweetheart means to me. Family, genuine
support, deeper love- where each day I am still amazed at how it just keeps
getting better.
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