In college, the people I turned to for everything were Alpha Phis. We did everything together, and we supported each other with fierce loyalty. When I graduated, Alpha Phi was the part of college I was the saddest to leave behind.
Phi, I can expect continuous challenges and numerous opportunities for growth. The work of becoming who we are is never done, and Alpha Phi pushes me to be the best version of myself every day. When I leave a volunteer event or a board meeting, I’m often moved by how many women have dedicated themselves to this Fraternity. I look around the room at the assembly of smart, capable, loyal women, and I marvel at having found this Fraternity. The legacy we’ve received from our Founders is a powerful one, and I am proud to be part of a long line of women who are committed to furthering Alpha Phi’s high ideals. I love connecting with women at every stage of life and feeling a bond through time and space granted to us by Alpha Phi. Alpha Phi has the power to unite women, and it has certainly done that for me. I have found community and support at every phase of my membership. But it’s also a constant source of strength for myself, a foundation I can return to again and again. It’s a reminder that I can do more than I think I’m capable of, that I should stand up for what I believe in and that I should lean on my sisters – past and present – for inspiration and guidance. Because Alpha Phi is so dynamic, it is still my home even all these years after I joined. As life changes, and even as I have changed, Alpha Phi continues to offer something vital to my development as a human being. And I love knowing that it’s a home for so many other women, too. I feel lucky to be able to help safeguard and shape the Fraternity as we continue to change and grow. In the new Executive Office, a letter from our founder Clara to a new member class hangs on the wall. She signs it off, “Be zestful and carry your torch high.” When I read that, I was moved by her words. There is so much we cannot control in our life. From work to family to health, we are all constantly navigating a complicated mess of challenges every day. But Clara’s simple instruction connects us as individuals to Alpha Phi as an organization and reminds us that we are all important pieces of this beautiful whole. That is the power of Alpha Phi. It encourages us to strive for excellence by leading with personal integrity, and to be better for — and with — each other, even over 150 years after our founding.
But as it turned out, I didn’t leave it behind at all.
I started volunteering for Alpha Phi as soon as I graduated, and I got to know women at other chapters and volunteers from all around the country. As I learned more about chapters that weren’t my own, I realized what a diversity of experiences Alpha Phi has to offer and how incredible each one is. Part of what makes Alpha Phi so special is this wide range of chapters — no two are the same, and each one adds its own light to the constellation of our sisterhood. I’ve met many amazing women through my volunteer experience that I never would have met otherwise. I found mentors, friends and more. My alumnae experience in Alpha Phi has offered me an incredible community of likeminded women, and it’s something I’m grateful for every day. Throughout my adulthood – long after graduation – Alpha Phi has been a home I come back to again and again. When I have been overwhelmed by big life transitions, I have thrown myself into advising and volunteering. When I moved to new cities, Alpha Phi has helped me build a new network and find a new home. When I got married, my invitation list was full of Alpha Phis. In a world where so much is continuously changing, Alpha Phi is a constant.
Alpha Phi is still my home, all these years later. But as an adult, I’ve also realized Alpha Phi is so much more than that. Home is safe and comfortable, it’s true. But Alpha Phi is not just a source of comfort — that would be too easy, and we’d never grow as an organization or as people. Alpha Phi never rests. Our Fraternity always seeks to better itself, to grow and to encourage the best in our members. We are eager for more and determined to get there. And because of that inspiration, I have never become stagnant
How has Alpha Phi served you in the years since you graduated? Is it still home? We want to know! Share your stories with us at marketing@alphaphi.org.
in my membership or in my volunteering. In Alpha
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