Alpha Delta Pi has deepened my connection to faith through a sense of community and women with similar ideals. But it has also taught me that faith, as a sorority women and college student, is so much more than going to church on Sundays. It is so much more than a cross necklace and bible verse on your social media. Faith is how you treat others. It is how you carry yourself. It is what you do when you are alone and how you feel about yourself when your head hits the pillow at night. Faith is knowing your worth is not defined by what letters you wear, what house you come home to, or how many followers you have.
You are worthy because of the person that you are. Carry yourself with poise, confidence, and love. Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself. Stand up for the people and the ideas that you care about. Stand up for what is right, even when it is terrifying. It is so easy to get discouraged when you compare your everyday to someone else’s highlight reel. It is so easy to be disheartened and wrapped up in what others say about you. But is vital that you protect your heart and all that you are. Do not let the lies of the enemy make you lose sight of what truly matters in life. Other people’s perceptions of you are not your responsibility. Your insecurities are not your limitations. You are called to more. So much more. Never be ashamed of that and never apologize for who you are.
On the difficult days, when the world is on your shoulders, remember that diamonds are made under the weight of mountains. When you are feeling discouraged, know that struggle breeds strength. Just like you have been shaped by your trials and tribulations, the diamond of Alpha Delta Pi symbolizes rising above your struggles and being stronger because of them.
I want you to know that what’s good will always be good: waking up four feet away from your best friend the first night you live in-house, getting the last slice of pizza at the date function, your mother and father visiting the house for the first time on Parents’ Weekend, feeling so grateful that your big and little are going to be bridesmaids in your wedding, the chef making you chocolate covered strawberries when you are studying for that big calculus exam, a hug from Momma C when you really need it, a perfect cup of coffee on the rocking chairs on the front porch. What’s good will always be good, and one of the most beautiful things about the hard seasons in life is that unless we appreciate hardship, unless we lean into that growth, we will never truly appreciate the good. Hard times are good in their own way. Because the only way you can achieve true strength and happiness is if you experience true sadness as well.
Strength is not about being completely fearless. It is about feeling fear and having the courage to move forward anyway. Alpha Delta Pi, to me, means faith, but it also means strength. It is for all the late nights and early mornings, for the friends that turned into family, and the place that turned into home. It is for the people that believed in me before I believed in myself. To me, Alpha Delta Pi means everything.
