Each year, collegiate members have an opportunity to serve on Alpha Delta Pi’s Collegiate Advisory Committee. The goal of the committee is to provide a space for collegians to help ensure sorority initiatives are relevant and focus on providing a positive experience that meets the needs of our undergraduate membership. Committee members offer input and perspective to Grand Council, Executive Office Staff, International Officers, and alumnae volunteers. The application for the 2022 Collegiate Advisory Committee is now open and will close on November 15.

Two of our current members share their experiences on the CAC this past year! 

Chimdi Chijioke – Beta Theta, University of Manitoba

      As I write this, I remember my first year of university. I never thought I’d join a sorority or become the chapter president. Fast-forward to the future, I am chapter President of my chapter, and I have served in other officer positions. Now I am giving back to my sorority as a member of the Collegiate Advisory Committee. As an international student from Nigeria, I didn’t know anyone on my campus. Being in a different country far from home was challenging. I remember meeting the women of Alpha Delta Pi during formal recruitment. The conversations I had were genuine, and I felt like I belonged. I didn’t know how much positive impact being a member of this sorority would bring. It’s been many semesters since I initiated, but each time I sit down to reflect, I am so grateful for my first-year self who decided to pledge with Alpha Delta Pi.

      My ADPi experience is unique as I’m from a Canadian chapter. Greek life on our campus is not as big as it is in the U.S. My chapter has less than 30 members, and many of us are from different backgrounds as my university has a very diverse population of students. My experiences as an international student, a sister from a small Canadian chapter and the different officer positions I have held helped me provide a unique perspective on every topic we have discussed thus far on the Committee.

      My experience on the Collegiate Advisory Committee gave me a chance to learn about other chapters and Greek life on other campuses. Most importantly, I have learned more about the sorority, its organizational structure, and its foundation. In this role, I’ve had the opportunity to share my input on several topics, from philanthropy to diversity and inclusion to membership experience, to name a few. The Committee this year is made up of wonderful folks who are committed to our sorority, and I always look forward to each meeting because I get to learn from other sisters.

      On the CAC, I got the chance to meet with many international officers and alumnae members. As a result, I’ve been able to expand my network within the ADPi community. Being a part of this Committee is one of the biggest highlights of my year.

If you’re thinking about applying for the Collegiate Advisory Committee, this is the sign you need. Go for it! I know you will have a wonderful experience.

Avery Anderson – Zeta Nu, Clemson University

      Joining the CAC was the gift I never expected to receive from my ADPi experience. Talk about a last-minute decision…I submitted the application about 30 minutes before it was due! I applied on a whim after transitioning off of an executive role within my own chapter, knowing that I still wanted to serve our organization in some way. After a thoughtful interview process, I was thrilled to get the call that I had been selected to be 1 of 9 collegian women from ADPi chapters across the country to serve on the National Collegian Advisory Board. In the past year of service, I have been floored by the perspective and awareness I’ve gained from our meetings and work we’ve done. Each time we meet, various members from Executive Office or Grand Council join us to discuss past, present, and future programs and initiatives, as well as gauge a general pulse on how collegians are feeling about current events or to check on the tone EO is setting. Several things about the experience have been extremely valuable to me.

      First, there is immense care and consideration that goes into any of the programmings we benefit from on the collegian side. The staff members and volunteers who provide us with professional development webinars, officer workshops, guest speakers, DEI seminars and more do so much research before setting their plans into motion. Each of the women we spoke to listened so closely to our suggestions and challenges on how to increase collegian engagement towards their prospective programming. It’s a meaningful process to see and know that we have loyal, trustworthy, aware women who are handing us collegians growth opportunities. If you’re reading this as a collegian, lean into what is offered through Pi Portal and other channels! I promise that this chapter will come to life for you in bigger and better ways when you take advantage of the extra experiences.

      Second, Alpha Delta Pi will always be bigger than my home chapter experience. I ran home to the Zeta Nu chapter at Clemson University in the Fall of 2018. ZN has truly been my home base and the launchpad for everything I’ve been involved in at my university but even outside of college and into internships and potential jobs when I graduate. Yet, I am a member of one of 156 chapters of women who live for each other, near and far. Serving on the board has led me to wonderful friendships with 8 rockstars, highly diverse sisters all over the US and Canada. Our chapters are all very different, and it’s been such a treasure to listen to them share their experience. I’ve learned so much about why ADPi is what it is for more than my personal journey, and my understanding of the impact of this organization is now larger than life.

      Finally, this organization is for life. I’ll never forget going through recruitment and sitting in preference round where Sallie McLeod (who turned out to be my Alpha Mom!) told me, “you want to join the chapter that you want to be a member of one year from now, four years from now when you graduate, but especially for life.” As soon as she said those words to me, I knew that Alpha Delta Pi was my home forever! Sure enough, graduation is right around the corner and it’s a bittersweet season of knowing I’ll miss being a Delta, but with so much to look forward to as a Pi. Serving on the board has allowed me to know women who have dedicated so much of their lives to serving ADPi and helping younger women experience the same joy and opportunity that they have. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience with CAC. I’m leaving my time as a board member not only smarter and more experienced (the number of times I’ve spoken about the CAC in job interviews with a response nothing less than extremely impressed…), but far more grateful and blown away by the depth of meaning behind this sisterhood. So if you want to commit to making your ADPi experience bigger than yourself, apply for CAC and watch as you get to strengthen the legacy of this organization, all while experiencing the joys and gifts that that this position will bring to you.

Click HERE for more information on the Collegiate Advisory Committee and to apply today!