IRTS Fellow to Fellow: Stepping Up in My Sorority Was Surprisingly Rewarding

It was a simple response that got (most) people off my back. It let me evade responsibility. I don't know what I want for my future and that's okay, right? Isn't that what all those infographics on Instagram say? That it's okay not to know what the future holds?

It is perfectly alright to not have all the answers. It is not, however, okay to just avoid things because they are hard. "I don't know" was becoming a crutch for me. I found so much comfort in the idea that not everyone knows what will come next that I was ignoring the opportunities all around me.

This past May I almost let one of these opportunities pass me by. The president of my sorority had asked me if I wanted to apply for a position on the executive board. Slightly panicking at the idea and not wanting to give it much thought I gave her my bottled up and ever-ready "I don't know" response, in hopes that she would drop it. The next day I received a text from her, once again asking me to consider applying for the open role. After further encouragement from my friends outside of the sorority and some (shocking) reassurance that I actually would be a good fit for the role, I applied.

Two months later and still new to the role, I was given the opportunity to represent my chapter for a weekend in Tampa at Alpha Sigma Tau's 44th National Convention. I attended with one additional member from the executive board. Our time at convention was eye-opening. The energy created by the alumnae and 80 other collegiate chapters from across the country was ecstatic. The convention made me see that I am a part of something that will last far longer than when I graduate next May. Seeing members of Alpha Sigma Tau (AST) who had been returning to the convention for 20+ years made me excited for this upcoming school year where I will have a direct impact on the morale within my chapter and our community involvement and reputation.

Each night after our general sessions and educational breakouts, the other delegate from my chapter and I spent the rest of our night talking about new ideas and focusing on how we could bring our excitement back to the rest of the chapter.

In the fall of 2020, I had gone out for recruitment during my sophomore year after having very little interest in ever joining Greek life. Even after I had joined the chapter, I told myself that I would never hold an executive position. However, over this past year, I found myself constantly getting roped in to become more and more involved in my organization. "You get out of it what you put in" is advice I had been hearing throughout my time in Alpha Sigma Tau, and it is a phrase that I plan on echoing. I am eager to bring back what I have learned and for this unexpected opportunity to be a leader in my chapter.

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