To my lovely little

Just a short and sweet blog about one of the sweetest humans in my life

Dear Alyssa,

When we went on our first big little date, I knew you were the one for me. The day before had been a rough one but somehow at lunch you still managed to make me smile and not think about everything for a little while. During lunch, we bonded over our love of Special Education. Like me, you are so passionate about Special Ed and want to focus your career there. Our conversation continued and we got on the subject of food. It may not have been a deep conversation, but we still connected over our obsession for cheese, tater tots, and ranch. To this day we still eat and talk about our love for those three items way to often.

This year I have loved watching you flourish in Alpha Sigma Tau and everywhere you go. In the sorority you are always so positive and caring to all of our sister. Across campus you put passion into everything you do… even making omelets. Your passion for Special Ed is truly inspiring and I am so excited to see the wonderful teacher you grow into. Can’t wait to tag team with Speech Pathology and Special Ed once we are both finally out of college. You are kind of

crazy, but in a good way. You always make sure I have time for fun whether it is binge watching Atypical in one single night (the best show ever), food runs, or just a chat.

Thank you for coming into my life when I needed you the most. You are such a wonderful human and spread sunshine wherever you go. You have brought me so much happiness and continue to every single day. Thanks for the late night runs to Taco Bell because those are needed! Thanks for loving ranch as much as I do and always asking for more when we are at restaurants. Thanks for being the most perfect little a typical sorority gal could ask for. Most importantly, thanks for being my other half/ the same person as me. You and I are like two peas in a pod and I would not have been able to get through these past few months without you.

Thanks for loving me unconditionally and being the best addition the Banana Fam could have ever asked for.

Lots of Love, Big ♥

Leadership Safari 2017

My experience on the other side of Leadership Safari as a Guide

As an incoming freshman at Central Michigan, I participated in Leadership Safari. I enjoyed my experience as a participant and a few people urged me to apply for a staff position. Last fall, I applied for a position on the Leadership Safari Staff for 2017. Over the course of the next few months I went through an interview and four spring trainings in order to be chosen to be a guide. I was so excited when I first found out I would be a guide and from then on I could not wait for Safari. Fast forward a few months to August 15th, move in day for Safari staff. After move in came four days of training. We listened to different speakers, broke boards with our hands, did the challenge course, and went through everything we would be doing with our group during Safari week. We also spent these four days bonding with our Core teams. After the four days of training it was finally time to put our skills to use and welcome the incoming freshmen and transfer students to Central Michigan. Throughout the week of Safari, each guide had their own team of students to work with. My team was Team Aardvark and they were 10 very amazing humans. Together we did activities to open their minds, went to speakers, completed the challenge course and trust activities, and went to entertainment.

My lovely Enchanted Red Roses: First of all, I could not have asked for a better Core Team. Here’s a little about each person on Enchanted Rose Red and why they are fantastic human beings. Alli, you bring so much light into my life and I would not have gotten through Safari without you. From 1am runs to Ihop (which I hope to continue lol) to venting about life and our problems, you are wonderful. Ashley, you are one of the strongest people I know. All week you did amazing as a runner and I could not be more proud to have you as a friend, stay amazing. Becca, you are high key fabulous. You were always there to give advice even if you had a bad day. Just remember you are loved and amazing. Brendan, thank you for being a big brother to all of us. From walking with Alli and I home every night to making sure I went to bed at a decent time. Brendan, you are so cool and positive and having you in my life is amazing, especially seeing you on campus and having you instantly know I was stressed…and later you checked on me. THANKS! Cat, you are so supportive and compassionate. Having you as a Core Guide was honestly phenomenal and you did an outstanding job. Thank you for taking care of all of us and always being there to talk. Celeste, getting to know you at Leadershape and having you in my family cluster was the best. Then, having you in my core team was icing on the cake. You are such a strong human and I love how passionate you are. Thank you for being in my life. Dom, I wish we had more time with you and Maddie. BUT, the time you were with all of us was great. You were always so positive and bubbly and brought the group up when we had rough days. Thank you for being you. Garrett, your sass was one of my favorite things. You also were always there to give advice about Safari and how to make our teams more cohesive. Kathryn, thank you for being my sister from another sorority. I loved getting to know you and becoming close throughout the week. I can’t wait to see you throughout Greek Life and school in general. You are such an awesome human being and just remember that. Kee, you are so fabulous and I loved getting to know you during Safari. You always had wonderful advice for the group and kept your head up as well as our spirits up throughout the week. Kelsey, you are such a fun-loving individual. At every late night or early morning meeting you always brought a smile and warm words to wake us all up. Kylie, you are truly an amazing person, from running across the country to taking 10 incoming students under your wing and always staying calm. I am always amazed by you and I loved getting to know you during Safari. Lexi, thank you for being my friend for 52 years. I am so happy we spent the whole Safari together. I can’t imagine Safari without you and I am so happy this experience brought you into my life. Thanks for being my  friend and support, you are incredible. Maddie, thank you, thank you, thank you for saving my life lol. Besides that, you are a marvelous person and I am so glad you and I were able to bond. Randi, you are a remarkable human being. You have taught me so much about life and everything that comes along with it. Randi, I am so excited to see you flourish, because YOU ARE AMAZING. Thanks for lots of slushies and many more to come. Taylor, you are so bubbly and joyful. I loved how much you brought to the group and how you were always building everyone up. Stay wonderful and always know you have people here to support you. To all of you, I love you more than you can imagine and am so thankful you are all in my life. I always hear people talking about how being a guide brings you closer to people you may have never known and this is so true. Thank you for letting me be myself ♥

My amazing Aardvarks: You guys were the coolest Aardvarks this world has ever seen. I loved “boolin” around with you everyday even though I thought at first you were saying boomerang. You all made my first Safari as a guide unforgettable. Thanks for endless jokes, laughing all the time, being sassy, and dealing with me everyday. To all of you, never stop dreaming, firing up, and being true to yourself. I am so proud and blessed toknow all 10 of you phenomenal humans. Just know that I think… and know that you ten are the coolest, smartest, and most interesting people I have the pleasure of knowing. Finally, I am so excited to see you all flourish at Central, and find who you are in this new world called College. Much love from mom♥

 

My experience as a Leadership Safari Guide was phenomenal and I am so blessed I had the opportunity to help incoming students. Central Michigan is a wonderful place and I loved getting to share leadership and CMU with 2000 + other people.

 

 

Alpha Sigma Tau

{My home away from home}

With all of the stereotypes about sororities, here is why I joined one and how my experience is nothing like what you see in the movies. If you would have asked me as a senior in high school if I would be a part of Greek Life I would have laughed and said heck no. I, like so many other people, had these crazy ideas about sororities until I met my mentor, Emily. She is and was then, exactly like me but she was involved in Greek Life. Through her, my knowledge of sororities grew and I went through recruitment my Freshman Year.

September 30th, 2016 was the day I, and multiple other girls, jumped home. I found my home in the Central Michigan Chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau. Here, I fell in love with the colors Emerald Green and gold, sisters, Anchors, and philanthropy. I have so much love for my sorority and the women in it, I have no idea how to put it into words but I will attempt.

AST has given me so much this first year, and I always try my best to give back. For my new member class, I was the Historian, along with Shelby and we made the scrapbook, anchor, and teacup for the chapter. It was fun being able to see everyone’s different photos and have digital evidence of my class blossoming into our chapter. Currently, I am the Director of Fundraising and planned our Grilled Cheese Fundraiser. The Grilled Cheese Fundraiser is something my chapter does every semester and the money we raise goes to our philanthropy, Pine Mountain Settlement School. This year I planned our first ever Philanthropy week which was absolutely amazing. If you want to know more about Grilled Cheese and our Philanthropy week, there is a specific blog all about it! Also, I participated in the 2017 Greek Week, other chapter’s philanthropy weeks, and endless AST events. On Central’s campus, Alpha Sigma Tau has over 1,000 hours of community service for this semester, the highest GPA, and members from all parts of campus. We are a tight-knit, passionate, and welcoming group of people. Alpha Sigma Tau and all of my sisters mean the world to me. They always have my back and I always have theirs. When something happens to one sister, it happens to all of us because we support and love one another. Being a Tau is part of who I am today, it has made me more confident, compassionate, and strong.

Through AST, I found so many important people in my life, and yes they will probably be my future bridesmaids. First to my Twin Carly… after your sister told us we look more like sisters than you two, we started saying we were twins. Without all of our constant texting, a sleepover, forcing you to go to Leadershape, and being “mom’s” together I don’t know what I would do. You have helped me find my voice and place in a sisterhood of 70+ girls. My best friends Michelle and Ellen. With Garrett, we make our little Greek Life family. You both are always there for me when I need you most. Thanks for being my family and keeping me sane. My crazy G Brenna… without you I don’t know where Em and I would be. You make sure both of us have fun even when we are stressed to the max. Thanks for the endless HAPPs dates and laugher. Finally, the most important, my Big Emily. Em was my mentor even before I joined AST. After joining the same sorority as her, we only became more close. The past few months have been hard but we always have each other and I don’t know where I would be without her. There are countless more people who have come into my life and made an impact but it would take me years to go through everyone.

My version of “What is a Tau?”

A Tau is a mixture of a boisterous little girl, a troubled adolescent, a charming young woman and a wise old lady. She is a streak of gold and a flash of green. She is a Leader Advancement Scholar, Centralis Recipient, an Athlete, and anything she wants to be. She is a shoulder to cry on, never-ending “your mom” jokes, and a friend. You can find her studying at coffee shops, cheering on the football team, and scootering through campus. She is involved, kind hearted, driven, and passionate. A Tau is all of this and more. A Tau is my sister ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flourishing Friendships

Mentor Mentee Retreat > September 11-12th > Eagle Village

The weekend of September 11th I had the opportunity to go to Eagle Village with my LAS cohort and our mentors from the cohort ahead of us. During the retreat, we organized into smaller groups with 7 mentor/ mentee pairs to work on our relationships and our leadership skills. Time was spent bonding with our mentor as well as getting to know more of the people in LAS. Overall, it was an amazing weekend and I really got to know some of the most incredible people in the world.

I bet you are wondering what we did to grow in our relationships and as leaders. Well, here’s a little blurb about a few of the activities and what I learned from them. First, when we got into our groups we shared our “road maps”. All of the mentees had to make some type of representation or “road map” of who we are and highlights about our lives. Mine was a tree with the roots being the people who root me in life and who support me, including my mentor, parents, friends, and family. The trunk of the tree was who I am today, a Leadership Advancement Scholar, Communication Disorder Major, daughter, and friend. Finally, the leaves of my tree were pictures with the most important people and pivotal events in my life. After sharing our “road maps”, we got into groups and completed various tasks. One task my group did was the ameba. We all were blindfolded
and our ‘guide’ tied us in a clump together. Then, he randomly placed a stuffed animal somewhere in the room and we had to use teamwork and strategy to find it together. From this I learned that there are times to be a vocal leader and times to listen and follow. I thought this ameba task was something fun and different than many other teamwork activities I have done. The final activity to highlight is the high ropes course. This was by far my favorite event
of the weekend because it really pushed me completely out of my comfort zone. I am terrified of  heights, so being on the high ropes course scared me a lot. BUT I did it and spent over an hour going through the course. I realized that fears can be overcome and I can accomplish things that at first seem impossible or frightening. Just take that first step. This activity also made me realize what a difference support from others can make. Together we are better! I honestly had so much fun and I was so proud of myself for fighting my fears.

The best part of the weekend was not the activities or learning to be a better leader, it was having time to bond with my mentor Em. During the retreat, she and I were able to just chill, talk about everything and anything, and even take a nap. Em was there the whole time to push me out of my comfort zone, encourage me, and take risks with me. The moment I first met Emily, we connected and learning she was mentor gave me so much to look forward to this fall. Since coming to college Em and I have become so close that she is like the sister I never had growing up…in fact I think we are more like twins! Spending time with Emily, getting to know one another even more, growing together as leaders, and learning how we can support each other was truly the highlight of the LAS retreat at Eagle Village.

Overall, as I said above it was a wonderful weekend. I was able to bond with my phenomenal mentor Emily, meet/ get to know so many people in the Leadership Advancement program, work on my leadership, and just have a fun weekend.