happy thought

back to the big apple!



NY Public Library

An unexpected trip to NYC after my Rutgers visit made for a happy ending.  I was taken in by a wonderful sister, Josie Driscoll, who traveled as a CDC in '06-07.  She lived in the Upper East Side and let me stay a night in the city with her!  The day of my trip was filled with wonderful things.  We began the day with a yummy brunch at Bryant Park Grill, next to the NY Public Library and overlooking an outdoor ice skating rink.  Next, we roamed around Bloomingdale's and drooled over all the pretty designer things :)  We went to Dylan's Candy Bar (owned by Ralph Lauren's daughter), stopped by the infamous Seredipity Restaurant, then ate appetizers at Justin Timberlake's restaurant called Southern Hospitality.  We ended the night with cupcakes from the famous Magnolia's and enjoyed good conversation with another CDC, Sara Cella, who travelled in '09-'10 and lives and works in the city too.  It was so wonderful to be surrounded by women who truly understand the job of a CDC and can share stories of their experinces.  I couldn't have asked for a better adventure in NYC!  So thankful for the hospitality and genuine care of these awesome DGs who made me feel very special for the day!

Kind of a creepy bunny at Dylan's...
but the only picture we took of the two of us!

nothing good or great has ever come without toil and attention...

Thank you Anna Boyd Ellington, one of our Founders, for inspiring me daily through this First Initiation Address in 1874. These words are so very applicable to my job as a CDC--"nothing good or great has ever come without toil and attention".  This is so true, knowing that this job is not always glamorous and that we will encounter situations in which we feel defeated or our efforts are not making a difference. 

I usually pride myself on creating my own happiness and have been pretty successful in this job thus far...being able to focus on the positive admist the difficult things that come my way.  And why should I allow myself to think any differently?  I CAN make a difference.  I CAN lead by example.  I CAN show these women how to live by the high ideals of friendship and social responsibiliy.  I CAN inspire these women to maintain the best qualities of character. 

Sometimes you just need to give yourself a little pep talk....and read a little inspiration from Anna to remember that :) 

reunited!

Making it back to the Martin Center for January In-Gathering was the best thing we all needed before hitting the road again.  Our team had not all been together since August, and it was so wonderful to catch up on each others lives, travels, and stories.  Each of has had such unique experiences yet we are all working towards to same goal....to help out chapter members find and truly live by what it means to be a Delta Gamma! 

Sitting around that conference table for hours never gets any better, but the people surrounding that table are why I do this job!  Missing all of the CDCs already!

happy new year!

happy holidays from the CDCs!

back to ole Purdue!

The end of my visit at Tau transitioned so perfectly to my long winter break.  Iowa and Purdue football were playing at Purdue and the incoming president was a doll and offered to drive me to Purdue so I could be reunited with everyone!  But the icing on the cake was I would make it into town for Beta Iota Initiation!  To be a part of my own chapter's Initiation as an alumna was so very special.  It made me feel so happy to be among such wonderful women who I adore and to also feel so excited for these new members to grow in their Purdue DG experience!  Also, seeing my best friend Brett initiate her twin sisters will always be one of the most special things in DG I have ever seen.  Membership truly is for life and to be able to share this with family is incredible!

My trip at Purdue was just perfect.  I even got to spend the night back in my old room with my DG family and spend quality time with all of my best friends.  I am SO blessed :)

My first night back at our friend Thanksgiving Dinner!

Boiler up!  Sweet home Delta Gamma!

Got to visit my DG family at Purdue Dance Marathon!!

Some of my favs!

Sleepover at DG--my family is the best :)

bookends

To end the semester the way I started...having a return visit to a chapter was something I was really looking forward to from the beginning.  After helping Tau chapter with recruitment (my first visit--wow did time fly!), I was able to return for a regular CDC visit at the end of the semester.  It was great to see all of the new members who I helped the members recruit!  They had just been initiated and were already getting involved in officer positions!

Thanksgiving Dinner at Tau!

The officer meetings were busy because they were focused on transitions since they had just held elections.  The incoming officers were excited to learn and continue making positive changes for their chapter!  I also enjoyed spending time with the Tau chapter president.  She is just fantastic and such an incredible role model for the chapter. Learning about her experiences as president made me reflect on my own and how I felt when my term came to an end.  It's definitely bittersweet and an experience that only someone who has lead in this capacity understand. It was nice to get a perspective from her that reminded me of the importance of great leadership!  And how I am still working on growing as a leader each and every day.  And how I am so lucky to have to opportunity to work with such awesome ones!

a smaller Purdue

This is how I would describe Bucknell University, so of course I felt at home at this campus!  Coming from my own campus of 40,000 to a campus of 3,500, it was cool to see that the heart of a chapter/University can be the same, no matter the size difference!  I was so welcomed by the women and they had a wonderful schedule planned for me!  I stayed at a cute Bed & Breakfast type place on campus, which was sponsored by the University for University guests.  The had coffee, tea and chocolates daily :)

The first night I was visiting Epsilon Beta, they held officer elections.  This was one of the most well-run elections I had ever seen.  Each officer that spoke on behalf of the position they were slated/running for, was beaming with pride and excitement for their potential position.  And each member who was listening to them had the biggest smile on their face.  They had the most incredible sisterhood and support for each other!  It was something so special to witness.

The first few days were filled with officer meetings and yummy meals.  The campus had great food and the women often took me to the "T room", which was the "unofficial sorority" place to eat.  It was really cool to look around and see women from all different sororities eating and hanging out together.  It was an awesome way to foster Panhellenic spirit!

Each officer meeting was better than the next.  These members feel much passion and dedication to their positions and are willing to go above and beyond.  They were so receptive to new ideas, which made my job easy!  They also included me in many campus events!  I was able to attend a Take Back the Night Rally (students raising awareness for sexual assault), a student dance company show (which included many DGs!), an acapella show (also included DGs!), and a 5k to raise money for a service trip to Nicaragua (which many DGs go on!).  Needless to say, these women are rockstars and are very involved in their campus community!

From the members' positive and involved image on campus, to their pride for DG and their University, I couldn't help but make a connection to my own chapter and collegiate experience.  It truly is a wonderful chapter visit when you feel such a close connection to their chapter, which I was blessed to have experienced at Bucknell!

Notice the address...the same address as the Purdue
DG house--what a coincidence!