Sister Spotlight: Ellen Fox

Our post today is written by Ellen Fox, who is currently a senior and has served our chapter last fall as our own New Member Educator. This is a very valued position in Tri Delta, affectionately deemed "pledge mom" to our new pledge class every year. Ellen not only was an incredible role model and mentor for our new members, but also to all the women in our chapter. I was amazed to see how she introduced all of our new members to the values of Tri Delta and integrated them so beautifully into our existing chapter, all the while holding constant what it really means to be a part of this sisterhood. She has set the bar so high for future pledge moms and I know our whole chapter has benefitted from her outlook going forward. Ellen's post is written about her time spent abroad last semester in Europe, and what that meant to her as a Tridelt. We have missed you so much Ellen and cannot wait for you to come home!!

"Right now I’m nestled in between the mountains of western North Carolina at the summer camp I grew up coming to, year after year. It’s a home away from home.

From this past January to May, however I called a completely different place home: London, England. I had always known I wanted to study abroad and in the back of my mind, London always stuck. I’m not exactly a city kid; I’m used to nature and seeing towering trees- not skyscrapers. I was ready to get out of my comfort zone and discover new things about this world we live in, but also about myself.

As I flew out of Atlanta, headed across the Atlantic Ocean, I would’ve asked the pilot to make a u-turn had I not had such an amazing group of people to leave behind. My family and friends were all my cheerleaders and their confidence in me gave me a sense of security that I was doing the right thing. A lot of my support system consisted of my sisters in Tri Delta.

Ellen with one of her littles and grandlittles at a Tri Delta function.

Ellen and Anna Drew (later mentioned) during Tri Delta recruitment.

After being New Member Educator and on Standards board, I thought I was ready for a break from Tri Delta. Late night meetings and weeks of planning the retreat had me a little worn out. All of that got flipped upside down as I watched from afar (4,059 miles to be exact) as my sisters killed it back in Columbia. I was beaming with pride as I watched my best friend and roommate, Kaitlin, go above and beyond as our new president. I bragged to my San Diego roommate about how much we had raised for St. Jude, breaking records and goals we set for ourselves. Then I got bummed as I saw instagrams of the trip to Memphis to visit the hospital, wishing I could return because of the tremendous impact that trip had left on myself the previous year. I saw my beautiful friends dress up as hippies for Woodstock and bikers for Biker Bowl. Ironically enough, just like the campers I’m surrounded by at the moment, I began to get a little homesick. Or, as I like to call it, “Tri Delt sick.”

One of Ellen's photos from London!

But then a beautiful thing began to happen. I saw that Tri Delt wasn’t really missing from my life as much as I believed. In fact, I saw it reflected in many of my daily surroundings. I got a nice dose of our sisterhood with a visit from another one of my best friends, Anna Drew, as she crossed the pond for her spring break. We talked rush and home life gossip as I showed her the amazing city I was privileged so live in. I even ran into Karolina, another sister who was studying in Paris with a weekend trip to London, in the middle of Urban Outfitters of all places!

Anna Drew and Ellen on her trip across the country to see her! 

As I made new friends, I attempted to explain the bonds of sisterhood, our ritual (don't worry, I kept the important stuff secret) and the unexpected pride I had of our sorority. But I usually ended up just saying, "You just sort of have to get it." But I think the very best things in life are like that, at least in my life. I struggle describing my camp as well as the sorority I belong to. But as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I can't wait to rejoin everyone back in Columbia in August!"

Delta Love,

Ellen