Special Announcement

Today's post is one of my very favorites we have ever posted for you all. Thank you to the inspiring Lauren Stitzlein for writing this post and sharing with all of the Delta Diaries readers some VERY exciting news, not only  for her but the Alpha Lambda chapter as a whole. We are so proud of you and it is such an honor to call you our sister, Lauren. Enjoy! 

          "When I shared the news with some of the women who have gone before me, most of them said the same adage after their congratulations:

“You’re in for the ride of your life.”

            The news? I found out last week that I’ll have the chance to work with these five women from around the country on Tri Delta’s Chapter Services Team as a Field Consultant (FC) for the 2013-2014 school year!

            I applied for the job because every past and present FC I met (including Alpha Lambda’s Anna Dilworth, who served in 2011-2012) were so inspiring and encouraged so much positive change in our chapter. Wanderlust also contributed.

            The application process started months ago with a paper application. From there I was granted a phone interview, and then I was invited to travel to our Executive Office in Dallas, TX with the final 15 candidates for in person interviews and other activities to simulate parts of the job.

            FCs travel to various chapters in the country or move to a certain university to assist with the opening of a new chapter, and are there to offer consultation and advice to the members of that chapter so they can live our purpose to the fullest in every area of chapter of life—recruitment, socials, sisterhood building, leadership, philanthropy, etc.

           

           Even without a single frequent flyer mile tracked I’ve already learned three amazing things from this process:

1)   The enormity of Tri Delta as a Fraternity—At the interviews in Dallas, I got to meet women from as nearby as UGA and as far away as California. Looking ahead, the six of us have 138 chapters to visit in a year!

2)   The power of our common values, experiences and sisterhood—I was nervous that there may have been sense of competition or rivalry at the interviews in Dallas because we were all vying for the same job. That fear was dispelled as soon as we all met each other. Every woman there was utterly amazing, and we became friends in just a weekend as we shared what Tri Delta means to us, our favorite parts of our ritual/values and funny stories from our chapters.

3)   Tri Delta is so much more than four years in college—The six of us will spend a year travelling for the Fraternity, it’s not a stretch to say that everyone who applied will volunteer with a chapter as an Alumna Advisor or in another way at some point, and I’ll be working with our Chapter Service Team who are serving Tri Delta full time. It’s going to be a lifetime commitment, and a sweet one at that.

           

            I am thankful and thrilled. Coming to college, I didn’t even think I would get involved in sorority life until a couple of my friends in Tri Delta, Lindsey and Michelle, put me up to going through recruitment as a sophomore, and now...this?

            So lesson #4 would be: Membership in Tri Delta (specifically Alpha Lambda) can change you for the better and provide unbelievable opportunities. It’s actually been the ride of my life since fall 2010, and I’m eager to see where the wave goes in the next year!

Deltas In Dublin

I am so excited to share this post today with everyone! Written by our three amazing sisters Olivia Weaver, Ciara Kavanagh, and Sara Wilder, about their semester as they are studying abroad together in Ireland. To our girls- we miss you so much and can't wait for you to come back home! We're so happy you're having such an incredible time!

"Studying abroad in Ireland has been one of the greatest things to ever happen to us. There is no better way to expand your horizon than by leaving everything you are accustomed to at home. Learning about different cultures and meeting tons of new people are only some of the great things a semester abroad can bring. We are each very blessed to have this opportunity, and we are even more blessed to be able to spend it together. Moving to a new place comes with its own challenges, but they are much easier to face when you have not only your best friends by your side, but also your sisters. Tri Delta reels in some of the strongest and most amazing women, and we are eternally grateful to be members of such a strong sisterhood. From traveling to the Wicklow Mountains of Eastern Ireland to backpacking through the Bavarian Alps of Germany, the adventures and experiences the three of us have shared are endless. We wish all of our sisters could be here with us, and we Delta love them all!"

USC Dance Marathon

On March 1st through 2nd, a group of sisters danced from dusk til dawn at USC Dance Marathon. This 24 hour long event is held to raise money for The Children's Miracle Network and The Palmetto Health Children's Hospital. But most importantly it's For The Kids! 

Among all the many girls who supported this great cause, we had 5 devoted deltas, Katrina Darling, Beth Hooks, Caroline Stanley, Alyx Di Pasquantonio and Alex Hall that stayed the entire 24 hours!

Our banner even placed 3rd in the competition judged by a few children from the local hospital that came to visit the marathon. 

This year with the help of donations from all different organizations throughout the community and around campus USCDM was able to raise $224,510. We made miracles!

Thank you to our valued sister, Alex Hall for all the work she put into Dance Marathon this year, and to writing this post for us! We are so thankful for all that you do!

International Badge Day

Yesterday, Trideltas all over campus were proudly wearing their pins in honor of International Badge Day! Nationwide, for March 4th, Panhellenic organizations came together and all donned their respective badges to represent their chapters. We all know how much of an honor it is to have the privilege to wear this symbol of our sisterhood. Thank you to all the women who represented our chapter so well yesterday! Delta Love!

Sincerely Yours

Hey everyone! Today we have a special post from our incredible Philanthropy Chair, Julia Morgan, on our most recent philanthropy event called "Sincerely Yours". Julia's huge passion for St. Jude is easy to see and we are all so lucky to have her as a leader in our chapter. Enjoy!

Since November of 1999, Tri Delta has partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for our philanthropy. We take a pride and dedicate ourselves to helping so many children each year and giving hope to their families. As a whole, Tri Delta has current goal of raising $15 million in five years and we are more than half way to accomplishing it.

At Alpha Lambda our dedication is no different. We take pride in all that we do for the best children's hospital in the world! Just last year, we were the first chapter of Tri Delta to reach $100,000 in only one year for St. Jude. We ended up raising $103, 738.05 during the 2011-2012 academic year.

Of all that we raised $68,059.50 from our annual letter writing campaign; Sincerely Yours. For Sincerely Yours, our members address envelopes and send letters to family and friends describing our bond with St. Jude and how much we would appreciate it if they would share our passion. This campaign simply asks for them to join us in giving hope to families across the country by making a donation for the hospital.

On Sunday, February 10^th, 2013 our members came to our house to write and address their letters. The girls were able to hang out with sisters, eat pizza and share their love for St. Jude. We ended up mailing out over 12,000 letters! We cannot wait to hear back from St. Jude as to how much we raised. (We will not know until July because the donors have until June to donate!). However, we really hope to break our record from last year!

If you did not receive a letter from any of us, but would like to donate, please contact me! My information is on our contact page here at The Delta Diaries.

I could not be more proud of all of our members. The amount of letters we mailed validates our love for St. Jude and reminds me how truly great it is to be a member of Tridelta! As Dr. Mari Ann Callais said at the Tridelta St. Jude Leadership weekend, “The money you raise for St. Jude is what you do, the people you save is who you are!”

Delta love and all of mine,

Julia