Today, five of our very own, are graduating from the University of South Carolina. We are so proud of the wonderful women that you are and can't thank you enough for the amazing contributions you have made to our chapter. We can't put into words how much we will miss each and every one of you but we are so excited for you to be embarking on this new journey into the next chapter of your lives.
Fall 2014 Graduates:
Juliette Cheatham Kellie McKinney
Letters to Juliette
"Juliette,
I am writing this in the midst of
finals, and while I am extremely ready for them to be over, I am so sad because
I know it means the end of the semester is here and you are graduating (you
know how hard it is for me to say the “G” word). I am not sure how to sum up
what you mean to me in such few words, but here we go. To begin, I feel so lucky to have met you on
bid day freshman year and I am so thankful Natalie and Hillary introduced us. I
am certain I could not have survived college without you. Thank you for making
me exponentially cooler and introducing me to all kinds of music, art, and
books. I am a better person for having
known you. Thank you for being crazy with me and always being up for
anything and everything. Like spontaneously going to Gucci Mane and scraping
dollar bills off of the floor after he “made it rain” or enjoying the
antithesis of that and going to the Norman Rockwell exhibit, pretending to be
art enthusiast while sipping red wine. Thank you for dancing with me and never
discouraging my overwhelming persistence to get on stage at every function. Thank you for always making sure that your love interests understood that we were a package deal and living by the Spice Girls mantra “if
you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends”. I love dating boys with
you. Also thank you for giving me my first God(dog)child. Texas has brought me
so much joy while simultaneously covering all of my belongings in black hair
(my white duvet may never recover). You have made these past four years so fun
and even more funny. As cliché as this is I feel like it sums up everything I
want to say. So I am going to leave you with a few words from Dr. Seuss:
Bisous Bisous,
Emily"
"Dear Juliette,
It is hard to believe that Graduation Day is finally here. And
it is even harder to believe that my best friend will be donning a cap and gown
and accepting her diploma.
If I were to scan that sea of black caps and gowns, all worn
by students who (like you) worked tirelessly to receive that diploma a semester
early, there is no doubt in my mind that I would able to pick you out from the
crowd. Knowing you, you’ll differentiate yourself with some funky accessory or
some cool pair of shoes. And you might be a good head shorter than those around
you, which helps.
But that is what makes you so special. You stayed true to
yourself throughout your three and a half years at the University of South
Carolina and will walk away from college a better version of yourself. Instead
of following the crowd and losing the traits that make you so unique, you used your
time at USC to strengthen the qualities that set you apart. Not many
twenty-something year olds share your love for good books and dainty antiques and
photography nor have many traveled so extensively throughout Europe and dined
on some of the best food in the world and truly appreciated the delicacy of
foreign cuisine. Not many people our age enjoy hiking up steep mountain paths,
lured in by the promise of a breathtaking mountaintop view nor do they
understand the appeal of just sitting on the beach all day, taking in the
beauty of the ocean without exchanging a word. Not many people can say they
truly love their dog – at least not the way you love Texas, the dog you rescued
and nurtured back to health and who now never leaves your side.
There are a thousand things that make you special, Juliette.
But one of the things I treasure the most in our friendship is the love you
have for everyone and everything around you. You go above and beyond in
everything you do and for everyone you meet. You are loyal, thoughtful, and
considerate. You are smart, kind, and gracious. You are one-of-a-kind and you
will go far in life.
I would say that I will miss you – but I know that you’ll
always be around and will continue to be there for me in typical Juliette
fashion.
I cannot wait to see what the future holds for you and how
you will write the next chapter of your life as you begin this new adventure.
Congratulations again Juliette – you made it!
Love you always!
Sandy Bell"
Letters to Kellie
"Kel,
I knew I had to go Tri Delta the second I met you during recruitment. I knew I had to be your little after you took me under your wing for my first football game, and I knew we were best friends when I spilt chocolate sauce all over my dress before Christmas Semi and you cleaned the entire thing while I sobbed. You have shown me what it means to embody the ideals of Tri Delta and I could not have asked for a better role model. You exude positivity and your smile is contagious. I am so blessed to have someone in my life who is as passionate and determined as you. Your love for others never goes unnoticed and it has made such an impact on our chapter. Happy graduation Kellie, I love you to the moon!
Your Little,
Mary Kate Korpita"
"Kellie,
Where do I even begin. I can't even express how much I have cherished our friendship these past three years. I am so thankful you picked me as one of your littles and that we have gotten so close. If it wasn't for you, my coolers never would have got finished, and I would have suffered from extreme anxiety!! You are always there when I need someone to vent to or just to laugh uncontrollably with. I could not have dreamed of having a better big than you!! I am so proud of you and all your accomplishments that you have made during your time in Tri Delta and at the University. Thank goodness you are staying in Columbia because I am not even close ready to say goodbye to my BestFriend!!!
Love you ALWAYS Biggie Baby
Suzanne Gowan"
Letters to Alex
"Breazy,
It's safe to say that Columbia will not be the same without you. From living in the GV to living on Queen, we've had some unforgettable times. You're my roommate for life so get ready for visitors even when you move to a different city. My mom has always told me that I would make my real friends in college and I know she was talking about you. You will never know the impact that you have had on my life, and I can't even begin to express how much you will be missed. I should have known you would be the first one in and out of college because that's just how you are. Why waste time when you know you'll be successful? We all know you're gonna be a CEO by 25. That's why you'll always be Sister Prez.
That being said, thanks for being my number one when I was having a rough time, but also for being so strong when life gave you trouble. I truly believe there is nothing you can't handle. Thank you for showing me that even the most perfect people have flaws and with a little hard work and determination, you really can do anything. Thanks for always keeping your head up and being the "mom" that still knows how to have a good time. Thank you for all the adventures we have had in college and the memories that we have made along side of them. I can't wait for you to be a bridesmaid in my wedding and my best friend for life. I love you Breazy!!! Now go save the world.
-Your girl Hannah Stroud"
"My sweet, but mostly fiery, friend,
The past three and a half years
have flown by. I can still remember meeting you on Bid Day freshman year, and
being immediately intimidated when you started going off about your major and
who knows what else. Three years later and you no longer intimidate me (you
don’t scare me, sista prez); but you do continue to push me to work harder and
expect more from myself. Over the past few years I have come to see your more
imperfect qualities, too, and it is those qualities, just as much as the
perfectionist in you, that makes me proud to call you one of my best friends.
I am so thankful for our friendship
– the ups and the downs. I probably would not have made it through a few
semesters without you (note Fall 2k12). You have shown me the importance of
putting myself first, and not always putting every one else’s wants and needs
before my own. I hope that subsequently I have shown you that it is ok to let
down your wall sometimes, that crying is not weakness, but instead built-up
strength being released. Thank you for being an emotional person, every once in
a while, when I really need it – I know it is not normal for you (green
personality and all – note Chapter Retreat 2k13).
As great as the past three and a
half years have been, I cannot wait for the next 70 years of our friendship. I
know there will be more ups and downs, more long nights, more laughs and tears
(more by me, obviously), more success and failures, more shared birthdays! I cannot wait to see you develop beyond Sister
Prez – remember, I predicted “CEO of the World.” I know you are going to do
great things, and I cannot wait to be your friend through it all, bringing you
back down to Earth.
Love you to the crescent moon and
back – I am so happy that three and a half years ago we both chose Tri Delta,
because it gave me my best friend.
Xoxo
Jules"
Ps. remember these three things, 1. You are too busy
building your empire to deal with all the crap, 2. I will be living in
your guesthouse when you make it big and 3. I’m always just a phone call away!
Letters to Molly
"Molly,
You have been the best grand big I could ever asked for. I was a little scared of you last year; however, now you are anything but intimidating. I have learned so much from you in these past few months, and I can’t imagine what Tridelta will be like without you. This semester has flown by so fast, and I can not believe you are already graduating! I can’t decide what I am going to miss more: chatting with you in the dining room in an attempt to not do school work, asking for advice, or seeing you dance around dressed as a Christmas tree at Christmas in Dixie. I already constantly talk to all of my friends about how much I’ll miss you when you leave, so you better come back to visit me!
DL,
Hannah Starkey "
"Molly,
It's been one heck of a ride. Thanks for putting up with me these past few years. Who knew little freshman us would make it this far. I can't imagine my college experience without you. Cheers to dachshunds, scuba diving costumes and fuzzy towel wraps. I know you're gonna kill the real world and I can't wait to watch.
Love you more than you love 'Doba,
Shelby"
Letters to Bridget
"Bridget,
You have always been a “go-getter” which is why I think you
and I became such good friends to begin with. You’re driven and motivated and
have the world at your fingertips. I’m not sure how I was so lucky to find a
friend like you in college but I’m thankful I did. From celebrating your 21st
in Charleston, stealing t-shirts from the SAE house at Vanderbilt, and you
asking what part of Virginia we were in while in a cab in Lexington, Kentucky, it
is always entertaining with you. You are a true and loyal friend and have
always been there whenever I needed to vent about something, even if it’s stupid
or completely pointless. I still don’t think it has really hit me yet that
you’re graduating, but I sure am going to miss you. I can’t wait to see where life
takes you though because I know you’re going to do amazing things! You are
going to be one of those friends I can count on forever. I love you Bridg,
Congrats!
Love,
Kenny"
"BB,
I can’t believe you’re graduating. Okay, I can totally believe you’re graduating but I can’t believe it’s actually here. I am constantly in awe of everything you have accomplished and will further accomplish, your resume actually intimidates me. You are one of my best friends and it’s going to be a long semester without you. Even though you’ll be killin it wherever you are, I am going to miss you dreadfully. Gourmet shop, Tridelt brunch, and Cotton Gin aren’t going to be the same. Even though both of us were so busy during the week, we always found time to meet up and fill each other in-one of us always left jaw-dropped. You were always up to trying something new with me (even though we still haven’t used that Groupon for Craft and Draft) and that’s going to be one of the things I miss the most about you. Columbia is seriously going to change. I’m also going to miss your laugh and sassy ‘bye’ attitude. I’ve learned a lot from you that I don’t think you ever realized. The way you hold your standards towards every aspect of life has persuaded me also to hold my standards way higher and to keep pushing even when I want to give up. You’ve helped shape me into the person I am this senior year and I will forever be grateful for that. I love you and I can’t wait to see where you end up, hopefully married to the Wolf of Wallstreet like your superlative says.
Love,
Camille"
