A Senior's Letter to the Panhellenic Community of UGA

A senior's letter to the Panhellenic community of UGA,

As my time as a UGA student is winding down, I spend almost every waking moment reminiscing on the past four years here in Athens. It is getting difficult to look at the graduation countdown as time speeds up towards the day that feels like the end to such a sweet, sweet story. I feel that I owe so much to this Panhellenic community and this little note is my small way of beginning to give back to an organization that gave me such incredible memories.

Coming to UGA from out of state and deciding to go through the recruitment process was terrifying; however, I was immediately overwhelmed by how friendly and genuine the girls at each of the houses were. In August of 2013, I found my home at Sigma Kappa. Having a group of 80 girls to call my friends within my first week at the university kick started my college career in such a positive way, and I cannot thank Sigma Kappa enough for that.

As a second semester freshman, I decided to apply for Assistant Panhellenic Delegate, which entails attending weekly Panhellenic Council meetings as a liaison to the Panhellenic community and greater university. Little did I know, this seemingly small decision would change the path of my college career and influence my life in unspeakable ways. At the end of my term as an assistant, I went on to be a delegate and pursued a committee director position. As the Director of the Junior Panhellenic Committee I had the privilege of mentoring two new members from each of eighteen sororities in their first semester of college and welcoming them into this amazing campus and community. (Girls, if you’re reading this- watching you grow over that first semester and the following year has been an incredible blessing and I am so proud and continuously amazed by everything you accomplish). Through the weekly meetings with members of each of the Panhellenic sororities I was able to see first hand the amazing things happening in every chapter of our campus. The membership of each organization is comprised of inspiring movers and shakers accomplishing things I could only dream up.

Fall of my junior year, I was elected Vice President of Standards to serve as one of the seven members of the 2016 Panhellenic Executive Board. During this time, my view of the Panhellenic community and university as a whole, changed entirely. I cannot articulate the amazing things I was given the privilege of seeing as a leader in this community. Millions of dollars to incredible philanthropies improving the lives of so many people, unfathomable strides in new and old campus organizations bettering this already amazing institution and the lives of students in every corner of Athens, and a community of sisterhood reaching out to each other in every way possible through times of unspeakable heartbreak.

The women of this Panhellenic community are doing absolutely, mind-glowingly, incredible things. The character and strength of women in each of these eighteen organizations cannot be summed up into a single post, but the incredible accomplishments are evident throughout the entire campus and community. I cannot thank UGA Panhellenic enough for the impact it has made on my life over the past four years and the amazing memories and lessons I will take with me after walking through the arch.

Sincerely,

Catherine Caldwell