Friday, April 4, 2014

Thank You for Being a Confidant

By Jen Wetzel, Pi Beta Phi, NPC marketing and communications Intern

Advisor Appreciation Month is a time to reflect on those who go above and beyond to play a positive role in the lives of others, simply because they care. I have been fortunate to have these people surrounding me since I went through primary recruitment in January of my freshman year.

As a freshman, I could never have anticipated the impact that belonging to a sorority would have on so many aspects of my life. It has given me the confidence to be a leader, the patience and understanding to belong to a sisterhood of very different personalities and the drive to pursue all of my goals head-on. A lot of this confidence grew out of my position on Pi Phi’s executive council as the vice president of administration (VPA).

In my chapter, the VPA is considered the “rules person.” Not exactly the most fun-loving position for someone who typically approaches situations with humor. The position required me to adjust and stand out as a leader much more than I ever had in the past. During that time, I had several alumnae advisors who were there for me without fail -- there to answer email, stop by the chapter house on a minute’s notice, take midnight phone calls and be there as constant confidants. Two advisors, Kristi Geiger and Gretchen Foran, became my friends.

What makes advisors so special is that they are volunteers. They choose to use their own time to help further your goals and ideals, because they want to see you succeed. During some of the tougher moments of my term as VPA, I recall receiving hand-written and email notes from my alumna counterpart, just dropping in to say I was doing a great job. These moments of reassurance and kindness helped build my confidence as a leader while showing me the support that I had not only as a sorority member but also as a person.