Happy Theta Thanksgiving Thursday Post from Bettie!

Happy Theta Thanksgiving Thursday!

Top 5 things Bettie is thankful for:

1. The wonderful women of Zeta Omicron

2. Our incredible ELC's, Alyssa and Courtney

3. Our confidence, passion and kindness

4. An amazing semester so far

5. Family and friends to  share Thanksgiving with!

Have a wonderful day!

What I'm Thankful For - Lauren Hunstad

Being in a sorority has given me so much to be thankful for. My sisters are incredibly amazing women and they inspire me every day. I would be lost without their friendships and support. Not only have my friendships with girls I already knew been strengthened, but my new Theta friendships have grown to be equally strong, sometimes stronger. Each and every sister brings something unique and special to our organization and I feel truly blessed to be a part of it as well.

I am thankful for all of the opportunities that Theta has given me. I never realized my full leadership potential until I joined Theta and saw other girls looking up to me and depending on me. I feel like Theta has given me the chance to do something bigger than myself. Our service and philanthropy work touches the lives of countless individuals on our campus and in our community. This impact is real and it makes me so proud.

Finally, I am thankful for my Theta little sister. Having a little sister to support and mentor has been an amazing experience and I have loved being there for her. The best part however, is how she has supported and mentored me too! I never even anticipated how strong our relationship would become. Although it began with popping a silly balloon, my relationship with my little has evolved into one of my most meaningful college relationships. She inspires me to be the best version of myself. She encourages me to make the tough, but important, decisions. She motivates me to stay positive and to keep a smile on my face, especially when she always has one on hers. Even when I am faltering or want to take the easy route, she is there to remind me that I can do better and I deserve to do better for myself.

My little has a smile that can light up a room and she always brightens my day. I would be absolutely lost without her. I have no I idea how I survived before I met her. And I will be eternally thankful that she, and all the women of Kappa Alpha Theta, are a part of my life.

You are LΘVED

Wake lost a great person today. I knew Pillow, and while we weren’t best friends, he still found a way to work his way into my life. I talked to him 2 days ago, he was the definition of a Southern gentleman, and he made everyone’s day a little bit better by being around. I went to Andrew Pillow’s remembrance gathering, and I was overwhelmed by the love I saw.

At least a hundred people were crammed into the mailroom in Benson. People talked about funny memories, cried, and just remembered what a force for good Pillow was. I looked around the room and saw people were holding hands, comforting each other, and just being together. They shared stories, we laughed and we cried, and it was clear Pillow left a profound imprint on this campus.  I wondered if he knew what a great impact he had on so many people, and how loved he was. Pillow mattered at Wake, and I can only hope he knew that.

I wanted to take a second and say to always remember that you matter. You matter to me. You matter to your family. You matter to all of your sisters. You’ve positively impacted me, Theta, and Wake just by being yourself. Today made me pause and reflect on how short life is, yet how impactful that short time can be. It’s so easy to get caught up in schoolwork, studying, the social scene, and everything else we do, but I urge you to take a second and reflect on what you’re thankful for. I’m so thankful for a variety of things: my family, my faith, my friends, and my sisters.

I encourage you to take a moment and tell someone how much they matter to you, and how much you love them. And, remember you are loved. You are loved so much more than you ever imagined.
 
Theta LΘVE and mine

Keiffer + Koalas + Theta = LOVE

Keiffer is thankful for koalas.

And her Theta Sisters.

Happy Theta Thursday. Celebrate by watching the Koala Kam live from the San Diego Zoo's Koalafornia Dreaming exhibit: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/koalafornia/koalacam.html

Koala and Keiffer Love.

ELC's - Courtney Lynch

It's officially my favorite season of the year - fall! Though the warm sunshine that summer brings is a treat, the fall brings some of my most favorites things. I smile thinking about cozy sweaters and scarves, boots, football season, colorful trees, crispy crunching leaves, brisk air, candy corn, Halloween, and of course, the pumpkin spice latte.

However, it's not just my seasonal favorites that fall brings; just as the leaves change, I realize how my own life is changing too. Looking back to one year ago, I'm attending Miami University where I spent the semester student teaching and pursuing a degree in special education. I was wrapping up my term as Chief Executive Officer of the Gamma Upsilon chapter and anxiously waiting for our alumnae members to return for Homecoming weekend. Flash forward to today, and I'm walking in completely different shoes. I'm still serving the Fraternity, but in a much different context, currently not using my teaching degree and this time, it's me who is returning to Miami for Homecoming weekend. Change happens fast. But as I look forward to the leaves turning and watching the skyline light up with the brilliance of fall, I'm ready to turn the pages in my book of life and embrace this change. This semester, I'm looking forward to exploring the abundance of parks around Winston-Salem, cheering on the Demon Deacons at Wake-Forest University football games and watching the Zeta Omicron chapter evolve and grow. I'm reminded to spend some time reflecting on the changes occurring in my life and as the leaves fall, I know, everything is falling into place. Happy fall, y'all!

A Little Something About the New Members - Jihae

Seriously, I love every single one of them. I know many of you may not have had the chance to get to know the girls, but as New Member Director, I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with them every week since Bid Day (although they really have no other choice…). I promise you, if you go out of your way to get to know Alexa, Brooke, Emma, Tori, and Twiggs, you’ll see what I’m always raving about.

Alexa is one of the most diligent but fun-loving girls I know. This girl knows what she wants, and I know that she will become one of the most successful women after college.

At first, I thought that Brooke was super quiet and super sweet. I got the sweet part right, but once you get to know her, she is probably one of the funniest, most sarcastic girls I know and I love it!

Emma very well might be one of the most hard-working, most dedicated girls at Wake. She is always running from soccer to chapter, even with the butt-ton of work she always seems to have.

Tori? She is literally one of the sweetest girls I know, and no matter what she can put a smile on your face. (She even let me borrow her car to run Inspiration Week errands! …except I didn’t know how to pump gas… #jerseygirlprobs).

Twiggs is one of the most loved and loving girls I’ve met so far at Wake. Everyone always tells me, “Twiggs?! OMG I LOVE HER!” I’m not kidding.

I want to thank them (and Kate!) for being so patient with me these past couple of weeks. They’ve had to deal with my dysfunctional self, from my awkwardness to my over-enthusiasm, they’ve seen it all. Hopefully I haven’t scared them off… but in the end, all I have been trying to do is tell them just how much Theta means to me, and how much it will mean to them soon enough.

Each of these women contribute something so different to Theta, and we are so incredibly lucky to have each of them join our sisterhood. This just means that Theta is becoming even more perfect, one new member at a time. J

I LOVE YOU MY LITTLE NUGS <3 o:p="">
Jihae

Wake is "Thinking Theta" - Ashley Hamati

Here's Ashley Hamati's full response (the OGB only used a snippet) about how she believe Wake is "Thinking Theta."

A Theta is a leader. A Theta is someone who always goes above and beyond the expectation, whether it's in studies or in being a friend. A Theta helps others and causes positive change. She is the same person Saturday night as she is Tuesday morning. A Theta keeps it classy. She exudes passion in everything she does. A Theta is confident. 

 

Theta is assimilating at Wake wonderfully. Everyone has been extremely supportive and sometimes even more excited than we are! We have a very diverse group of girls, which I believe is an advantage. Thetas come from all different walks of life, but we have become a well-knit group of girls; unity in diversity is a sign of true leadership, and diversity is the spice of life.

 

Fall Recruitment was also a huge success-- we took five fantastic girls. I asked one of our new members on Bid Day why she thought Theta and she responded, "Everyone I talked to was so nice and genuine, and fun. I felt like I was being welcomed into a family. Those were the girls I wanted in a sorority." On campus, I see Theta's as cool, down-to-earth girls-- girls who have a positive presence on campus and that people say "She's awesome. She's such a good friend to everyone and is very genuine. Get to know her! She's in Theta."  Thetas are sincere girls who are involved both on campus and in the Winston-Salem community. 

We've been participating in other Greek organizations' philanthropy events, such as Sigma Chi's Derby Days, Lambda Chi's Watermelon Bash, Delta Zeta's Color Run and Turtle Tug, as well as campus-wide events, like Hit the Bricks, DESK, Project Pumpkin, and Wake N' Shake. Our Spring philanthropy event, CASA ROYALE, had a great turnout and support from the students and faculty, and we raised over $8,000  for Kappa Alpha Theta's national philanthropy, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). The women in Theta are also extremely involved on campus as well in other organizations, such as Volunteer Service Corps, WakeRadio, Campus Kitchen, volunteering at El  Buen Pastor tutoring underprivileged children, The Lilting Banshees, RAs, club & intramural sports, Habitat for Humanity, a capella groups, etc. With our success right now, I feel like it's all uphill from here. 

When spring rush had rolled around, many of us hadn't seen ourselves as perfect fits for a specific sorority-- we each embodied qualities that craved somewhere or something else. That "something else" became Theta. I know for me, personally, Theta had always been in the back of my mind since I heard about it last Fall. I had an inexplicable feeling that it would pay off.  It was an almost-too-huge leap, but aren't all the things that make life worth living are thrilling? I knew it was going to be hard, but it was going to be worth it. My friend always says, "I wanted to define a sorority, not have a sorority define me," and Theta has absolutely been that. It has given me girls I am proud to call my sorority sisters. It's given me a place to call home on this campus. It's given me some of my best friends. Theta inspires me to be the best version of myself.  Joining Theta has been one of the best decisions by far.