My Leadership Experience with Gamma Phi

My senior year of high school I held a leadership position in all of the clubs and organizations I was a part of, so finding leadership opportunities in college was really important. Going through recruitment as a freshman, I really looked for an organization that would allow for me to pursue leadership roles that genuinely interested me. As I head into my senior year at Clemson and final year as a collegiate member of Gamma Phi, I have had so many different chances to pursue this passion. 

Once I realized that New Member Educator (aka Pledge Mom) was a position in the chapter I knew that it was something I was very interested in. I was elected to be Pledge Mom  starting in the second semester of my sophomore year and worked with the best group of 10 COB girls. It was definitely a stressful job, but so worth it to see all of them get initiated and continue to grow as Gamma Phis. Then in the fall I was entering my hardest semester of college and had 95 new members asking me questions about all sorts of things. I was constantly stressed and doing 10 million things at once, but it was so worth it because I knew that my job would directly impact each and every one of the new members. I really did feel like a mom; I gave rides, I became a therapist, I helped them make their spring schedules and I watched each of them find their place within the pledge class and the chapter. Because of these interactions, I fell in love with being pledge mom all over and remembered why I had wanted to be a leader within Gamma Phi. 

After such an eventful fall semester I decided that I could handle the pressure and demands of a larger position and decided to run for Executive Board as Education Vice President. I had had an inside look into what the EVP’s responsibilities were when I was New Member Ed. I have been EVP since last spring, and while it comes with its own set of challenges, it has been one of the best things I have done as a Gamma Phi. I get to be on exec with my bestie since bid day, Kelly, and I have grown so close to all of the other members of exec. We each bring something different to the table that allows us to do our job to the best of our ability. Jayme and her Google calendar make sure everyone knows what’s going on and when. Ashton’s passion pushes all of us to remember the bigger picture of our roles.  Audrey’s creativity allows all of us to deal with any curve balls that come our way. Gwyn steps up in stressful situations and gets the job done. Liv’s sass and sense of humor keep everyone laughing. Kelly’s ability to listen makes her the best person to vent to. And Erica’s support and guidance as our advisor keeps all of us sane. 

I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to hold a leadership position for the last two years because it has made my Gamma Phi experience all that I hoped it would be. I have been able to grow so much as a leader through all of the relationships, meetings and conventions I have attended. I was lucky enough to know exactly which roles I wanted to hold but there are so many different departments and committees within the chapter that anyone could find a leadership role for their interests. Serving as a leader has been an honor and something that I will remember forever. I’m so grateful for all of the support my sisters have given me, all of the chances Epsilon Theta offers and all of the memories I’ve been able to create as New Member Ed and EVP. 

- Sarah