I joined the Theta Nu chapter of Kappa Delta at Purdue as a freshman. As an out-of-state college student, it became clear to me very quickly that many collegians on my campus came to school with their friends from high school. Since I didn’t have my friends from home with me, I thought going through sorority recruitment would be a great way to meet new people and embrace the college experience. At the time, I did not know much about what being a sorority member entailed. I truly had no idea what was coming my way and how serving on my chapter’s council would change my life.

I was elected to the position of vice president-membership at the beginning of the second semester of my freshman year. I had only just experienced recruitment as a potential new member the previous semester, and I was terrified to take on this important role. I had no idea how to effectively run recruitment and didn’t feel qualified to lead. The last thing I wanted was to let my sisters down. Still, I knew in my heart that I was passionate about sorority membership.

As we began to prepare for recruitment, my Kappa Delta sisters were there for me every step of the way. They saw in me what I had yet to see in myself. They instilled confidence in me and gave me the tools I needed to succeed. It’s because of their love and support that I was able to lead a successful Spirit Week and primary recruitment this past year. I learned so much about what it truly means to be an effective and trusted leader and how to ask for and accept help from others. I am eternally grateful my sisters chose me for the position and believed in me, even when I doubted myself.

I am now in my second term as VP-membership. As we approach recruitment during a global pandemic, a lot of the logistics for executing recruitment have changed. However, because of my Kappa Delta sisters, I am confident that I’m ready to face the new challenges ahead.

Being on council has not only given me invaluable leadership experiences, but it has also shaped my career path. Throughout both of my terms, I have been very fortunate to meet and work with multiple Kappa Delta leadership development consultants. Upon entering college, I never considered pursuing a career in consulting, but after seeing the impact these women had not only on my chapter but on chapters across the country, I decided to look into a consulting career. After plenty of research and deliberation, I ended up changing my major to organizational leadership with a minor in human resources management. I am now pursuing a career in human capital consulting, and I can confidently say that I’ve found something that I’m excited to pursue. Without my previous experience as VP-membership, I don’t know that I would have discovered this path.

If you were to meet first-day-of-college Lindsay and compare her to the Lindsay I am today, you probably would have a hard time recognizing me. Throughout my college experience, I have learned and grown exponentially, and I attribute a lot of that growth to my time on our chapter’s council. Over the past two years, my life has been shaped and changed for the better thanks to the amazing women in our sisterhood. Being a Kappa Delta has not only inspired me to be a better version of myself but empowered me to do so.

Lindsay Drake

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