Love Letter from a Sappy Senior

Dear new member EC,

I know you’re nervous, but hold my hand and walk with me.

You almost didn’t go through with it. Sophomore year, standing at the edge of something you couldn’t fully name yet, you were ready to walk away before Bid Day even arrived. The nerves were heavy, and that feeling of being out of place clung to you like a second skin. You kept telling yourself you didn’t belong here, but somehow, a quiet pull kept bringing you back—like a magnet, like you were meant to be here even if you couldn’t see it yet.

Then came the small moments that changed everything. Conversations with Fran on the gray couch Round 2 that started light—talking about five-year plans and future dreams—ended with tears streaming down your face as you opened up to Julie Besnard and Sam Fish about your dad, about things you never thought you’d say out loud in this space. In that moment, you realized you weren’t just sitting with strangers; you were breaking down walls you’d kept up for years.

And then, when the moment came, you didn’t run away—you ran home. You ran home with Meg Bannister, the girl from New England, the one you kind of knew through a friend of a friend, who gave you the nudge you needed to take the leap. You laughed as you crossed that line, but deep down, you knew you had just stepped into something much bigger than yourself.

It was that semester that you felt lost, searching for validation in any place you could find it, and when you longed to reach a place of raw authenticity — where you could finally feel unapologetically yourself, writing EC Unfiltered became your way back. What started as a simple creative outlet turned into so much more — it taught you how to drop the mask and live unfiltered. It connected you with a network of women who supported you as you shared some of your most vulnerable (and sometimes silly) thoughts. But more than anything, it sparked the comfortably uncomfortable moments that shaped who you became during college.

One of those moments was leaving your name on the slate. Sure of the woman you strived to be – a blend between Mia Marconi’s spunky authenticity and power to make everyone feel like a someone and Maddie Moore’s raw dedication to the people she loves and the mission she believes in – you decided that your mission was and always has been to serve. Stepping into the role of Treasurer did not come as an easy endeavor, but despite every moment of doubt and stressful number crunching session, you were met with the most empathetic and supportive team. Exec 2024 taught you how to lead with heart, listen with intention, and how to keep a lighthearted energy in all that you do. It gave you a front-row seat to the beauty of blended perspectives, because if recruitment taught you anything, it’s that a room full of greens and oranges would be nothing without their blues and golds. 

Sophomore EC, you’ll be able to fill a page with the unforgettable memories that Chi Omega has served a part in, and although leadership was such a pivotal part of your time here, nothing compares to the beautiful, mundane moments that made every ordinary day feel unforgettable. It won’t be getting a little (or a glittle), running a half marathon, or even Junior-year spring break that you will remember most. It will be frother’s dates with Tay to unpack our high school lore and giggle uncontrollably. It will be Dunkin 'runs with Coco (even though you don’t even like Dunkin) just so you could spend an extra 30 minutes chatting together, despite your busy schedules. It will be Saturday long runs with Sam, somehow never running out of things to talk about given the absurd amount of time you two spend together. It will be impromptu FSU workout classes with Fran, that later turn into pickleball games, because you’re determined to try one of every class before she graduates… disclaimer you never finished that goal, but it won’t matter because time spent with her was always your favorite.

On the theme of small things that proved to be far more substantial than they appeared, you will move into a 10x10 room in the old with two twin beds your Senior year. Every beautiful college memory will have Sam Fish in it, and there will be polaroids on your door to prove it. This girl will unexpectedly change your life for the better, become the second sister that you wished and prayed for, and remind you that life’s greatest gifts come quietly – usually in the form of inside jokes, tearful see-you-laters, and a heart that feels like home.

One last thing… If you’re lucky, the universe gives you one more gift before you leave — and for me, that was getting to do life, college, and Chi Omega with my little sister. Watching her walk through the same halls, make her own memories, and wear the same letters will feel like a full-circle moment you never knew you needed. There’s something really special about sharing your last college moments with the girl who’s shared most of life’s moments beforehand. Kat, thank you for letting me be part of your beginning. I am so happy invisible strings led us to be sisters in yet another chapter of our lives.

Now that I’m probably a sob fest, never forget how abundant your life is and how full your heart feels – you have these wonderful women to thank for that. Soak it all in. Every laugh, every late-night talk, every 'I love you' in passing. One day, you'll look back and realize these were the golden days — and you'll be so glad you held on tight and walked all the way through them.

Yours forever,

Senior EC