I began my college career in masks, six feet apart from others, and actively quarantining due to the COVID-19 epidemic. My freshman year college campus was very limiting as far as personal interactions because of the virus. While I was lucky enough to attend in-person classes during COVID-19, I was very fortunate to be a member of the women’s lacrosse team and had the ability to bond with my teammates. The campus re-opened fully during my sophomore year and in the spring semester, one of my teammates was interested in Alpha Sigma Alpha. I had always seen members proudly wearing their stitch letters and actively participating on campus but was a touch apprehensive of the additional time commitments a sorority would require. An alumna of my chapter had recently graduated and in addition to serving as collegiate president for the chapter she also was a captain of the women’s lacrosse team. She reached out to me and asked if I was interested in joining and I realized, if she could balance her time towards the lacrosse team and Alpha Sigma Alpha, then so could I. I decided it was a good time to try something new. My teammate and I began recruitment together, accepted our bids and became new members. I accepted my bid because of the core values Alpha Sigma Alpha instills into its’ members. When asked, “Which core value speaks to you the most and who embodies that core value?” Integrity elicited emotions pertaining to my mother and other successful women in my life and I knew right away Alpha Sigma Alpha truly was the place to be.

While being an active member in my sorority, I have been fortunate to learn and engage with others outside of lacrosse. I have not only continuously strengthened bonds with my teammates, but I have also been fortunate enough to do the same with my sisters and the broader university community through our events, recruitment and charitable activities. By forming these connections and constantly learning from so many of my peers, I have gained experience and life lessons that I will carry with me in my life and career.

Due to my commitments to the lacrosse team, my sisters have always been understanding of my schedule, classes, and even support my teammates and me at our home games. It is so special to see my sorority sisters bring hand-clappers to games and proudly cheer us on. My sisters have always congratulated the performance of my team as we fight to win the conference tournament each year. In addition to my sisters, my teammates have always understood the boundaries and commitments of what it means to be a woman within a sorority. They complement the work that the Theta Chi chapter does on campus and are open to the fact that some of us want to be a part of a sorority. It is so special having two groups of people consistently support all areas of your life no matter where you are. I am forever grateful to my teammates and sisters who want to see my success whether it be on or off the field.

As a student athlete, balancing time commitments to my team and my sorority can be a challenge. I am fortunate enough that there are methods and resources to navigate the duties of my lacrosse team and my sorority. Time management is critical, and I use Google calendars for all my classes, practices, games, film/scout and sorority events. From there, I track any sorority events I cannot attend and communicate that back to our Accountability Director. During the spring when we are in season, I will quickly switch from lacrosse player to AΣA sister after practice to attend events and activities with my sisters. Besides scheduled events, I try to help my sisters when and where I can. When they need aid for tasks, event-planning, setting up and breaking down and more, I am always willing to lend a helping hand and communicate to my sisters when I am not available. Besides managing my involvement in sorority activities, I am constantly using my available time to achieve academic success. Whether on the bus to an away game, at my desk or in the library, I manage my time to accomplish tasks and goals while taking full advantage of the university resources provided to aid in my success.

Colleges and universities offer a multitude of opportunities to help students find their place on campus. I am very fortunate to be an NCAA student athlete while also engaging in activities such as sorority life. I have made so many connections as an athlete and a member of Greek life across multiple campuses and across the nation. As a student athlete and sister of Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority, I have been able to learn effective time management and work/life balancing which are great skills for me now and in the future.