Although I left my sorority's international headquarters on May 10, my last duty as a Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi just ended in Dallas this weekend, as the other consultants and I worked at the biannual Grand Convention.
This year was a whirlwind to say the least. For anyone who isn't Greek—or even those of you who are Greek but never experienced a consultant visit—this job probably sounds ridiculous. Some of us affectionately call ourselves "professional sorority girls," but really we serve many purposes: event planners, conversation experts, recruitment gurus, confidants, handywomen, and—of course—leadership consultants. No matter the specific purpose of our visit, we always met with the collegiate sorority officers to provide suggestions, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the chapter, and develop detailed reports and chapter goals to help the organization continue to improve.
I already shared several of the things I learned during my first semester of this position, and now I'd like to share a few more:
I learned to work with women who were my age or only a few years younger as their "superior."
I learned how to work with women who were significantly older than me, also as their "superior."
I learned how to make a first impression ... with 82 different women ... once a week ... for 10 weeks in a row.
I learned to celebrate high points with women I'd only known for a week, and console women at their emotional low points when I'd only known them for a week.
I learned how to come up with an hour-long workshop with five minutes notice ... before I'd even had my morning coffee.
I learned how to function on two hours of sleep a night ... for five days straight.
I learned Alpha Delta Pi can mean many things to many people, but it all boils down to one thing in the end: opportunity.
And now, I'll leave you with a few of my favorite pictures from our last day at the office back in May:
It's not goodbye, just see you later!
