Let me start be telling you that I am originally from the Bowling Green, Ohio area, and three students from my high school decided to come here, including me. One of the other students is my boyfriend of four years, and the other is an old friend of mine (who recently actually became a sister through Alpha Xi Delta). That being said, I only knew two people when I arrived at ONU.
I struggle at making friends and meeting new people because I am generally extremely shy until I get to know you more. Well, I can't get to know someone if I never talk to anyone, so it was a major obstacle for me to overcome. As I discussed in the post linked above, I expected to be best friends with my roommate, but that didn't happen and I had to find another way to make friends.
I tried sorority recruitment, which worked out in my favor because I met 3 of my best friends that way. After that process, I gained about 50 people who were my sisters. There is a common misconception that joining a sorority means you are paying for friends, and there is a saying that goes with that where the sorority member says, "if that's true, I didn't pay nearly enough." I did not pay for my friends; I am paying for my T-shirts, socials, formals, housing, and dues for the National Fraternity. My sisters don't have to be my friends, and I'm not close with all of them, but the majority of my good friends have come from Alpha Xi.
I now have two 'daughters' and they bring me joy and I would never trade them for anything. These are two of the girls I met through recruitment and, even though there was a rough spot last year, they have been a constant part of my life.
Here's us at Spring Bid Day 2014!
My roommate this year is the last one who has been there from the beginning. I am so glad we have been able to get to know each other more over the past year. We have too much fun together, but I won't complain about that. Our room is usually full of dancing, singing and laughter.
Next up is my sorority Big. We might not have known each other much when we were matched up, but we are the same person. I couldn't be happier to be her Little and I hope to soon get a Little of my own to share the joy of the Flower Family! My Big is the most caring person I have ever met, and I hope to be like her to my own Little.
The final person I want to mention is my boyfriend. I'm apologizing in advance if I get sappy. I would not be the person I am today without the love and support of my boyfriend. We ended up both choosing Ohio Northern and we have grown together by being here. It is really important for both of us to have our own individual activities so we actually have to work a little to be together. We recently celebrated four years of being together and they have truly been the best four years of my life.
These five people have changed my life for the better, but they are not the only ones. I have more friends than I can write about in a post on this blog. No, they aren't all my closest, best friends, but they all have the ability to make me smile and laugh and be myself. I am so thankful for the people I have met and I believe these are the greatest people I will ever meet.
"Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for good." -- Lyrics from "For Good" from "Wicked"
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