When I went through formal recruitment at the University of Alabama as an 18-year-old bright-eyed, bushy-tailed girl from the Midwest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. What I did know was that I desired a community of women who supported me and my dreams and a place where I could do the same for others. At the end of recruitment, Delta Omicron Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta welcomed me with open arms. The Thetas provided me with a space that allowed me to flourish. It has been nearly three years since I joined this sisterhood, but it feels like I’ve known everyone who calls Theta home for a lifetime.
As the writing intern, I was afforded the same, if not better, experience. Throughout my time, I have conducted story research, interviews, written my own stories, helped create social media captions, and contributed to the Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine. When I was a young girl, I dreamed of working for a magazine. At that time, I wanted to be like Anna Wintour and the fictional Miranda Priestly, working for a fashion magazine. While writing for Theta is vastly different from the competitive nature of Vogue, it has been the best fit for me and made me more confident in my career aspirations.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved two things: fashion and journalism. When I wasn’t watching red carpet dress reviews of glittering ball gowns on Fashion Police, I was watching NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir. Oprah and Katie Couric were my female role models, and there wasn’t a day I can remember when I wasn’t glued to the TV watching them. Captivated by the stories of people halfway across the world, I discovered what I wanted to do with my life: be a storyteller.
Some of the stories I’ve been able to write have been about Thetas who went on to serve as CASA volunteers and Thetas in exciting leadership positions. When I went through recruitment a few years ago, I was automatically drawn to Theta because of its philanthropy. When I was just eight years old, I created a service program to help families in poverty and shine a light on necessities that many of us often take for granted. As the daughter of a former public educator, my mother shared with me her experiences working with CASAs and their dedication to the children they serve. These two aspects of my life drew me to Theta from the beginning. Being able to shine a light on National CASA/GAL and getting to know volunteers on a personal basis has been a very rewarding experience.
Outside of writing articles, I was given the opportunity to help with social media captioning for the soon-to-be reestablished Theta chapters at the University of South Carolina (Zeta Kappa Chapter) and the University of Michigan (Eta Chapter). Despite growing up in an age heavily defined by social media, I didn’t have much experience with social media from a professional stance. Working on social media content for these chapters was so much fun and gave me a greater appreciation for the responsibilities that my online media directors at Alabama take on.
Above all, my favorite experience has been working with an exceptional team of women. As a remote employee, I had my hesitations. I was concerned about being able to connect with my team in the same way as other people. However, all those concerns were alleviated the moment I interviewed back in February. From the jump, I felt such a welcoming presence, even through my computer screen. My team, or as I think of them, my friends in the marketing and communications department welcomed me with open arms, just as my Delta Omicron sisters did for me.
Now that my internship has come to an end, I look back on my experience with nothing but gratitude. And with this, I’m thrilled to continue my Theta staff journey, transitioning to the role of content specialist in July!
Because of this internship, I have grown not only as a writer, but also as a Theta woman. Writing is a practice that has the distinct power of bringing people together, whether through poetry, prose, or breaking news. We can often see ourselves in the people we read about or the tone of the favorite pieces we choose to revisit again and again. As I write this, over a decade after deciding to pursue a career in journalism, many things in my life have changed, but my passion for connecting with people has never wavered.