Celebrate Lifelong Gifts During this Giving Season

Council Connections – December 2016

By National Vice President Jennifer Kemmery Nowotnik, Delta (Indiana University of Pennsylvania)

For Alpha Sigma Tau Sisters, the gifts of Sorority are for a lifetime.

When I think back to my favorite early memories of being an Alpha Sigma Tau, I think of the unconditional acceptance and love that my Big Sister Lynn immediately extended to me. The connection that I made with Lynn was the foundation for my sense of belonging in Sorority. Our Big Sisters, our first Alpha Sigma Tau mentors, are often our greatest sorority gift; they provide support during the joys and adversities of early adulthood.

I also think back to our traditions at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Like every Alpha Sigma Tau chapter, we had our unique ways of celebrating. Traditions like “pomping” the Homecoming float, learning the dance steps for Greek Sing, and getting ready for sorority formals were filled with opportunities to make memories with Sisters. Through our collegiate years, we form special friendships with our Alpha Sigma Tau new member Sisters, Bigs and Littles, and roommates.

As alumnae, we realize that our Sisterhood truly extends beyond our collegiate chapter. When we have the opportunity to truly connect with an Alpha Sigma Tau from another chapter, we realize the limitlessness of the gift of our Sisterhood.

When we give Alpha Sigma Tau the gift of our time as a volunteer, we learn to collaborate for the advancement of our Sorority. Our opportunities to collaborate are often with Sisters whose professional careers are very different from our own. I have spent most of my professional life interacting with educators, but Alpha Sigma Tau has given me the opportunity to know how a chemical engineer, contract specialist, project director, and rehabilitation practitioner, to name a few, might approach a project or troubleshoot a challenging situation. Our Sorority provides unique opportunities to develop professionally in a safe space.

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the installations for our Alpha Psi and Epsilon Phi chapters at, respectively, the University of Northern Iowa and Winona State University in Minnesota. I wore my mother’s Alpha Sigma Tau badge, engraved with her initiation date and initials. Serving on the installation team with Alpha Sigma Tau collegiate and alumnae Sisters was another treasured memory. For our new Sisters at the Alpha Psi and Epsilon Phi chapters, the gifts of Sorority are just beginning, and it was a gift to be part of their earliest memories of our shared Sorority.

The gift of Alpha Sigma Tau Sisterhood provides friendships that span lifetimes. A yearly get-together with our Sisters and their families, a spontaneous group text, or a girls’ weekend allow us to re-connect with women who have supported and encouraged us our entire lives. In the spirit of sharing, reach out to an AΣT Sister who you haven’t talked to in a while, wish her a happy holiday, take a trip down memory lane, and invite her to get together or come to an alumnae event.

You can find contact info for many Sisters on AΣT Connect, the Sorority’s online portal for members.

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