Sushi and Sisterhood: The Kindred Spirits of Melissa Chavez and Meilyng Gonzalez-Adams

Like many new college graduates, alumnae Melissa Chavez, Epsilon Omicron, and Meilyng Gonzalez-Adams, Gamma Theta, shared the common experience of moving to a new, unfamiliar city.

“I moved to the Atlanta area for my job in September 2014,” recalls Melissa. “It was a difficult transition, to say the least. I didn’t know anyone, or even where to start. I was on my own and alone. I was sad all the time.” To help build connections in her new community, she volunteered as an Assistant Chapter Advisor for the Delta Pi Chapter at nearby Oglethorpe University. But her new job soon overwhelmed the time she was able to dedicate.

Then, the following spring, Melissa got a call from another Alpha Sigma Tau she knew, Justina Solties. “She told me about a Sister from another chapter who was also moving to Atlanta for work, and thought we should connect,” Melissa says, recalling the first time she heard about Meilyng. “Like me, she didn’t know anyone here. I had always wished that I had someone to take me under their wing. I remember thinking, oh my gosh, if I could do that for someone, that would be wonderful!”

They met for sushi and connected instantly. “We knew right away that we were kindred spirits,” says Meilyng. “We had a lot in common – we were both RAs in college, we both liked sushi, and, most importantly, we both loved being Alpha Sigma Taus. She took me under her wing and introduced me to lots of new people. But the best new friend was her.”

“We knew right away that, as Alpha Sigma Taus, we shared the same values,” Melissa continues. “Although we may approach how we live those values differently, we still have that in common. We complement each other. There’s no judgement. That’s what AΣT has always been for me, and now it was that way between Meilyng and I.”

“We felt the bond instantly,” concurs Meilyng. “We could relate.”

Soon, an opportunity to put their new friendship into practice emerged in the form of the Epsilon Upsilon Colony at Dalton State College in Georgia. Alpha Sigma Tau’s newest chapter-to-be needed alumnae leadership, and Melissa and Meilyng jumped at the chance. Both had served on Chapter Advisory Boards before, and were eager to put that experience to use again. “We were both busy,” Meilyng recalls. “But we each said ‘I’ll do it if you do it.’ We are a good team and we could support each other. And we could carpool!”

Now Epsilon Upsilon is on their way to Installation as a full-blown chapter, and Melissa and Meilyng have adjusted together to life in Atlanta.

“If it wasn’t for Alpha Sigma Tau, I wouldn’t have a strong support system like I have with Meilyng,” says Melissa. “Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to get through the ‘ups and downs’ in Atlanta. I never expected Alpha Sigma Tau to change my life after college, especially by connecting me with Meilyng, but it has. We’re much more than friends for today. We’ll be close for the rest of our lives.”

“When you join Alpha Sigma Tau in college, you know it’s for life,” agrees Meilyng. “But in college, your life is your chapter. But I’m as close with Melissa as any of my Chapter Sisters. When I have good news, she’s the first person outside of my family that I tell. I love her like she was one of my Chapter Sisters.”

And that’s a big part of what being an Alpha Sigma Tau is all about.