| EyesOnThePrize |
08-17-2007 03:19 PM |
Long and similar to other stories, but it's mine
:DI love this topic!! Mostly because I never get enough of telling this story (and if anyone that knows me personally esp. my line sisters is reading just skip on through this – you already know). I only talk about it so much because I truly LOVE Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and all that she has meant to my life since the first day I became aware of her.
When I was about 8 years old we were visiting relatives in my mother’s hometown in Alabama. One of my older cousins was home for the summer visiting from college (U of A Huntsville). I went into her room (I was always glued to her hip b/c I admired her so much) and it was a sea of pink and green. On one of her walls (literally the size of the wall) was the poem “And God Said” (my favorite AKA poem because I strive to epitomize the words therein). I asked her what “all of this stuff” was. She laughed at me and enthusiastically told me a bit about the history of our illustrious sisterhood. I remember this b/c I was (am) a dork and a huge history buff so I latched on to January 15, 1908, the names of our founders etc. Anyway my cousin, who I later learned was a charter member of her school’s chapter, told me to watch the women in my life and sort of gravitate towards those that possess the characteristics, morals and high standards that she knew women in my family possess (as a general rule in life, not just in seeking to be a member of an org. – less drama) b/c that’s what she had done and 95% of those women were members of AKA.
I remembered that growing up. My favorite math teacher in elementary school (Mrs. Miller) is a soror. My 9th grade English teacher – Mrs. Brantley Jackson (a woman who selected me to be her mentee {might not be a word} and cultivated my growing passion for literature and writing) was an AKA. My 11th and 12th grade English teachers – two of the classiest, strongest, most eloquent women I have ever met (and graciously allowed me to be their teachers’ pet) were women of Alllpha Kappa Alllpha Sorority Inc. One of these women, Lisa Phillips, pulled me to the side before graduation and told me two things: do your research and make a wise, well informed decision AND let my actions speak for me (discretion, discretion, discretion).
I learned a valuable lesson in college though. My journey into this sisterhood was not an easy one (details of which don’t need to be discussed here). Due to issues at my university as well as things going on in my personal life (including the deaths of 4 people that were near and dear to me within a year and a half period) I never had the opportunity to become a member during undergrad. But, as my name suggests, I kept my eyes on my goal. I supported community service projects with and without AKA (Greek and non-Greek). Post-graduation I moved across the country and had NO connections to local members but I made myself KNOWN due to my dedication to community service and high scholastic, moral and ethical standards (you never know who is watching you and where). I didn’t have to tell anyone that this is what I stand for. I live my life this way and it is more than evident. And it paid off. Not when and how I thought it would but in a good way nonetheless. June 3, 2007 I became a member of an organization that for at least 20 years I had HOPED I could be so fortunate to call my own.
SKEEE WEEEE!
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