A Leap of Faith

With spring recruitment coming up, I can’t help but think about how blessed I have been over this past year of being in Alpha Delta Pi. As a girl who came to college terrified and overwhelmed, recruitment was not something I thought I could add to my plate. I think back to that scared girl who just moved into her dorm with random roommates, and I feel blessed to see my growth.

When I first moved in, I watched all my roommates go through fall recruitment and part of me felt like I was missing out. But I told myself there was absolutely no way I could have done that. I had just moved away from my family, I was going into a competitive field with difficult classes, and I was definitely not the outgoing type. After I had convinced myself of all these things, I felt like I had sort of come to terms with not going through recruitment. 

The first months of settling in were hard for me. However, at this time, I had met some friends to help me out. My freshman year roommates were one of my biggest blessings. One in particular, Peighton Hart, was, and still is, my biggest supporter. If I was having a hard day, there was no doubt she would be there to lift my spirits.. She was the one who put it in my mind that I could absolutely do recruitment if I wanted to. I had started to hang around her and her new friends. I saw the way they were with each other. Although these girls did not know each other at all a few months prior, it was like they had known each other their whole lives.

So after much thought, I decided to try out spring recruitment. I wanted so badly to feel that kind of friendship and sisterhood. I knew that if I did not at least try, I would regret it for the rest of my life. I would always think about the “what if’s” and “what could’ve been.” I went into with a whatever happens, happens kind of attitude. Spring recruitment is hard, that is no lie. You have just a few events then it is time for bid day. It feels like a very quick process. I remember spending all my time after any event thinking about how on Earth anyone would even remember my name in this crowd full of girls. This whole process was way out of my comfort zone. But that was what I needed. I needed to push myself and really put myself out there and that is exactly what spring recruitment allowed me to do.

After what felt like an insanely long time, bid day had arrived. Phone calls were being given starting at 8 AM. I had no idea what to expect. When my phone rang at 8 on the dot, it felt like my heart stopped, no lie. I received a call from two of the most amazing people, Megan Wright and Emilee Robinson. It sounds cliche, but since that day, my life has not been the same. God has blessed me in ways I never imagined. Spring recruitment and Alpha Delta Pi have changed my life and given me girls I never knew I needed. These are my future bridesmaids, the aunts to my future kids, the girls I want to be old and wrinkly with! So my advice for spring recruitment is just do it! It won’t hurt you to try to go out of your comfort zone. I am so glad I did. I am forever in debt to ADPi and Spring recruitment.  

Love, Cami Gay (AC ‘24)