In February, I attended my last Fraternity conference as a collegiate. Delta Sigma Pi has been/is/will be a huge part of my life. The keynote speaker had an interesting message– he created this movement called Dream, Think, Do and one of his main points dealt with permission.
As humans, we’re always looking for permission: permission to take time off, to chase a dream, to move onto a new stage of our lives.
Give yourself permission to open the door.
This conference was actually a big deal for me. I had been nominated by my Chapter (damn proud to be an Alpha Tau) as their Collegian of the Year. So not only did I win COY for our Chapter, but also for our region (Southeastern) and our Province (Southern). That put me in a pool of five students to be considered for the national COY position. I topped out at Provincial, but it was such an amazing honor to be selected. (You can read more about it here). The thing is, I would have never been able to make it so far if I hadn’t given myself permission to fully immerse myself at Mercer.
Here are some pictures from the weekend. I had a blast in Nashville with Iota Mu and Alpha Tau. Middle GA is where it’s at y’all.
Since coming to Mercer, I’ve helped create an organization that serves residential students (RHA) and went on to serve as its Director of Public Relations (2013-2015) and President (2015-2016). I’ve changed majors (multiple times) and found something I’ve loved in terms of my Business Fraternity –finding opportunities to give back by serving as VP of Professional Activities (2014), VP of Chapter Operations (2014-2015), and President (2015-2016). I’ve held internships with the Macon Arts Alliance (which really taught me how to work independently and set goals for myself) and GEICO (which reaffirmed the importance of working in teams and helping everyone succeed). I’ve worked in the University Center, as an assistant video-coordinator for Mercer Football, and as a student ambassador for GEICO. I’ve had work published in the Dulcimer, the Cluster, the Telegraph. I’ve presented research at our undergraduate research conference (BEAR day) three out of four years that I’ve had the opportunity to do so. I’ve worked with anti-sex-trafficking groups around Macon to bring awareness to the issue and transform lives. I’ve helped bring Relay for Life back to Mercer. And it’s all about to come to an end.
During the last four years, I’ve found myself asking for permission. I needed affirmation that it was okay to start a relationship at college (I had previously planned to avoid dating for as long as possible to focus on school). I felt like I needed permission to continue involvement in these programs that took up so much of my time. I needed permission to make friends, to try new things, to get involved.
And somewhere along the way, it all clicked. I could give myself that permission. And so I did. I’m not perfect. Sometimes I miss meetings and I’m sick 85% of the time. But I know that I’ve had my perfect college experience. I made some of the best friends that I’ve ever had. I met my future husband. I’ve created lasting relationships with professors and mentors that I know I can count on.
Give yourself permission to open the door.
Leslie Anne Brooks 