Today marks my first official visit as a CLC!

This summer flew by quickly with moving out of San Marcos, CLC training, and of course enjoying time with friends. Recently I have been reflecting on past leadership experiences of mine. My fondest memory was being a Freshman Council advisor for the Associated Student Government.

I went into the position without a clue of what I was doing. All I knew is that I wanted to impact the Freshmen Council members. This was the year I honed in on my leadership skills and witnessed a lot of self-growth. I wanted to be a role model for the 25 freshmen I advised and with that came self-awareness. I cleaned up my social media accounts, went to class every day, and even changed my wardrobe. I realized if I wanted to be effective with these students I couldn’t just talk the talk, but I had to walk the walk. This is the year I realized how important it was to lead by example. If I ever steered off path I had a co-advisor that was my “guardrail” to get me right back on it.

I feel like if you inject the Freshman Council advisor role with some steroids it becomes a CLC. This year instead of mentoring 25 freshmen it will be hundreds of collegians and instead of having just one person act as my “guardrail” I have 12 teammates. This thought excites me and scares me at the same time. It is exciting to know I have the possibility of positively impacting so many collegians. It scary to know there is a possibility of not impacting anyone. That last thought is what will push me throughout the year. I don’t want to be a CLC that just meets with officers and writes reports. I want to be the CLC that makes a difference, that empowers, and that will inspire.

I can’t even begin to describe how proud I am of the Freshmen Council members I advised. They have grown into leaders on campus and role models for their peers. There are even a handful of them that I personally look up to. I know after I visit these chapters I will be proud of the Gamma Phi Betas I meet and if I’m not then I’m doing something wrong.

This is year will be nothing less than a journey. I will lead by example of what I expect from the women I meet and with this will come continued self-awareness. I am excited for this growing experience and to discover what leadership skills I will find in myself throughout the year.

 

This is my first attempt at blogging, so bare with me. My goal for this blog is to reflect on my travels as a CLC. Every day will be a journey for me and I will be living out of my suitcase for the most part, thus the name 'Stories From My Suitcase'.
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I recently took a job that I never anticipated for myself. I am a Collegiate Leadership Consultant (CLC) for my beloved sorority, Gamma Phi Beta. One of the reasons I never imagined myself doing this was because I never considered myself a 'Greek' woman... well I didn't go Greek until my senior year of college. You can say I'm a late bloomer.

It's hard for me to describe how it feels to be so new to something that means so much to me. I joined Gamma Phi Beta because it was something different and its values, mission, and philanthropy were things I am already passionate about.

Now what made me crazy enough to apply for a prestigious position like CLC? There are a lot of different reasons, but the most significant being it put me outside my comfort zone. It was an adventure. I never in a million years thought I would land an interview, so you can imagine my excitement when I received the phone call telling me to pack my bags for interview weekend.

I went into the interview knowing I wasn't the most qualified in knowledge of Gamma Phi Beta policies and procedures; but I also knew I was up for the challenge. This job has the potential to send me all across the nation, meet thousands of collegians, visit several chapters, and all sorts of different experiences. The most attractive aspect of the job was the potential to inspire collegians and build relationships with sisters from all over the place.

I know this year is going to be chaotic, fast-paced, and overwhelming, but I also know this year will provide invaluable learning experiences and growth potential for me. I have an absolutely amazing team of 11 other CLCs to support me anytime I feel lost. I know we will all accomplish amazing things together and I am so grateful that they embrace my crazy and rambunctious personality. The amount of love and understanding we have towards one another is ridiculous, especially since we've only spent a week together during training thus far. Our journey begins together. Some of us will be traveling weekly, some not so much; but regardless of the miles that are between us the bond we share with one another will make it feel like we're always at home.

This is a journey that I will always remember and will always be significant to my life. This is my first job. This is where it all begins.