How Theta has helped me grow as a Leading Woman
By Emma Sparks, sophomore
I am an introvert. While it may seem like I’m stating this fact so that you can get a better picture of who I am, I’m actually declaring to the world: I am an introvert! And I am proud! It hasn’t always been easy for me to admit this fact and it’s definitely not something I’ve declared to the world before. I used to hate being introverted. In fact, I used to convince myself that I was unable to do certain things because I was an introvert. In high school, I was in love with singing and was fascinated by theatre. But I told myself that because I’m an introvert (and my face would, without a doubt, turn bright tomatoey red during every performance) I could only take on small roles or just watch in awe from the audience. Throughout grades K-12 and even during my freshman year of college, I believed that my introverted nature was a disease that crippled me in any and all social situations. This completely changed when I became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta last fall. After the first few weeks of being in Theta passed and the excitement about all of the newness died down a bit, I felt anxious. I remember looking around the room before each chapter, seeing the shining faces of my new sisters, and noticing all that they were doing inside and outside of the house. I often thought to myself, “how in the world would I fit in here with all of these inspiring leading women?” I slowly convinced myself that I would just lay low and enjoy all of the events and wonderful women as a quiet bystander.
I am an introvert. While it may seem like I’m stating this fact so that you can get a better picture of who I am, I’m actually declaring to the world: I am an introvert! And I am proud! It hasn’t always been easy for me to admit this fact and it’s definitely not something I’ve declared to the world before. I used to hate being introverted. In fact, I used to convince myself that I was unable to do certain things because I was an introvert. In high school, I was in love with singing and was fascinated by theatre. But I told myself that because I’m an introvert (and my face would, without a doubt, turn bright tomatoey red during every performance) I could only take on small roles or just watch in awe from the audience. Throughout grades K-12 and even during my freshman year of college, I believed that my introverted nature was a disease that crippled me in any and all social situations. This completely changed when I became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta last fall. After the first few weeks of being in Theta passed and the excitement about all of the newness died down a bit, I felt anxious. I remember looking around the room before each chapter, seeing the shining faces of my new sisters, and noticing all that they were doing inside and outside of the house. I often thought to myself, “how in the world would I fit in here with all of these inspiring leading women?” I slowly convinced myself that I would just lay low and enjoy all of the events and wonderful women as a quiet bystander.
Then came fall retreat. During one of our bonding activities a sister told me that even though I was quiet, I was a leader. She said that I brought people together and I made them feel comfortable and loved. I cannot begin to express how much those words meant to me. It was like a fire was ignited in my introverted heart and all of a sudden I didn’t care about my tomatoey red face. I wanted to participate. I wanted to try new things inside and outside of the chapter. And so I did. Since that moment, I have done things that my high school self never dreamed of doing and my sisters have been beside me every step of the way, cheering me on and encouraging me to adventure even farther outside of my comfort zone. I’ve tried out for solos, performed in front of large crowds (once as Aaron Carter, even!), interviewed for leadership positions... the list goes on and on. Even being able to sit with a group of sisters and tell them a dorky pun without fear of them judging the red face that comes along with it is uplifting and exciting! Being a sister in Kappa Alpha Theta has taught me that introversion is not something to be ashamed of and it doesn’t mean that I can’t be a leading woman. I have made so much progress in the past year and each day I feel more and more me. While I know that I did this work on my own, it’s clear that Theta has pushed me along on this path; I will forever be grateful for those well-intentioned nudges.
And so again I declare to the world: Here I am! I am an introvert and I am proud!
And so again I declare to the world: Here I am! I am an introvert and I am proud!