I knew two things going into my freshman year at UK – that I was going to go through recruitment, and that I wanted to be involved in DanceBlue. Little did I know, the second I walked into the doors of ADPi would be the start of reaching both of those goals. As I entered the house for the first time, I was greeted by a senior named Kirsten Richards. She took me upstairs and we immediately hit it off. After the initial introductions, Kirsten asked me why I chose UK. I started talking about the nursing program and DanceBlue, and how they drew me to this university. Kir’s eyes lit up, and she started telling me about how she was the Family Relations Chair for DanceBlue that year. She told me stories of working in the clinic, getting to plan events, and working directly with the clinic staff that DanceBlue finances. I remember so specifically how she talked about the encouragement that she had felt from ADPi as she chased that dream, and how they were her support system through it all. That conversation alone sold me on both DanceBlue and Alpha Delta Pi.

            Fast forward a few months and I am the team captain for the Polished Diamonds, the freshman ADPi team, and we are all standing on the floor of the 2020 Marathon. I had the best and most challenging time of my life in those 24 hours. I danced, sang, played games, ran relays, cheered on the kiddos, and ate a TON of snacks. It is a memory I will cherish forever, and so much of that value comes from doing it with my ADPi sisters right next to me. They were my people to lean on (physically and emotionally), my buddies in all of the events, and my snack providers. I relied on my fellow dancers and looked up to the sisters who were serving on committee that year. I remember Katie Ellis teaching us the line dance, and Carson Pemberton showing us how to roll our feet out with tennis balls. Tess and Shelby were constantly reminding us of why we were there, and Millie gave us the chance to meet some of the kids who we were dancing for. That marathon, as so many of my other defining moments in college, was more significant because I had my support system and my role models with me. At the very end of the event, I remember Kirsten standing on stage as families talked about the lives saved, staff funded, and indescribable impact of the DanceBlue organization. I texted her “I want to be you when I grow up” as I walked into my dorm that night. Little did I know how serious that declaration was. 

            I was lucky enough to be accepted as a Family Relations committee member that next year, and served the kiddos during the height of COVID via Zoom calls, pen pal letters, and online Bingo. The next year I was selected to be the In-Patient Activities Coordinator, and this year I have the honor of serving as the Family Relations Chair. In this role I facilitate all programming with the clinic families and staff, and volunteer in the clinic weekly. I get to play games and do crafts with the strongest kiddos in the world, and I genuinely love every minute of it. I could never put into words what DanceBlue means to me, at least not in a way that does it any real justice. It is joy, healing, inspiration, love, humanity, and happy all wrapped up in the most magical package. It has been the highlight of my college experience, and I can honestly say it probably would have never happened without the ADPi’s who showed me the way. The women of Alpha Delta Pi were my top fundraisers, interview preparers, biggest cheerleaders, application readers, and sounding boards for all of my ideas. Women like Kirsten empowered me to reach for that dream, and I will forever be thankful for that. If I had to point to the top two best decisions I’ve ever made in my life, it would be joining ADPi and getting involved in DanceBlue.