I have never written anything like this before but let me start by introducing myself. My name is Sophia Clarke. I graduated from UK in December 2020 with a degree in Integrated Strategic Communications and International Studies. Through quarantine, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my time at UK as it approaches an abrupt end. UK shaped me into the person I always wanted to be. But, one thing made my time here so special, and it was the exact place that I never expected to end up.

Throughout my teenage years, I went above and beyond to seperate myself from the crowd and be “different”. As I got older, I realized that I was trying so hard to stand out because I really never felt like I completely fit in. In high school, I was what many might call a “floater”. I hung out with the super smart kids, the artsy kids, the sporty kids, really anyone who I felt like I related to at the time. Anyone who knows me knows that I can talk to a brick-wall but it was always extremely complicated for me to make deep connections with friends. 

As high school graduation approached and I decided on UK, my mom continuously brought up Panhellenic recruitment. You see, my mom was the queen of greek life in her day. She has always been my polar opposite. She is put-together and girly and driven. She’s always the star of every room while remaining humble and kind. I always saw myself as the black sheep in her shadow. I will never forget looking at her in our kitchen one day and saying, “If I am going to UK, I will not be in a sorority there.” I felt like I knew enough about the university to not need an organization. To be frank, I was the girl who saw sororities as “paying for your friends” and I wanted nothing to do with it. 

Fast forward to move-in and sure enough, momma got her way. There I sat meeting my Gamma Chi group on the 5th floor of Blazer Hall with my three roommates. If you asked me then, I probably would have told you that I was just doing it to make my mom happy. Looking back now, I know I was just desperately looking for somewhere to fit in. 

I will spare you the details of recruitment. But, I knew as soon as I stepped foot in ADPi that there was something special there and my entire perspective shifted. I never really looked back. I found myself praying as hard as I could during recruitment week that God would just keep bringing me back to 476 Rose Street. The girls in ADPi were everything that I wanted to be. I am so blessed that he heard my prayers. 

There is a video somewhere from my Bid Day of me screaming until my face was purple when I saw the words “Alpha Delta Pi” through the envelope of my Bid Card. I was the first one on the lawn after hitting a dead sprint from Memorial Coliseum.

I quickly went from hating the entire idea of a sorority to being one of ADPi’s biggest cheerleaders. My favorite memory of ADPi might be Greek Sing this past year. Somehow, Sarah Hunter (AC ‘17) convinced me to dress up as Liz the Lizard from the Magic School Bus. I can tell you now, I would never get on a stage in front of a packed coliseum in a green morph suit and bust a move unless I absolutely adored the people that I was doing it for. We were announced Grand Champions and I ran outside with my sisters in excitement. I somehow forgot that it was the beginning of February and Kentucky had been slammed by a snowstorm earlier that week. I hit a patch of ice and went flying down a flight of outdoor steps DRESSED AS A LIZARD. I ended up fracturing my tailbone but all of my sisters helped me up and we continued to celebrate. For the next three weeks, a sister always helped me carry my backpack to class until my tailbone was healed. 

I won’t lie, the past three and a half years has been anything but sunshine and rainbows. Life still happens and I have experienced plenty of loss, pain, and defeat. Honestly, I’ve experienced more hard times in college than at any other point in my life. The difference now, is that I can genuinely say I have never once felt alone. I have gone into everything knowing that I have an army of the strongest women behind me. What a blessing?!

Kirsten Richards (AC16) and Kassie Miller (AC15) told a group of us freshman something back in 2018 that sums it up perfectly; 

“You are in ADPi because we see something in each of you that we wanted desperately in this sisterhood.” 

 At that moment, I understood completely that I had not found a seat that I happened to fit in Alpha Delta Pi. But rather, they wanted to make a place specifically for me because they wanted me for who I was. In three years I have seen this to be completely true. When one sister graduates, the chapter never tries to replace that girl because we know that none of our sisters are replaceable. Instead, we are encouraged to look at everyone who walks through our doors as an individual with a completely unique perspective on life. Every single year, I made a new best friend, and our giant friend group grew more and more after every Bid Day. Even if ADPi is not your home, you can always find a true friend and a laugh in this group of girls. That is the most special thing I believe I have ever been given. 

So to the girls who don’t know if this is right for you, I see you, take the leap of faith. To Alpha Delta Pi, you have my heart forever.