Here in the Gamma Iota chapter of Alpha Delta Pi, we are extremely blessed to have several pairs of sisters whose rare relationships are strengthened by experiencing this sisterhood together. In this blog, a few of our sisters sweetly recount how much this sorority means to them because they have the opportunity to share it:
Hailee Hathcock AC ’15
If you would have asked me last May if college could get any better, I would have said no, my first few years here at UF were the best. I was wrong. It got so much better. On August 26, 2018, I cried my eyes out on our front lawn as my baby sister ran home to the little white and blue house on the corner. My college life changed. I thought that school and Gamma Iota were my thing, my space, something I wanted exclusively for myself. Again, I was so wrong. Sharing this life, this sisterhood, and all these moments with Hope have been the biggest blessing of my senior year. From the second she ran into my arms on bid day, until today, five days before I graduate, she has been a constant source of friendship, love, support, and reliability. We have shared countless movie nights on my couch, meals in and out of ADPi, gamedays, adventures, memories, and more. Sometimes, the best part of my day is walking into the house and seeing her just sitting on the couch or in the dining room. I’ll miss that most next year and can’t believe our time together has already come to an end. My blood sister and sorority sister for life.
Hope Hathcock AC ’18
If you would have told me five years ago that I end up attending not only the same university as my sister but also that I am in the same sorority as her, I most likely would have laughed incredulously, yet here I am. Hailee has always been one of the people in the world who have known me best, but I was so caught up in my own friends and activities in high school that it was not until we became sisters by choice that I realized that she is not just my sister by blood: She is my best friend. Alpha Delta Pi gave me two of my most beloved memories of us just within the first few days of becoming an alpha. I will never forget the nonstop flow of tears that slid down our faces throughout the entirety of the Preferential Round of recruitment, for I was too busy crying to even eat my cupcake. Likewise, the moment I ran home on Bid Day into my sister’s arms is forever emblazoned in my mind. Undoubtedly, ADPi has brought us closer together than we ever have been before, something I did not know was possible. It provided us the common ground to always have something to talk about, which dress we were going to wear to formal, what the meal for the day was (tomato soup and grilled cheese please), how much we loved the new T-shirts, who was her super awesome Senior Week buddy who kept surprising her with all of her favorite things (it was me, duh). I could go on and on about how I have seen how the girls in this sorority have transformed her into an even more strong and motivated woman than she already was. Ultimately, I feel extremely blessed to share a bond with my older sister that is bound by blood but tightened by tradition, and I have Alpha Delta Pi to thank for that.
Madison Steadman AC ’16
Being in Alpha Delta Pi, I gained hundreds of sisters instantly. Each one with their own unique talents, weird humor, and stunning personalities. To say I felt at home was an understatement. I was just smitten. But I felt a small hole that stayed in my heart for two years. Then my little sister was accepted to the University of Florida! Shelby, my little light, was going to be on my campus. I remember telling all of my sisters about Shelby and how she was just like me but better. Everything I lack, Shelby excels in. She makes friends with strangers. She loves with every piece of her heart. She will tell you the most random chemistry puns and send you marvel memes. Her sarcastic humor and old soul is so easy to fall in love with. My friends loved her since day one. Recruitment brought out every emotion in me. I panicked, laughed, cried and smiled more than ever seeing her run on to ADPi’s lawn on Bid Day. Shelby, you brought the sweetest energy to this sorority this year. I could not be more proud to be your big sister. I am scared to graduate and move on, but I know you are surrounded with so many sisters who love you. You are well beyond your years, and I am so proud of the person you have become. I pray you grow and live life to its fullest.
Shelby Steadman AC ’18
My sister has always been my best friend. We are two years apart in age and never got into fights or annoyed with each other, unless it was for stealing each other’s clothes, and we have always been able to confide in each other. When I got accepted into the University of Florida, I was excited that I would be at school with my sister for two years before she went into the “real world.” Being in Alpha Delta Pi with my sister has been my favorite part of college so far. As a freshman, it is hard to know your place in a big campus where you know so few people, and she was a huge comfort in this big step in my life. When I was going through the recruitment process, I missed talking to her every day. I was used to talking to her and seeing her every day, and it was hard not being with her even for a week, especially during a process that so significantly impacted my future. When I was at ADPi for my Preferential Round, my sister is the one who spoke to me. As soon as she called my name and we walked in the front door of ADPi, we both started crying so hard we couldn’t get a word out for several minutes. That was when I knew that Alpha Delta Pi was my home – because my sister is my home.
Megan Wetzel AC ’15
People always ask me what it is like to be in the same chapter as my own sister. When I respond, I usually say “oh it is really fun” or “I think it’s made us closer.” However, I think being in Alpha Delta Pi together is so much more than having fun or getting closer. I was there in her first moments of experiencing ADPi, surprising her on Preferential Round during recruitment and welcoming her home on Bid Day. In those moments, we started something so unique that not many siblings get to experience. We added another dimension to our relationship, which is a bond in sorority sisterhood that is filled with special traditions and experiences. Through this, we were able to share so many exciting memories together, like game days, socials, and date functions. We got to laugh and cry under the same roof in the little blue and white house on the corner. We got to live out traditional rituals together and keep them a secret from our parents. We got to meet each other’s friends in our respective alpha classes, which built a stronger sense of sisterhood for us. I also had the unique opportunity to get to run back home to ADPi after my time as a Panhellenic Counselor, where I was embraced with hugs and love from my sister. All of these small, shared moments slowly built up our relationship as sisters, connecting us not only through blood but through sisterhood and tradition. I am so thankful for ADPi and the things that it has brought me, but I am most thankful for how it has fostered a closer relationship and an unbreakable bond with my sister Amanda. Double sisters for life!
Amanda Wetzel AC ’17
When my sister, Megan, came to the University of Florida and rushed Alpha Delta Pi, I got the opportunity to meet some of her friends and learn about what would become my future sisterhood. I saw how much she grew as an individual and, also, the amazing support she received from the chapter. I am so thankful to have had that experience and to have a person like her to look up to that made choosing ADPi that much easier. She made this sorority even more of a home away from home. Being a double sister with Megan has not only been super cool but also has given us a deeper bond and more of an appreciation for each other. College is not always easy, and to have someone to always lean on and pick you up is priceless. I am so excited to someday be able to share our stories and memories with our children and pass on our Alpha Delta Pi legacy.
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