Hey there! My name is Catherine Giordano and I am an AC’20! I am in my Freshman year here at University of Florida as a Psychology major on the Premed track. On campus, you can find me Zooming in my Student Government meetings, doing Dance Marathon ELP check ins, and running stadiums with my roommate (shoutout to you Liv)! Off campus, you will probably find me in a coffee shop (if you haven’t tried Karma Cream, you are missing out!), shopping at Trader Joe’s, or “dancing it out” like they do in Grey’s Anatomy. Gainesville is my home away from home, and it’s just an hour and a half away from my hometown, Jacksonville, Florida; but it wasn’t always that way.
When I moved to Gainesville on August 17th, I was a wreck. All the “bad” (and completely common and normal) thoughts ran through my head. What if I don’t find friends? How do I use Zoom and Canvas? Where am I going to fuel my coffee addiction? I talked to an older friend of mine and she said “Don’t worry. You will find your people when you run home!” I looked at her and I laughed, thinking that couldn’t be true, but boy was I wrong!
During formal recruitment, I talked to a lot of sorority women. Each woman was strong, unique, and amazing, but one thing stuck out to me when talking to the women of Alpha Delta Pi: genuineness. I truly felt a connection with every person I spoke to on Zoom, and that love and connection only grew once I ran home on Bid Day! Since I ran home, I have had so many amazing little moments with so many members of Alpha Delta Pi, and here are some of my favorites: ● Meeting my Big, Lauren Hasson, on Big Little Reveal. She surprised me at my door. Even though we had never met before, Lauren and I hit it off (as well as my GBig Shae and my GGBig Kaylin). I have never felt so loved by a group of women in my entire life! Dressing up in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” was by far the cutest theme ever!
● Trivia with my other members AC’20 at my apartment. We got a group together to play Kahoot with Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Epsilon Pi. We hooked my computer up to the living room tv and got to know each other and laughed so hard.
● Eating dinner at Depot Park was so much fun! We all ate dinner together and talked with one another about the food and how excited we were for Big Little Reveal.
● Gameday! Getting ready with Katharine and Soha (AC’20) was so much fun! And if you saw us getting lost...no you didn't
● Getting involved with Student Government because of Sarah Caron, Annie Ortega, and Lauren Lemasters. It was amazing how supportive each of these women were to me. Sarah helped me prepare for my slating and Annie and Lauren both lent me clothes for my interview and headshots.
● I went to a meal and I did not know anyone, but Lainey Davis (we love our president!) invited me to sit with her and introduced me to some of the older girls!
I feel so welcomed and loved. Seeing how happy everyone is when a member walks into the room reminds me that I ran home to the best! The little things truly show that we live for each other.
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