Sigma Delta Tau

Graduation Day in 2010 was probably one of the most dreaded days of my college career. I had to move out of “95 College Avenue,” our beloved ΣΔΤ house, start applying for jobs, and move back home. All of this without my sisters who inarguably got me through each one of my college days. I definitely felt that life would never be the same and in some ways, it’s not.  I have to actually wake up when my alarm clock goes off, I have to be in bed at a decent hour or not be able to function the next day, and there are no PCAA “All You Can ΣΔΤ Pasta Nights” taking place at my house; but despite all of that, my sorority life is still getting me through each day because of my sisters and Sigma Delta Tau.

At work, managing 60 adults in a school is nothing, since I know what it’s like to have managed 100 women at a time.  Not that it’s an easy task, but I often find myself equating each of my employees, 97% of them women, to be like this sister and that sister, and I laugh at myself because it brings back a little nostalgia.

Amongst the morning banter of the school day, and wondering why I just didn’t roll over in bed and call in “sick,” I receive a text about my sister’s latest Tinder match, or a text demanding my opinion of last night’s episode of Scandal.  Pausing my day to discuss a guy who happens to be President of the United States and who starts a war for his leading lady, may be the perfect getaway from checking the 55 emails that swarmed my inbox.

Next, it’s time for the administrator’s weekly meeting to catch up on everything that is going on in the world of education.  It’s my job to bring everyone back to Earth and suggest giving our students the opportunity to have some real hands-on experiences. For example, a walk to benefit cancer research, a book drive to create a library for under-privileged children in our neighborhood schools, canning to support the purchase of our first-ever school soccer team uniforms.  Most of the time I get looks that say “why didn’t we think of that?” and in my mind those were the most natural suggestions. That was all I did in college, almost every day, in some shape or form.  That is what sorority life is about and it allows me to sit up a little taller each time my idea gets the green light.

It’s finally time to leave the office and head to the gym to finish up the day. Queue a text from one of my sisters that requires no response, “It’s Wednesday, we are half way there!! (insert thumbs up emoji)” The perfect encouragement to get me through this workout, grab some dinner, maybe make it through an episode of Married at First Sight where my little and I are texting each other the play-by-play, and I get over that Wednesday hump.

Every day at work is a little bit different, but those texts are consistent. The words of encouragement and just knowing that someone is there is consistent.  My ΣΔΤ mentality of empowerment and service is at the forefront of any planning conversation or generation of ideas. Then in between it all, I have my 160 collegians at Rutgers University texting and calling each day, reminding me why Sigma Delta Tau was the best decision I ever made in my late teens and early-20s, and is consistently part of the reason why I make it through each day.

Always ΣΔΤ.

Christina Roman, Beta Tau-Rutgers, is on National Council, serving as an advisor to Beta Tau, and is the co-chairman for Leadership School 2015 and the Collegiate Leadership Team.