Sigma Delta Tau

Leadership Consultant, Ilana Weinsten shares her story about her life on the road.

As the spring semester begins, college seniors across the country scramble to figure out where they will be after graduation. Not long ago, I was in the same situation at Florida State University. At FSU, Sigma Delta Tau was a huge part of my life; you could definitely say that it was the beSDT part of my college experience.

A few months into my spring semester, I found out that I had been hired as a Sigma Delta Tau Leadership Consultant—a job that seemed too good to be true—and all of my worries disappeared. Graduation no longer seemed so daunting, and I was excited to embark on the next chapter in my life as a traveling Consultant.

Fast forward six months, and so far I’ve been on 18 chapter visits to 11 different campuses. If you add up the membership of every chapter I’ve been to, I have interacted with over 1,100 SDT sisters across the country. Countless flights, shared meals, laughing fits, and a few all-nighters later, I can confidently say I have the coolest job ever.

In this role, I see the differences of our chapters across the nation, but the bond of sisterhood that ties all Sig Delts together is so apparent. I have met amazing collegiate sisters and visited cities I never thought I would get the chance to see. I get to bring new ideas to chapters and see them progress over the course of my visits. I have also been a part of our last two extension presentations at Rowan and Post, where we will soon be welcoming new sisters! I have grown personally and professionally and I am confident that I will use these skills for the rest of my life.

Of course, there is missing the comforts of home and the consistency you once knew. Seeing your friends and family becomes a “once in a while” thing when you are traveling, but you are constantly surrounded by the love and laughter of sisters. In the life of a Consultant, every day is a different adventure with a different airport and a different sleeping arrangement. I have slept on couches, air mattresses, spare beds in dorm rooms, beautiful chapter houses, generous sisters’ apartments, and the occasional hotel.

All in all, being a Consultant is a once in a lifetime opportunity that is perfect for the most obsesSDT sisters! After almost 20 recruitments, I still have a rush of adrenaline when that first PNM walks in the door and tears well up in my eyes during almost every Preference Ceremony.

Thank you to all of the chapters who have housed me, fed me, entertained me, and challenged me. Working with our chapters may not always be easy, but I know that when I am working at a typical day job in the future I’ll think to myself, “I would do anything to be living the consultant life again!”

Ilana Weinstein graduated from Florida State University (Gamma Lambda) in May 2014 with a degree in Public Relations. When she isn’t on the road connecting with SDT sisters, she lives in Brooklyn, NY. You can read more about her consultant journey at mylifeisinasuitcase.blogspot.com.

If this sounds like something you’d like to experience, we’re accepting applications for our 2015-16 year. Apply now!