"How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal, and you have to be willing to work for it." – Jim “Jimmy V” Valvano
Well, fellow CC Hanna convinced me to start a blog, and hopefully this will help give friends and family an idea of what I’m doing and where I am. It’s only day 8 of the job and the questions are already pouring in, so what better way to start my blog than to answer them?!
What exactly do you do?
Well, currently I’m spending my days at Phi Mu National HQ pretending that I’m cool enough to actually work there. We are smack in the middle of a 2 week training session learning about all things Phi Mu and preparing to leave for our first chapter visits. To begin, the consultants will head out on recruitment visits and assist chapters in all areas of recruitment. Once recruitment season ends, we will head out on operations visits. For those of you who want an official description taken from phimu.org: “Phi Mu chapter consultants serve as liaisons between collegiate chapters and colonies and National Headquarters. This year, ten enthusiastic chapter consultants are bringing support, problem-solving skills and creativity to chapters across the country. Each consultant works directly with chapter members, officers and advisers and will provide feedback on chapter operations, identify areas of potential improvement and address specific situations as they arise.”
Where are you traveling?
I’ll be spending most of the fall semester as a resident consultant at our Delta Chapter at Tulane University in New Orleans. This midwest princess (as fellow CC Julie dubbed me…ha) is headed to cajun country! Here are my other scheduled chapter visits:
Epsilon Nu
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK
Alpha Nu (home of fellow CC Lauren)
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Lambda Beta
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
Alpha Pi
University of Houston
Houston, TX
Are you having fun?
Hmm. How do I answer this one? UH YES! I obviously love all things Phi Mu and this is no different.
Do you like the other consultants?
Not really. JUST KIDDING, I’m kind of obsessed with them! They are so funny and so much fun to be around, not to mention that they are the crème of the crop in the qualities of leadership, enthusiasm, support, problem solving, etc. We’ve been here a week and I think I’ve made 9 best friends. I won’t get sentimental yet…I’m sure that will be another post. But, it’s safe to say I’m so blessed to have met these women and cannot wait to keep in touch not only throughout this year but for the rest of our lives.
Where do you live?
Right now, I live in a hotel. When I travel I may stay in Phi Mu houses, chapter member apartments, with alumnae, in a hotel, wherever they put me. The chapter is responsible for my lodging so it’s really up to them where I stay.
When will you be home?
Great question. I’m still working on this one. I’m thinking the first time I’ll be home is for Homecoming, but I really can't give a definite answer.
What do you want to do after this?
In the words of Taylor Swift, "I don't know what I want, so don't ask me 'cause I'm still trying to figure it out." I have no plan and really no idea what I want to do. It’s half the reason I applied for this job. Hopefully this year will help me figure that out.
What’s your favorite part of this job?
Right now, it’s hanging out with the other consultants and my 2 bosses. We spend all day together, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then usually have either a hallway party or hang out in someone’s room. I was veryyyy nervous about meeting them and was worried about whether or not they would like me, but it has turned out so great. I met all but 2 of them at my interview in January and we’ve kept in touch every now and then since that time.
Are you able to keep in touch with your friends?
Yes. It’s called texting, facebook, twitter and better yet, picking up the phone and actually calling them! It’s not that hard to keep up with friendships if you’re willing to put in the effort.
What’s it like way up north?
This one cracks me up. I’m from the midwest, and to tell you the truth, it’s not THAT different from down south. I will end up back in the midwest, I can tell you that.
Why do you have so much trouble modeling for pictures?
First off, I hate getting my picture taken. We had a nice little photo shoot this week for our pictures on the website, and let me tell you, I was the star of the show. I think I had more fun making fun of myself than the other phimuccs did.
Why do you have so much trouble modeling for pictures?
First off, I hate getting my picture taken. We had a nice little photo shoot this week for our pictures on the website, and let me tell you, I was the star of the show. I think I had more fun making fun of myself than the other phimuccs did.
not only are we pretty and funny, we're also incredibly smart
...and fully aware that "always" is spelled wrong #phimuccs
Hopefully this answered some of the questions I've been getting. To my friends and family, please don't hesitate to call or shoot me an email. Yes, I'll be busy and I won't have a normal schedule, but I promise to get back to you as soon as I can. I can't tell you how excited I am to start my travels and to live in New Orleans for a few months. Here's to a great 9 month adventure!
