Dear Bestfriend...

Dear Bel,

Honestly looking back I don’t even remember a time I haven’t been with Bel since joining Alpha Xi Delta. If you ask either of us, I don’t think we could pinpoint a time when we first met, or first bonded, or even first became best friends; since bid day, it’s just always been “Nicole and Bel”. I always worried about joining a sorority and not being seen for my true self or finding real, genuine friendships, but I am so grateful to be able to say that becoming an Alpha Xi has been the biggest blessing of my life and brought me my forever best friend. From late-night conversations and infinite side quests to showing up for one another on the hardest days, our bond is something I never could have imagined before joining Alpha Xi Delta.

Bel sees me for who I truly am, in a way that makes me wonder how I even survived Earth before her. She notices the moments when my smile is forced, even when no one else can, and reminds me that I never have to change myself or face anything alone. Through unwavering support and unconditional love, she encourages me to stand up for myself and believe in my own worth, even on the days when I struggle to do so.

She sees past my bubbly personality and outgoing front, understanding the emotions I carry without me ever having to explain them. Somehow, she always knows exactly how I’m feeling and what I need, before I even do myself. She brings light into my life effortlessly, making me laugh in the simplest moments and turning ordinary days into memories I’ll hold onto forever.

Meeting my forever best friend through this sorority has shaped my college experience in the most meaningful and unexpected way. Alpha Xi Delta gave me more than a sisterhood, it gave me someone who feels like home, on the good days, the bad days, and everything in between. I am endlessly grateful for the bond we share and for all the adventures, laughter, and growth to come!

Love, Nicole

Dear Nicole,

When everyone tells you, you'll find your people in college, I thought it was just something to make leaving everything you've ever known just a tiny bit easier, but for me, I found not only my greatest friends, but I found my forever kind of person. Coming to college, I knew no one. Everything felt unfamiliar, and most days I carried the quiet fear of not knowing where I belonged. Alpha Xi became the first place where things started to feel less lonely, and it was where I met her. At the time, she was just someone new in a room full of strangers, but somehow she became the person who made this place feel like home.

One of Alpha Xi’s core values is courage, a simple word I was given during rush that symbolized my courage to leave home and go to college 1,000 miles away, yet I felt so much doubt in every decision I made. Until I met her, every single day, she pushes me to be a better version of myself, not by demanding change, but by believing in me so fully that I want to prove I can. Nicole has the most beautiful soul and when she loves, she loves loudly and full heartily. She just walks into a room and makes everyone feel seen. From the moment I met her I knew she would change my life, I just didn’t expect to find much more than an inspiration in life everyday, but my everything.

Alpha Xi gave me a sisterhood, but more than anything, it gave me her. It gave me my person and a friendship I never thought I’d make in college. Alpha Xi Delta gave me laughter, love, courage, and friendships I could never even dream of. Through every chapter, every long night, moments of stress, and every random task, I had her. In a space that asked so much of us, we chose each other again and again. Nicole became my safe place in the middle of all the change, the one person who grounded me when everything felt impossible.

I didn’t come to college with a built-in support system, but somehow I found my person. She knows myself better than I do, my fears, and my dreams, and she loves me in a way that makes me and everyone around her feel seen. Sometimes I feel more like myself when I’m with her than I am on my own. So, to Alpha Xi, thank you for giving me my best friend and half my soul.

Love, Bel