When asked about someone in KD who built confidence in her, it only took her 30 minutes to respond with a blog post in full. Here's what she had to say:
After my first year at BSC I can say that through my experiences and the relationships that I have formed, I have achieved a level of confidence that is brand new to me. There is one person, however, who has played such a large role in my newly-found confidence and that person is my sister in Kappa Delta, Abby Swain. Before I even knew Abby as a Kappa Delta, she instantly added so much joy to my life and became an inspiration in so many ways.
I had the pleasure of meeting Abby before rush because she was a returning swimmer on the BSC Swim Team and I was new to the team. I did not know anyone one the team except for the girls who I was living with. All I remember was how welcoming Abby was at the beginning of the school year and swim season. She was a senior so I was slightly intimated by her, but she made me feel like a part of the team in no time. It was not until rush started that I was able to really connect with Abby and have some meaningful conversations with her. Abby was a Rho Gamma so she was disaffiliated from KD so I had no idea what sorority she was in. Abby was not the Rho Gamma for my group but I found myself talking to her and confiding in her throughout the whole process. She made me feel so supported and like I had a fellow swimmer by my side the whole time. She was wholeheartedly engaged in all of our conversations and I cannot express how much she helped me through the rush process, and she did so in the most un-bias and genuine way possible.
I will never forget bid day because that is the day I found out that Abby and I were going to become sisters in KD. I vividly remember Abby corralling all of the girls who went KD and teaching us a KD chant right before we ran home. At that moment I felt so happy and honored that the sorority that chose Abby chose me. It blows my mind that Abby was a Kappa Delta the whole time and I had no idea, but it also doesn’t surprise me. Everything about Abby embodies Kappa Delta and she is the best representation of what it means to be a Kappa Delta.
After rush, Abby and I developed a strong bond throughout the swim season. Abby and I, and the girls that I lived with, all carpooled to practice every day, sometimes twice a day. Ask anyone in our carpool and they will agree that nothings bonds you like a 7-minute ride in silence to 5:45 a.m. weights. Abby and I also swim the same stroke/events most of the time so we became lane buddies over time as well. She was there to encourage me and make me laugh every single day and I cannot imagine my season without Abby. She was a constant source of positivity and sunshine in my life this swim season and I know she is one of the reasons it was so amazing for me. I am so thankful that I got to see Abby’s sweet face every day and that we developed such an amazing bond through the struggle that is swimming. I also got to see Abby at chapter and all of our KD events. So, moral of the story, I had no shortage of Abby Swain in my life this year…and I am not complaining :).
Abby has given me confidence in every aspect of my life. She has given me confidence directly through encouragement and indirectly through how she inspires me. My first memory of Abby giving me confidence was during rush when she was a Rho Gamma in her unwavering and gave me the confidence to choose a sorority that was the right fit for me. Even though I was not aware that Abby was a KD, she is the reason I went KD because she gave me the confidence to trust myself in my decision. Once I made the decision to go KD, Abby was there once again to encourage me. She encouraged me to apply for council. As a new member, this made me so scared but I was also so honored that Abby saw potential in me. I was also very humbled by the fact that Abby was a current member on council and she thought I would be a good addition to the next council. Abby really helped me realize that I am worthy of whatever I want to achieve and she helped me see potential in myself that I was not able to see. Abby also gave me confidence outside of KD. She helped me in the pool every day and her constant encouragement gave me so much confidence and drive to reach my potential. Abby’s overall presence in my life this year resulted in an amazing shift in my confidence in all aspects.
I have KD to thank for the bond that Abby and I have forged this year. The confidence and beauty that KD embodies were able to shine through Abby from the first time I met her. From the moment I found out that Abby was a Kappa Delta, there was no doubt in my mind that I had made the right decision. They both embody that which is most honorable, beautiful, and highest. All of the admirable qualities that I see in Abby are those that Kappa Delta instills in its members. I think that Kappa Delta has created such a strong bond between Abby and me because she represents who I inspire to be and what Kappa Delta stands for, and I am beyond grateful that Abby is now and will always be a part of my life thanks to Kappa Delta.
AOT,
Birch
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