To my brothers of Phi Sigma Pi,
I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and for the impact you’ve had on my life. I’m not the same person that I was before I rushed for our fraternity. Back then, I was a shy and insecure freshman who was struggling to improve my self-confidence. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to break out of my shell, and even while rushing for our fraternity, I was doubting myself at every turn. I had convinced myself that there was almost no chance that I would even be accepted as an initiate—I kept thinking that I wasn’t outgoing enough, I wasn’t smart enough, and I wasn’t unique enough to be a part of our community. When I got the call from a brother who told me that I was selected to be a part of my initiate class, everything changed. At first I couldn’t believe it—the decision defied every negative thought I’d had about myself. I realized then that this community believed in my potential to be an ideal brother and wanted to give me the opportunity to discover who I was and how I could positively impact our fraternity. That support was what I needed to gain confidence in myself, and I am so grateful to you for being the support system that is always there for me and motivates me to succeed both within and outside our community.
Your support alone means so much to me, and I feel as though I can never express that enough. You encourage me and the rest of our brothers to embrace every aspect of our tripod, and discover our abilities within those aspects of scholarship, leadership and fellowship. I had previously thought that I would never develop leadership skills, and now I am currently Brother At Large, a role that requires me to take initiative and be an active voice in the choices and decisions that we make for the betterment of our community. Inside, I am still surprised by the fact that I am now comfortable with standing up in front of you all at every meeting and speaking about the plans and activities that myself and my committee members hope will continue to strengthen our chapter as a whole. It means so much to me to be able to make such an impact on our fraternity, and I can’t stress how grateful I am to have had this opportunity. Along with this position, I have been proud to call myself a brother for the past two years and during that time I have changed tremendously. My old self no longer exists—my insecurity has been replaced with a restored confidence in myself, and I know that I have you all to thank for that. In accepting me as a brother, you’ve given me an amazing support system of friends who always have my back as well as a platform for me to find out my true capabilities. You have encouraged me to raise my voice and find the courage to take on new challenges that will benefit our chapter, and you have been by my side as I have faced hardships. Even if we’re not incredibly close, you still find time to wave at me as we pass by on campus and let me know that you’re there for me, as a friend and a brother.
Your presence in my life means so much to me. I am honored to call you my brothers. Thank you for showing me how true friends act. Thank you for wanting to hang out with me and laugh with me. Thank you for supporting me every step of the way. Thank you for believing in me and helping me to believe in myself. Thank you for being my brothers. I love you all most sincerely, and I’ll try not to get too emotional when I see you all at our next chapter meeting.
With love,
Your fellow brother
Photos courtesy of author and the Phi Sigma Pi UMass Facebook page.