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I’ve been working on this project for 7 years (which is a fraction of my life!!) If you’ve followed along, this is something I’ve tried to launch and in different ways— but now is finally the right time.
It’s a project close to my heart and it’s called Sister Strong.
TedXGrand Forks
After my assault in college, I was feeling alone. If you’ve ever been through anything like this— you know that you want to isolate, but be loved on, but you don’t trust people or their motives. You feel indifferent. It doesn’t matter who supports you, because you don’t feel worthy of it.
I vividly remember sitting on the floor of my shower sobbing. I couldn’t understand why I felt so alone. I was in a sorority and I couldn’t figure out why.
I thought to myself, “If only I was strong enough.”
An idea came to me— it would be a community for women on college campuses. And there would be love and support. But that idea came crashing down. The town I went to college had a TedX event and I thought this was my purpose and what would ground me while I processed everything.
I asked my sorority president at the time if I could ask for support from my sisters during our meeting. The way that TedX worked was that people who had the most votes at open mic night would get to speak for the greater community on stage. My chapter president said no and I was devastated.
I went into the week of mic night discouraged, but knowing that I could still text people for support. Our chapter meeting was also prior to that night so I still had to go after being turned down. But when we got to the meeting, another sister got to talk about their campus rec program for selling hats.
Sister Strong was strengthened in that moment.
Fast forward to the speech, my voice shook the entire time. I looked like I was going to throw up, but people rallied around me. Not enough to win the chance to speak, but that didn’t matter. It was a closed door for that season. Had I won, I would never have had the energy to pour into Sister Strong in the way I wanted to.
I Feel Ready
Four or so years later, I’m blogging and doing social media. I decided to restart Sister Strong as a community of likeminded bloggers. It was fun, but it wasn’t needed.
I kept trying to use the phrase and nothing felt right— deep down I knew that Sister Strong needed to be what it’s original intent was. A place for women to have a community. For the first time, I feel ready. I recently felt such a confirmation that the stars had aligned and I was ready.
Sister Strong
I want Sister Strong to be a community of unapologetically fierce women that support and challenge during the highs and the lows. And I say woman as an inclusive term. If you identify as a woman, you belong here.
I want to use social media and have a community online to connect and grow together. Longterm, I’m manifesting a conference that pours into women that are in college and going through that weird transition.
Sister Strong is a safe place and space that doesn’t require dues or initiation. It’s a new sisterhood called Sister Strong. It’s a little cheeky— in Greek life, sisterhood is super important.
Sister Strong isn’t anti-Greek, but it’s inclusive. And maybe you didn’t notice, but when you are initiated into Greek life, you’re assigned a big sister. They’re a role model and mentor that shows you the ropes. Which is where the Big Sis Podcast comes from.
This is a full-circle moment. I was in a sorority, I needed sisters, and now you’re a member and you have a big sis.
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