A LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT
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If you had asked me 2 years ago, when I was an unaffiliated pre-med freshman at Santa Clara what I’d be doing my Junior year, I would’ve answered with full confidence that I’d be in a pre-health frat, or studying for the MCAT; doing something on my journey to becoming a heart surgeon. If someone had told me 4 years ago that I’d be pre-law, banging pots and pans together singing about an ivy leaf during rush, or making sure 169 Alpha Phis feel immersed in and supported by our community…I would’ve laughed them out the door.
My first 2 quarters at Santa Clara were nothing shy of fun and exciting, but having come to SCU from an all girls school with countless beloved traditions where I had the privilege of feeling the love and empowerment of such a community, it didn’t take me long to realize something was missing. It was the fourth week of my Spring Quarter freshman year when I became an Alpha Phi and my life changed for the better.
Hi, my name is Courtney Bell, and today, as I’ve had the privilege and honor of serving as the former Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as the current Chapter President of the Zeta Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi here at Santa Clara.
To me, being President doesn’t only mean leading meetings, submitting forms, and making fun and tough decisions. It means being a shoulder to cry on, a person you can rely on, a safe person within a safe space, and someone to share in the largest of laughs. Whether it be screaming our songs at the top of our lungs, serving our community together, or raising over $1,000,000 for women’s heart health through the Alpha Phi Foundation, Alpha Phi has continued to put even more joy in all of life’s finest moments that I’ve shared with my fellow sisters, and for that I thank my chapter, advisors, and all of the Alpha Phis past and present.
Alpha Phi is an organization that I am beyond proud to be a part of. It’s a place full of hardworking, caring members who come from all over the world with diverse interests and perspectives, a place where every individual is inspired to be the very best version of themselves. The members of Alpha Phi continue to astonish me and motivate me to the greatest lengths. My abundance of positive experiences with and love for this sorority only make me even more excited for what this next year has in store for all of us. Words cannot do justice how blessed and thankful I am that I found a home in Alpha Phi. As President, I hope to continue to make Alpha Phi your home away from home the way it was made for me. While I may never be a heart surgeon, rather a lawyer instead, I hope to stitch all of our heart strings closer together in all that we do here. Alpha Phi, in ways big and small, has welcomed me with open arms and filled a hole inside my heart, so it is my utmost desire to help it continue to do the same for all of you.
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With Love,
Courtney Bell
Chapter President