"When the past year and a half felt isolating, my fellow sisters in ADPi made me laugh and feel the connection I needed so much. UCLA can feel intimidating and scary and beyond overwhelming, but ADPi makes me feel like I belong."
Hello! My name is Grace Shelby Roemer and I am a second year Political Science major. I came home to ADPi in Fall 2020. After getting accepted to such a big school, I wanted a Greek life experience to make UCLA feel more like home. But, I never expected to find a sorority that I connected with so quickly. When my freshman year of college changed so dramatically, ADPi came into my life at a time when I needed a community the most.
I was so excited to live on campus, meet new people, and enter a new world of opportunities. However, one pandemic and two canceled housing contracts later, my plans for freshman year became Zoom classes in my childhood bedroom. I felt so disconnected from the school I had worked so hard to get into. Thankfully, things changed while talking to other ADPis in virtual recruitment. My excitement for college was revived. Even on Zoom, my conversations with ADPi sisters were natural and fun. I saw how ADPi had such a variety of personalities and young women with such passion for their beliefs.
The new friendships ADPi gave me have been highlights of my freshman year, especially meeting my Big Olivia. Our connection was instantaneous. I will be forever thankful for her kindness and guidance, in all my problems, big and small. Olivia has been my constant confidant and I truly have ADPi to thank for our friendship. And I know I have so many other sisters in the chapter that always make me feel so supported. Whether I need emotional support during finals week, or simply someone to send a really funny tiktok to, I have a long list of sisters to turn to. In this chapter, I feel like I can truly be myself and will always be accepted.
Why ADPi? In ADPi I know I have people who support me in all areas of life. At such a big university, this support is invaluable. ADPi helped me gain confidence with adulting in the real world and helped me navigate the difficulties of my first year in college. Every weekly chapter meeting, I would log onto the chapter Zoom from a long day of school and happily listen to everyone's problems and realizations and ideas on a collection of randomness; ranging from our obsessions with Bridgerton to solidarity in difficult classes to Olivia Rodrigo’s latest single drop. When the past year and a half felt isolating, my fellow sisters in ADPi made me laugh and feel the connection I needed so much. UCLA can feel intimidating and scary and beyond overwhelming, but ADPi makes me feel like I belong.