Nostalgia of a past life..

I miss my sorority days. Most people don't know I'm in one, nor to do they know that I went so far as to help found a chapter at UCLA, but this will forever be one of the biggest parts of my life. So much time, blood, sweat, and tears, went into building this sorority at UCLA, I pray always that it prospers and stays authentic to what we always hoped for it.

People always say females in sororities are all the same and it isn't for them...
But you don't need to worry about losing yourself in a group of women if you know who you are to begin with.

Love and miss these girls till death.
Hoping 2011 allows me more time to spend in LA, that city no doubt raised me.

I feel like sharing...

I was going to make this shirt for Chi Delta Theta, UCLA.
Never happened but I love it.
Brings good memories of triumph (:

I've done four important speeches in my lifetime, tomorrow just might be the most important one.

positivity.

Milestone.

On Monday, the sorority that me and 9 friends founded in the Spring of 2008 became officially recognized by UCLA. The fulfillment of this dream of ours is something that has truly convinced me that no matter how difficult, how long and how much struggle you have to endure to achieve something, hard work always pays off. With a charter comes opportunity and this opportunity includes a platform and support to share who we are, what we LIVE by and what we strive for as women.

To some, the greek world and sororities/fraternities are just people "paying" for their friends or just a group of people who are all the same and follow one another. I don't ever try to preach and try to change anyone's views, because those are theirs, but I only hope to serve an example that it is so much more than what movies and stereotypes make it out to be. And Yes, I am a proud sorority sister, if not a former pledgemom to an Alpha Class and President. If I didn't believe in the universal need for WOMEN to have role models, to be challenged to reach their full potential, to be self-confident individuals in all their endeavors, to have GOALS to work for, to open opportunities for one another and so many other things, I wouldn't love it as much as I do.

Having seen our sorority finally get the recognition I truly believe it deserved, I hope it also serves as an example that a sorority isn't just a bunch of girls who are handed letters, are all the same, lack substance, are catty and just party all week long, if anything, we are far from it. And it would be a huge disservice to all the women that actually work their ass off and sacrificed so much for anyone to label us any other way. Contrary to popular belief... women can work together, be grown women, sit and conduct meetings, handle business, throw events for the betterment of even more women, network, give back to the community, and still attend a prestigious university all at the same time.

To me, this is even beyond being in a sorority or the politics that is included in it. To me it's more about being the strong women that we are who are able to build an amazing network of women from the ground up who mentor one another, advise one another, encourage one another, praise one another and above all, love one another because we ARE women.

Sorry I'm just rambling now, but thank you to everyone who truly truly believed in us and use us as an inspiration. I am so humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude from everyone who gave us a chance, who showed us kindness, who recognized our hard work when we were just about ready to give up. To be the President this year, this is one of the greatest gifts I could ask for and it is not my doing, but the efforts of 16 amazing women who continually push me to be a better leader and example.

I strive for longevity and our continued success.

Always, I am thankful.

Today I am in a happy and hopeful place in my life.
This quarter is the beginning of a great phase of my life despite it being filled with the unknown.

I am not really sure where I'll end up after college or what I'll be doing. (scary, indeed)
I don't know if our work will shine in our favor to get our sorority charter from UCLA.
I don't know if time will allow itself for us to finish our requirements to get our chapterhood from Chi Delta Theta.

Not knowing sometimes is the fun of life. I've learned that being thrown into the unknown and being in a place where your future lies in the opinions of others.. forces you to TRULY believe in yourSELF and TRUST that the work that you have done up to this point is deserving of recognition. (If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will) It forces you to be BRAVE and STRONG, if not for yourself, then for the people that put their trust in you to lead them...despite whether or not the outcome will work out in your favor. Above all, it's about leaving nothing to chance, and always giving your greatest effort, so that even when things don't go the way you prefer or planned, you know that there was nothing else you could have done to change the outcome.

Come celebrate the birthdays of my gorgeous girlfriends with us at MINX on April 2, 2010.
The last event we supported at MINX with BENJAMIN PRODUCTIONS was craaackin,
so if you want in on $10 presales, let me know!

Oh and if you need someone to make your event flyers, hollaaaaa at me! misscammille@gmail.com

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" -Lao-tzu

I love when our creativity and our hopes & dreams all meet at a certain point, leaving the future open to our own construction... with endless possibilities and endless ideas. My sisters & I have big goals & big things we want to accomplish and it just takes ONE person, one IDEA, one STEP to put this all into motion. &&& oh boyyyy, is it in motion now..

I can't wait for what the future has in store! It's going to be an amazing year.

xoxo

Hopeful Expectation

My email is full beyond comprehension,
I have slept 7 hours in the past 2 days,
I could be doing better in school (like always),
I've barely planned my 21st birthday,

... yet I'm H A P P Y.

Hopeful expectation is something that I truly live by.
Always work hard at whatever you do and trust that it will lead to great things.

So thank you PRIMITIVE for officially making me part of the fam and giving me the freedom to FINALLY quit my job-of-hell at the UCLA store.
And for the Ladies of CDT for reminding me why I sacrifice so much for a sisterhood. Happy 20 Year Anniversary Chi Delta Theta!

Life is good.
Thank you Lord for all of your blessings.

Happy

So thankful and blessed.

Someone I look up to today told me that sometimes all you can really do is be the figure/leader you envisioned yourself to be. Once everyone sees that, everyone else will follow suit. It's on the similar vein of "be the change you wish to see in the world" but sometimes it just takes someone else to tell you for you to finally listen.

I was frustrated for a while, but I'm thankful to have people who care so much about me that they aren't enablers. If they think something I'm doing something wrong, they call me on it. They aren't 'yes' people who want to please me and agree with everything that I say and I love that about the people who have remained close to me.

When you're trying your absolute best, there isn't anything else you can do but have faith in yourself and the work that you do. I have an amazing team of women who work alongside me, and nothing is more rewarding than seeing work get done seamlessly.

Words are words at the end of the day. They won't hurt you unless you let it.
Chin upppp! :)

rise above the bullshit.

Sometimes people ask me how it is being a founding mother of a sorority. I often have to think quickly to ensure that my answer will be able to fully convey to this person how I truly feel in this passing moment we are sharing.

To be really honest, much of how I feel about what I want to do in life career-wise, is really similar to how I feel about being a pledgemom and founding mother for Chi Delta Theta. I think that people should always do what makes them truly happy and fulfills their craving of finding purpose in the world. I often have these private moments where I look back on how far my sisters and I have come in establishing this organization at UCLA and seeing our Alpha Pledge Class, my kids, grow in heart mind & soul and I know that this is all meant to be in God's plan for my life.

After watching my girls today, I have seen their growth into confident, self-assured, positive young women who I have the honor of leading as their pledgemom. What was once a daunting and scary thing, has now become one of my proudest moments in life so far.

For anyone who has a dream and vision in life, I cannot begin to express in words how much I encourage people to go after what they want and to do it with passion & love. My days with the girls are not chores, it's the life I love and I've created for myself. I am so proud of myself and my sisters and everyone else around me for how far we've come. We can only keep reaching new heights from here and the thought of it excites the hell out of me.

I've been taught deeper lessons in responsibility, time management, integrity, respect, values, knowing oneself, trust, teamwork, compassion, sisterhood, love, and the list goes on.... just with my love in Chi Delta Theta. Life is truly what you make of it and I intend to make my life one of goal reachin, standard breakin, history makin type business.

I guess today just made me realize what I LOVE in life and what I want to make out of it.I really don't have time for much else outside of this, school and work. I strive for the BEST in everything that I do and I won't settle for less, as long as I can help it. God, I LOVE random bursts of motivation, I am READY FOR LIFE! Throw anything at me, I can handle it. Because everything I've been through has only made me STRONGER. financial beef, parents divorce, car accident, going through rehab learning how to walk again, withdrawing from school for a qtr, breakups&heartbreak...been through it all and I am stronger than I've EVER been!

2009, thank you for showing me what I deserve this year, for giving me the strength to LET GOD & LET GO, for the opportunities you've given me to SHINE.... it's only gonna get better from here. Trust.