What Pledging a Business Fraternity Taught Me About Myself

By Maria del Pilar Langman on November 23, 2015

I transferred to Florida State Tallahassee about two years ago (Spring 2014), and if you would have asked me at the time if I was planning on standing where I stand today, I would have told you that the idea seemed too crazy. But, the decisions I have made throughout the past couple of years (starting with the decision of pledging a business fraternity), many of those driven by the desire of meeting new people and going out of my comfort zone, have led me to become the hard working and passionate individual I consider myself to be today.

I dedicated my first semester in the “tiny” Tallahassee to figuring out school in general and how to live without my parents for the first time. I learned the basics about cooking, managing my finances, and how to get around without a car. Nothing too crazy happened, no “major” life changes (aside from the fact that I was living in a different country, but nothing too big you know), and certainly no professional development (aside from college classes). I went back home (Panama) for the Summer semester and I took a couple of classes down there, and when I came back for my second semester in Tallahassee, that is when my life started to change.

Fall 2014 I decided I wanted to do something more valuable with my time, I decided that I wanted to branch out and meet new people… after all, that is the whole point of coming to college right?, to make the right connections, get a degree, and take that degree somewhere with the connections you have made. So I decided to pledge Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity; and because of that pledging process I have been able to grow both socially and professionally to a degree, that at the time, I did not think I would.

Pledging AKPsi represented my baby steps at branching out in a foreign country, meeting the right people at the right time, improving my overall social and professional skills, and gaining the confidence I needed to trust that I can do everything that I set myself to do. If it was not for AKPsi I would have never been able to tour the athletic facilities at Florida State, therefore I would have never applied to become a Garnet and Gold Guide, and in turn I would have never stand where I stand today in terms of the people I have been able to meet and the industry I have been able to familiarize myself with. I am pretty sure my English skills would have not been at the level they are right now, my approach skills would have not been as smooth as I think they are, my overall confidence would have not been at the level it is, and my accomplishments in general probably would have not existed.

As I was going through the pledging process that fall, I had the opportunity of meeting a bunch of driven individuals who wanted to experience both: “a normal college experience with all its ups and downs,” while at the same time build the base for their future professional careers. I met all kinds of people: the ones who had their futures planned out, the ones who had an idea of where they wanted to go but were still struggling with how to get there, the ones who were not even sure if they had picked the right major, and the ones who simply had no clue what was going on… but they were all part of AKPsi for a reason. As I was meeting all these new people and I was learning from them, their experiences and their desires, I could not help but wonder about my own future and what my goals were. And, from that, I was able to understand that the college experience I was looking for, I was gonna get only if I started thinking about my future. All those people helped me understand that if I manage my time I can accomplish everything I set myself to accomplish. No, being an international student is not a barrier, being a freshman or a senior is not a determining factor, age is just a number, and dreams are never big enough. Because I pledged AKPsi, I know that I want to work in the Sports Media Industry, and that I will accomplish it one day; I just have to work for it.

Sometimes when I say I am part of a business fraternity people look at me with a confused expression, then proceed to say: oh you mean a sorority? No, it is a co-ed business fraternity. It is an organization that seeks to “develop business leaders,” while at the same time lets you enjoys the perks of being young and social. AKPSi provided me with the basics to start building up my professional career, it gave me amazing friends to share memories with, and it helped me understand that being independent is one of the most important things about the self.

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