Courtney Kalendar

When I first decided to go to school in Iowa, I had never been to Drake or even the Midwest. I knew what moving somewhere far from home meant: I’d only go home and see my family at the end of each semester. I’d done this for multiple summers growing up, spending three months at a time away from home so I figured I could handle four months at school. I realized my first semester that being away from home was easier said than done. College is such a new and exciting time, and it can be easy to forget what you’re missing. But homesickness is very real and it helps to have people you can count on.
​
I participated in spring recruitment my sophomore year and I realized that Theta was the home away from home that I didn’t think I would need. The women of Theta were so supportive and encouraging from the first time I sat with them. When I lived on campus, Theta was a place to get away and find the help that I sometimes needed. The women I’ve met through Theta have become my strongest fan base and most loving support group. I truly have a home in Des Moines because of them. It’s quite special to find a group of women that share your values and who value you as a sister by choice, but that’s exactly what I’ve found in Theta.

---