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A Founders' Day Message from Grand Archon Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg
Dear Sisters,
Happy Founders’ Day, to you all! As we reflect on our founding and the path that lead us here today, I am drawn to the resilience of our sisterhood, and our ability to adjust to adversity and change. As we all have navigated nearly two years of a global health pandemic, which each of us has experienced differently, I continue to be in awe of the depth and reach of our sisterhood. Across time, Phi Sigma Sigma continues to recognize the changing needs of today’s women, be it those just entering college or accomplished adults who are navigating this complex world. Despite numerous challenges, Phi Sigma Sigma and its members forge a path forward, ever focused on the goal of our Founders: to create a sisterhood where women of different faiths could come together, dedicated themselves to a common good and perpetuate the advancement of womanhood. Throughout our history, our sisters have not been afraid to meet the challenges of the day. It was their determination, passion, tenacity and grit that continues to propel our sisterhood forward, adapting the Phi Sigma Sigma experience for each new, successive generation. I am overwhelmed by how our sisterhood has evolved over the past several years. We have met challenges head on and we have not been afraid to internally evaluate our own self-growth. We continue to take every opportunity to provide a helping hand, a shoulder to cry on and a hand to help propel others forward as we have faced the highs and lows of life. We continue to strengthen our walls, through a renewed commitment to one another and our beloved Fraternity. We have persevered. And we will continue to do so, whatever challenges lay ahead, we will persevere. As this is my last Founders’ Day message as grand archon, I would be remiss if I did not note how my life has changed over these last five years. To have been entrusted to lead this amazing sisterhood has been an immense privilege and, at times, daunting. My tenure has also been marked by incredible personal and professional growth, including the birth of my son this past September and the launch of a business in the summer of 2017. All of this has been undertaken and achieved with the overwhelming love and support of my sisters. What Phi Sigma Sigma means to me cannot be fully articulated, it is a feeling, it is knowing that I will never travel this world alone and that whatever joys (and lows) I experience for the rest of my life, will be shared with my sisters. While I conclude my service as grand archon, I am forever indebted and committed to our sisterhood. If anything, the past two years have re-enforced for me the value, importance and necessity for the sorority experience. I believe the current and future challenges we face will be addressed by compassionate, thoughtful, inclusive leaders – and Phi Sigma Sigma sisters will be at the forefront. Go forth, sisters, change the world. Inject kindness, fight for equity, be passionate, be humble and above all, believe. In our bond,
Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg Grand Archon
“I believe in hope. I believe in believe.” – Ted Lasso