Senior Year....Now what????

First off CONGRATS CLASS OF 2012!!!!! You survived 4, 5, or 6 years of college, (or more)... This is a HUGE accomplishment. Those late nights of studying, partying, praying (for God to help you during those major exams, especially finals) have paid off. You are hopeful that you can say goodbye to roman noodles, give the pizza a break, and you are getting ready to enter the REAL world and Make some REAL money for the first time in your life. You feel as if you have accomplished your goals of getting that BA, BS, BM degree, you met some long-life friends and you are hopeful that you can land a good paying job. There is just ONE thing you were not able to accomplish during your years in college...Yup, PLEDGING! This can be for many reasons such as they were/are suspended on campus, you did not realize you wanted to join until it was too late, You tried and tried and tried over and over again only to receive rejection letter after rejection letter. So now what? You are determined to become a member at all cost. So what steps do you take?

Well, let me first tell you that membership in any organization at the Alumni/Alumnae level is costly! So I would start by focusing on YOURSELF first. Duh right? Well, you'd be surprised! This doesn't mean that you can't find out if there is an active Alumni/Alumnae Chapter in your area, and if they are hosting any events. You can still do that, but in the meantime, get settled! You are all grown now.....Those student loans will be knocking on your door sooner than what you think. Sure six months seems like a long time NOW, but TRUST me, you will look up and receive the first bill in the mail if you are BLESSED enough to have already secured a full-time job, BEFORE graduation, KUDOS, and CONGRATS!

Once you have secured a job and you have everything else in order....you can't stop thinking about fulfilling your dream of becoming a member of ABC organization...But you are no longer in on a College campus, so what are the steps? Where do you start? What do you do if you are starting a new job in a new state?

1. Join prestigious organizations in your area. NAACP, Young Black Professionals, Metro Board, Big Brother/Big Sisters are just a few organizations that come to my mind at the moment. More than likely these orgs will include Greek members. Also doing a quick google search on the Internet in looking up the nearest Alumni/Alumnae Chapter is also a great idea.
2. How about looking up for the nearest NPHC Chapter (National Pan-Hellenic Chapter which consists of the all the BGLOs). They usually host several events throughout the year, and this is a perfect way for you to connect with the organization of your choice.

3. Start serving your community! Most organizations require a certain amount of community service, so give yourself a head start by start serving NOW!
4. Start saving NOW, (if you can). Even by putting away a dollar here, or a dollar there can help you. As I stated before, membership can be costly, so you want to be prepared financially.

5. Have patience! Becoming a member at the alumni/alumnae level requires a lot of patience especially since most chapters do not have intake often.
6. Research, Research Research! I have many postings about this so if you need to refresh on this topic, feel free to re-visit!
7. Preparation is key!

8. Have Confidence! So you didn't make line during your undergraduate career, and you're still mad about it. Get.Over.It! Look at this as an excellent opportunity, and a second chance.
Well, that's all for now, good luck to you and your future endeavors, and once again, CONGRATULATIONS Class of 2012!!!! (I genuinely do mean this, as I am preparing to get hooded and walk across the stage myself in six days, Whoo hoo!!!!

Ciao!!!

What Else????

What's the number one question I receive from people who are interesting in pledging a BGLO? To sum it up, it all starts with "What Else?" Honestly, I cannot answer this question. As I have repeated time and time, you need to treat joining a BGLO the same way as applying for a job position. Like a job position, you can meet the requirements, have the work history, have excellent references/referrals, and still not land the job. This works the same way when applying for membership in a BGLO as well. The only differences, if you are trying to join as an undergrad, the members can also consider your actions on your college campus and how you carry yourself on or around campus, Facebook page/posts, pictures, parties, etc....

 I have said this over and over again and can't say it enough. Do You want to be a part of the best? (And by best I mean AKA, Delta, Zeta, SGRho) Then you need to BE the best! What do I consider the best? High GPA, continuous community service, someone in leadership roles, making an impact in your community (Alumni/Alumnae Level) or college campus (Undergraduate Level).