My Friend, My Sister, My Inspiration

From left, Missouri Alpha Chapter President ANNIE JURGENSMEYER and Pi Beta Phi Leadership Development Consultant RAINEY LYNCH, California Nu, reunited at the Missouri Alpha chapter house during Rainey's chapter visit.

by RAINEY LYNCH, California Nu

Of all the gifts Pi Phi has offered me, two I find especially meaningful are friendship and the opportunity to grow as a leader. That's why I immediately said "Yes!" when my Advisor asked if I'd like to attend Pi Beta Phi Leadership Institute in 2018. Having already thoroughly enjoyed my experiences at both Convention and College Weekend, I thought Leadership Institute would be another valuable opportunity to make new friends and learn leadership and life skills — and I was right!

When I arrived in St. Louis, I met the group of women with whom I'd spend most of the weekend, otherwise known as my Halo Huddle. One of those women was ANNIE JURGENSMEYER. At the time, I was Chapter President at California Nu, and Annie was an emerging leader at Missouri Alpha. We discovered we both are Pi Phi legacies and bonded over our shared love for our sisterhood.

Over the course of Leadership Institute, Annie and I, along with the other amazing women in our Halo Huddle, opened up about our ambitions and our insecurities, had honest conversations about confidence and authenticity, and empowered each other to set and go after our goals. Though we all returned to our chapters afterward, our shared experience at Leadership Institute helped us form friendships and mentorships that aren't limited by distance. “Our shared experience at Leadership Institute helped us form friendships and mentorships that aren't limited by distance.”

Before our Halo Huddle parted ways, we started a group text message to stay in touch. It quickly became clear that Leadership Institute, and the friendships we developed there, truly made an impact on all of us. One by one, we began stepping into new leadership positions. In the fall of 2018, Annie was slated Vice President Membership (VPM) for Missouri Alpha. And, a few months later, I was hired as a Leadership Development Consultant (LDC) for Pi Phi. We celebrated our accomplishments and continued to share our joy and gratitude in our group text. When I received my LDC fall visit schedule, I was thrilled to see Annie's chapter on my list!

Annie and I were reunited during my visit to Missouri Alpha. Shortly before we met to discuss her experience as VPM, we learned Annie was slated Chapter President for the coming year. I'm so proud of Annie for everything she's already accomplished and can't wait to see what she achieves in the future. It's such a delight to call her my friend, my sister and my inspiration.

Our friendship wouldn't have been possible without our incredible sisterhood and the opportunities Pi Phi provides to its members — including transformational experiences like Leadership Institute. Thank you, Pi Phi, for giving me friends who inspire me to be the best version of myself every day!