Hi lovely ladies,
My name is Anika Pal, and I have the privilege of being the Spring 2020 Recruitment Chair this semester. When they tell you acclimating to college is a struggle, I never understood just how much of a struggle it would be until I got to the Forty Acres. As a first semester freshman who left her friends, family, and everything she ever knew behind in Sugar Land, I was overwhelmed by the opportunities and lost in terms of where I felt like I belonged.
Several of the girls I knew from back home had joined spirit groups. Although I did not quite understand what a spirit group actually was, I knew I wanted to be a part of one. So there I was the first week of classes, hopping from information session to information session trying to figure out which one was the right fit for me. After feeling like none of them were the perfect fit, I thought maybe I would give up and come back to the idea later on in college. That’s when I bumped into my friend and fellow Royal, Mycah, who told me she was going to check out Texas Royals later that night. Even though I was feeling defeated, something inside of me screamed YOU NEED TO GO.
And when they say always listen to your gut, listen to your gut. Because as soon as I left that information session, I knew Texas Royals was exactly where I needed to be. The second part of the information session was mingling and getting to know all the active members, and I thought they were incredible (and still do!!!!). Royals has some of the kindest, funniest, and most intelligent girls on this campus. We come from all different cities, backgrounds, majors, you name it. They just made me feel welcomed from the moment I met them, and I really enjoyed every single conversation that night. Later that night, I couldn’t even focus on my homework and began writing my short answer responses. In the morning after class, I got straight to work on my creative project. Next thing I know, it’s almost 5PM and I’m running to turn in my application before the deadline. And after all that: WE MADE IT.
Since then, I have grown extremely close to these girls. During my Jewel semester, I met Manya and Victoria, who are truly my best friends. They have seen me at my lowest of lows and are always down to go get milkshakes at Chick-Fil-A when we should be studying. That’s true friendship right there. And If you still think I’m joking, I decided to live with two of them – I love you Cecilia and Sophia! Thanks for always baking yummy things. And to all the other girls I failed to mention right here – thank you for being some of the best friends I could ever ask for.
All of these wholesome friendships I’ve made are due to this organization, which is why I feel so passionate about recruitment. I was able to serve on recruitment committee the past two semesters and loved every second of it, so I am thankful for the opportunity to be the chair and find our next set of best friends (also known as Jewels).
With lots of love,
Anika
P.S. If you are even the slightest bit interested in applying, please come out to an info session and say hi! We really would love to meet you <3