Teamwork is a career competency that I feel I excel in. Being able to build strong, healthy relationships with others is necessary in many areas of life, including the workplace. I have had many experiences that have strengthened my competency in teamwork, but the one I will be highlighting here is being a member of the philanthropy committee in my sorority. I am a member of the University of Arkansas’ chapter of Delta Delta Delta’s philanthropy committee. Tri Delta’s philanthropy is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. As a member of the philanthropy committee, my role is to help organize and host various types of events and fundraisers that are all to help to fund the work done by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. My favorite event that our team puts on is Delta House of Pancakes (DHOP)! My artifact includes a photo of me and some of the girls I worked with at this fundraiser and the decorations we put up for it outside of our sorority. I have loved giving back to others for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my parents did their best to teach my siblings and I the importance of being selfless and helping others. It is one of the most rewarding experiences. Whether it was helping at the food bank or selling lemonde in my front yard to raise money for our church, I have always loved doing what I could to help those who weren’t as fortunate as I was. In high school I was a member of Key Club. Key Club’s goal is to encourage leadership through serving others; we did this through volunteering for events, participating in fundraisers, etc. Once I graduated high school, I knew I had to find a way to continue to serve others in college. Joining my sorority’s philanthropy committee gave me that opportunity!
Our committee coordinates over ten events a year to raise money for this hospital. The other aspects of what I do in this committee are donating and gathering supplies for the events, advertising the events we host as well as other fundraising opportunities Tri Delta hosts, and working at the fundraisers. Tri Delta is a huge source of donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and none of the work we do can be done alone. Every dollar raised for St. Jude is thanks to a huge committee of girls working hard as a team to bring our plans to life. Working with a group of incredible women towards the common goal of helping the children of St. Jude has and continues to be such a rewarding experience. It has showed me the importance of teamwork and how much more we can accomplish when we help each other and work together! I have attached a photo of me with my sorority sisters. You can see in the photo a large sign that says DHOP. DHOP stands for Delta House of Pancakes which is an event we host where we sell tickets for people to come into our sorority house and enjoy a pancake bar. Buying one ticket gives you access to a pancake bar with a variety of toppings, and the event is an awesome way to support St. Jude! All of the money we raise at DHOP goes to St. Jude, and this fundraiser wouldn’t be possible without teamwork!
Throughout life, teamwork has been and always will be important. My dream is to one day become a physician assistant, and whether I am working with other medical professionals or a patient, teamwork will be involved. If I am not able to effectively work with others, I will not be able to flourish in my career. My philanthropy team has taught me so much about teamwork, and I am so grateful for everything this experience has taught me!