Meet our VP of Recruitment

Meet our VP of Recruitment, Anna Lane Tinsley, a nursing major from Carrolton, GA! She is working incredibly hard to make sure the hundreds of girls who come through our doors feel comfortable and at home in Alpha Chi!

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What does your job entail as VP of Recruitment?
I think that being the VP of Recruitment is the same thing as being a wedding planner, except the wedding is 7 days long, has 5 different themes, and there are 1600 brides that you are aiming to please.  It's exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time!  People say that it takes a village to raise a child and if that's the case, then #aurec16 is definitely my baby.  The number of people in our chapter who have helped out with anything related to recruitment is astounding and recruitment preparation has truly been a group effort.  With a willingness to complete anything that has been on the to-do list, girls in the chapter have been showing their devotion to our success through the commitment of their time.  I think that says a lot about our girls.  Also as a side note, if anyone needs their wedding planned in under 8 months, give me a call because I've got some experience!

How did you feel as a PNM coming through recruitment?
As a PNM coming through recruitment, I was mainly excited!  I viewed recruitment as an opportunity to meet as many people as I could and to learn more about Auburn and sororities as a whole.  I think that is a really important way to view recruitment as a PNM because it takes the pressure off of you and you start to view your conversations with girls in sororities as more of an information-gathering opportunity for you rather than an information-gathering opportunity about you for the members of the sorority.  The more relaxed that you are and the more questions that you ask shows that you are interested in the sorority, and I think that the main goal of any sorority during recruitment is to find and pledge girls who are going to be interested, engaged, loving, and loyal members of their sisterhood. 

Why did you choose Alpha Chi?
Looking back, I think that I chose Alpha Chi because God had put it in my heart that it was where I belonged.  On pref day, I don't think you could have convinced me to put either of the other two wonderful chapters above Alpha Chi on my list.  I wish I could say that there was a single defining moment of clarity when I knew my decision, but I think it was just an overall gut feeling.  I felt comfortable with the girls throughout the entire week and I never thought that anything that I saw was a show being put on for recruitment purposes.  The girls that I spoke to were genuine and down-to-earth, which are qualities that I look for in friendships, and it was where I felt the most at home. 

What advice do you have for PNMs coming through recruitment this year?
Know your worth and do not convince yourself that it is based on what you are wearing or on one single conversation that you have.  It is easy to believe that recruitment is a process based solely on first impressions but that's not the case, especially within our chapter.  Every sorority at Auburn has their own wonderful dynamic and that is the special part of being in a sorority, but at the very heart of it, we are all just a bunch of 18-22 year old girls who go though the same highs and lows of happiness and struggle while in college, regardless of our letters.  If you remember that your worth is found in much higher things and that you will find friends who will experience the same things as you in any sorority, you'll remember recruitment as a great experience (minus the whole waking up early part!)

What is your favorite Alpha Chi memory?
I'm not sure if this really counts as a specific memory but when I look back on my time in Alpha Chi, I will remember the ways in which I have witnessed how this chapter changes women for the better.  For example, our chapter president Abby Rippoli.  Abby served as the VP of Philanthropy during our sophomore year and at the time, she was also my roommate.  I watched how her leadership position as the VP of Philanthropy instilled in her a passion and devotion to our philanthropy and our chapter that carried over into her desire to be our chapter president.  As her friend who sees all the behind-the-scenes effort that is put in, I can honestly say that Abby has devoted 100% of herself to our chapter over the past 8 months.  I've witnessed all of the ways in which the experience has challenged and shaped her into the amazing woman and friend that she is today.  Epsilon Zeta is so lucky to have her in our chapter and I am so lucky to have her as my partner in recruitment crime! 

For more information about recruitment, check out the Recruitment page on our website!