It starts with you!

Igniting Women's Confidence: It starts with you!

Starting with me, I am Chelsea Poplin! I attend school at Wingate University, a small school located near Charlotte, North Carolina. I am majoring in Math / Business, and am planning on making that big walk across the stage in May. I am a proud sister of Sigma Sigma Sigma, becoming a member of this organization ignited my love for student involvement and I quickly became a part of multiple facets of campus. 

When I reflect on this year’s conference tagline, “Igniting Women's Confidence,” I realize what a powerful phrase it is. It insinuates that once your confidence is sparked that it can only grow from that point forward, never being extinguished. It reminds me of a quote I try to life my life by, I discovered it in seventh grade.  The quote is by Marianne Williamson and has two important parts.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?”

This portion of the quote has always resonated with me, reminded me that I am capable of doing anything that I set my mind to, and that there is nothing to be afraid of. A lot of times we are our own worst enemy and create doubt that does not need to exist.  This line of the quote shows that by having confidence in oneself you set the spark in motion.  

“It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

When I started my journey in college, I had decided instead of focusing on myself, I would focus on helping others shine. Through letting my light shine and encouraging others to believe in themselves, I began to gain an intangible confidence.  I am thankful for this confidence and the ability to share it with others, and I am ready to share my shine with all of you at SEPC. 

I am passionate about SEPC and everything that it embodies, because for over 60 years it has given women the ability to ignite their confidence by empowering women to positively impact those they surround themselves with. It gives women the opportunity to take on leadership positions, and serve a philanthropic cause to help women all across the world. We as women are all talented and wonderful, and as we work together to ignite one woman’s confidence at a time it will be truly revolutionary.  Image the bright light we will all hold at the end of the SEPC weekend, with hundreds of Panhellenic sisters providing support and knowledge to make a difference in our chapters, Panhellenic communities, college campuses, and communities.  By igniting our confidence we will become global thinkers, changers, and help others shine.