In high school, Indiana Delta Cherish Lott hopped on a train in Oakland, Michigan and headed to Lafayette, Indiana. She was attending an introductory weekend for potential students at Purdue University, just like she had done with so many schools before. After eleven hours, she got off the train to hear country music singing through the speakers, and saw everyone eager start their new chapter in life in the next few months. Just on the campus, she felt right at home.
She remembers that everything just “clicked” beginning from her first visit on campus. Purdue had everything she was looking for: a large school that felt small, a rural setting, and a perfect distance from home. Now heading into her Junior year, I asked how the school has lived up to what she hoped for and Cherish enthusiastically replied, “It’s pretty much exactly what I expected, but so much more.”
What Cherish did not foresee was joining a sorority and falling in love with the sisterhood of Pi Beta Phi. “I grew up with all boys. I thought I would be in an apartment by myself, doing college alone, and being completely content with that,” she admits, “But now I live with 66 girls and I would not change a thing!” And she has become very involved, especially in her current role as Vice President of Event Planning. Furthermore, Cherish has continually been involved in various aspects of chapter: Food Committee, New Member Coordinator Assistant, and anything else to help Indiana Delta. It is this desire to constantly encourage the growth of the sisterhood that has allowed Cherish to become a source of comfort for her sisters. She shared that many sisters come to her for advice and support.
Taking a driving tour through campus, it is obvious how much Cherish loves the University and her chapter. She will tell you about the red bricks that line every building on campus, the fountain run tradition, and other pieces of Purdue history. And she will share stories about laughing so hard with her Pi Phi sisters that she could not breathe. With all she has experienced so far, Cherish has a piece of advice to share: Be friends with everyone! She gave this advice without a hint of hesitation, as she realized no matter what their majors, situations or various life situations, all the women in the chapter were in the same boat of trying to thrive in college. Following her own advice has allowed Cherish to share a more fulfilled collegiate career with all her sisters.