Ellie Carrier

Lessons I’ve Learned in AKPsi - Ellie Carrier
My name is Ellie Carrier, and I am a part of the Tau pledge class (fall 2019). I joined AKPsi my first semester at ISU, and I’m so glad I did, because I’ve met lifelong friends and had experiences that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life. Over the past 3 years, I’ve learned a lot in AKPsi, and these are just a few lessons I’ll take with me:
1. Always try, the worst they can say is no.
While I was rushing and then pledging AKPsi, I was also applying for the Disney College Program. This was an internship I had dreamed for years of doing, and thought I had absolutely no shot at getting it as a freshman. Lo and behold, I got connected with an active during rush who had just gotten her offer from Disney to do the DCP, and she, along with my mentor, helped me prep for my interview when I had finally gotten past the dreaded “application in review” stage. I was actually tabling for scrunchtime, our pledge class business, when I had gotten my offer to work for Disney, and it’s a day I’ll never forget. I took a chance, even as a freshman, and got a yes when I expected a no, so always try. You never know what will come out of it.
2. The strongest leaders are ones that know how to ask for help.
It’s okay to not be okay 100% of the time. It’s human. We’ve all been stressed, overworked, exhausted, near the point of burnout at one point in our lives or another. You’re not alone. A good leader knows where they’re at - physically, mentally, and emotionally - and knows how to regulate that, as well as knows how to ask for help. You can’t pour into other people if you yourself are empty. Reach out to those around you and build a support system for yourself, and try to be there for others in the same way. We all succeed when we help one another; silent struggles don’t need to be silent. By modeling that to those around you, they might just be inspired to reach out for help themselves.
3. You can be your own harshest critic, but listen to others when they say they see potential in you.
I was not the loudest person in the room when I initially got into AKPsi, and I still am not. I don’t necessarily consider myself an ultra-charismatic type, or the carry “natural-born leader” energy that some people exude. I’m usually the hardest person on myself, any criticism that I receive is probably something I’ve already told myself. However, it’s important to know how to step outside that mindset and listen to those who see the best in you. I’ve been so incredibly lucky to have served this chapter in so many ways, as pledge class VP of Communications, Service Chair, VP of Membership, and now as President. So many of these roles were ones I was passionate about, but wasn’t sure I would be able to do. It’s the friends and brothers I had surrounded myself with in community that pushed me to go beyond my fixed mindset and try new things and put myself out there. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Listen to your community when they tell you they see potential in you - they’re usually pretty spot on.
4. Know your values, communicate them, and use them as fuel.
AKPsi has helped me find my passions in so many ways. I’m majoring in International Business with a minor in Spanish, and because of AKPsi, I found my passion for my sequence in organizational leadership and human resource management. I’m a people person. At the end of the day, I want to be able to look back and say I had a positive impact on those around me. I’m passionate about spreading inclusion, and I make sure that everyone around me knows it. You want to be able to look back in 5 minutes, 5 hours, days, years, decades, etc. and know you did your best and can be proud of the impact you have on the world. In everything I do, I aim to be unapologetically me, and it pushes me to be the best version of me that I can be.