One of our sisters, Katja, who is pictured above on the right. Has been going to Brennen for years! She even has a pen pal! Listen to what Katja has to say about her experience while she was abroad!
"Akira, my pen pal, cried when I walked into the room and cried again when I left. She remembered me almost an entire year later.
It is hard to define one Greek experience as my favorite. Greek Life has truly shaped my college career. I would have to say that the trips to the hearing impaired classrooms at Brennen Elementary, supporting our local philanthropy, have impacted me the most.
I started volunteering at Brennen as a new member of Delta Zeta. My big sister, Kristen Arnall, introduced me to volunteering at Brennen. After my first visit, I knew I would return as often as possible. I have always prioritized going to Brennen with a small group of sisters, only missing when I had exams on Friday mornings.
While abroad this semester, I have come to realize how much I take for granted at USC. There are certain opportunities I miss more than others, and the children at Brennen Elementary are definitely missed!
The children at Brennen are so heart warming, so incredibly strong and independent despite the challenges they face daily. They don’t let their impairment define them and it certainly doesn’t hinder them from doing anything they set their minds to.
Last semester, we started a pen pal program with the children, writing letters and coloring pictures to send to them throughout the semester.
The week before exams this fall, I went to volunteer at Brennen and was able to “meet my Pen Pal.” I had already known Akira as a sweet girl in the class, but when the teacher explained to Akira that I was her pen pal, her face lit up. She was so excited; she jumped into my arms and would not let go. When it was time to leave, Akira began to cry. The teacher explained that I would not be able to visit in the spring, but would return in the fall.
My sisters still visit the classroom, and some have told me that Akira says hello and misses me. I am putting a letter in the mail to my Pen Pal from Austria next week. Her picture hangs in my room in Vienna.
The feeling you get when giving back to the community, knowing you are helping others and brightening their day, is something I hold close to my heart. Brennen Elementary has made me realize how important it is to give back, and without Delta Zeta and the Greek Community, I know I would not have been given this opportunity during my time at USC. Supporting philanthropies and giving back are the fundamental reasons why I love being apart of Greek Life, something that is often forgotten when stereotyping Greeks. These reasons, among many others, make volunteering at Brennen Elementary my favorite Greek experience."
Here are some pictures from the DZ trip last Friday!
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