Anna Lisa Pflaum is the senior that all the freshmen at Furman University look up to, the leader that her friends rely on, and the President of Alpha Delta Pi in charge of 70+ women. But what might shock you is that Anna Lisa, almost TRANSFERRED her sophomore year of college! Those who know Anna Lisa Pflaum characterize her as:
“A confident leader who can make anyone's day” -Brooke Dominiak
“Down to earth and kind to all” -Ashlyn Horton
“Welcoming and including” -Justin Drago
“Inspiring leader” -Claudia Roe
“Someone you can look up to and a mentor to everyone” -Bella Shafer
“Very hardworking and understanding” -Jack Pflaum
“Smart and independent woman” -Mary Grace Cravens
“Natural born leader and the kindest most empathetic person I’ve ever met” -Emma Ingalls
“Most selfless and sweet person who puts others before herself” -Maya Bharatiya
“Committed, compassionate and welcoming” -Jack Cline
“A strong leader” -Blair Smith
“One of the kindest, most intentional and loyal girls I know” -Ellie Kline
“A person you can always count on no matter what” -Madeline Turnipseed
“Invested and a great listener” -Hanna Gemmell
“Clever, smart, and funny. To know her is to love her” -Sarah Pflaum
“Very welcoming and kindhearted” -Aley King
“Kind, loving, passionate, inclusive, empathetic, strong-willed” -Tait Lamb
“As a girl who knows how to make everyone feel included” -Joci Wirth
Despite these positive descriptions, Anna Lisa wasn’t always the confident, strong, outgoing, kind, and empathetic leader that Alpha Delta Pi and her classmates view her as today. Anna Lisa stated that “I used to be an introvert who felt like a fish out of water and did not feel like I belonged in Alpha Delta Pi or at Furman University”.
Fresh Start Freshman Year
The rollercoaster journey of Anna Lisa started in 2019 at Furman University when she was a Freshman. Anna Lisa was as nervous as a mouse surrounded by cats when entering college. She was so afraid to branch out to new people and as a result, so she didn’t. Instead, Anna Lisa stuck to her two best friends that she made coming into college. Anna Lisa constantly felt like a fish out of water at Furman University and due to that feeling, she decided to rush to a sorority with hopes of being caught. When bid day finally came it was not at all like Anna Lisa expected. The letter of Anna Lisa’s bid had her top choice of Alpha Delta Pi written in bold dark blue letters across the top. Instead of a day filled with happiness and laughter, it was filled with tears and feelings of anxiety.
Anna Lisa clarified, “On my bid day I literally cried my eyes out because I was so scared. I ran home to the place I wanted but when I got there surrounded by all my new sisters, I felt so out of place. I remember thinking to myself that I am not as confident and outgoing as the girls around me. I felt like I was going to stick out like a sore thumb and that I did not belong here.”
I was also a freshman in Anna Lisa’s sorority pledge class and entered Alpha Delta Pi with four of the best friends I made the first semester. When it was time to choose a sorority roommate, I was the odd number in my friend group and was left out. I knew I had to reach out to other girls in my sorority in search of a roommate and asked Anna Lisa. Although I did not know her well, she was one of the only Catholic girls in the pledge class. Since we shared religion in common, I decided to ask Anna Lisa to lunch in order to discuss the possibility of rooming next year.
From the very first moment I met Anna Lisa I knew she was going to be my best friend and we had to be roommates. Anna Lisa was like a diamond and had these qualities that were rare to find in a person. I told Anna Lisa that one day she was going to be our sorority, President. I remember she laughed loudly at this idea because she was not able to see the qualities that her sisters and I always saw in her.
Unfortunately, this was the only interaction I had with Anna Lisa. The pandemic cut Anna Lisa’s freshman year short making it impossible to build relationships with her new sorority sisters and her newly chosen roommate.
Scared Sophomore Year
Anna Lisa decided during the summer before sophomore year that she was going to apply and transfer to Auburn University. The only support system she had built during her freshman year vanished when both of her best friends decided to transfer and not return to Furman. This made Anna Lisa feel more alone than ever. She was living in the sorority hall with Brooke who already had her entire friend group established.
According to Anna Lisa, “I was scared to live in the hall as an introverted person, but knew I had to force myself out of my comfort zone otherwise I would not survive.”
Anna Lisa finally received her acceptance letter to Auburn in September and planned to transfer in the spring.
Anna Lisa said, “when my roommate found out I was transferring she was devastated. She tried to convince me to stay, and she even hid my acceptance letter. I didn’t think anyone would care or even notice if I transferred so it was great having a roommate who started to make me feel like I belonged here.”
Anna Lisa decided to give Furman one more semester before she transferred. She had interviews in October for Alpha Delta Pi leadership positions, and she was a big believer in signs. As a result, she told herself that if she receives a position then it would be a sign she should consider staying.
The results came out and Anna Lisa was selected for a higher-ranked position than she even applied for. She was offered the role of Director of Recruitment which is a very important job usually given to an upperclassman. Anna Lisa finally started to feel seen and as if her sorority sisters saw something in her that even she did not see in herself. Time flew by and Anna Lisa constantly pushed herself out of her comfort zone to meet girls on her sorority floor.
Tait Lamb, a sister who lived across from Anna Lisa, told us a story about how Anna Lisa was one of the first girls who made her feel welcomed in the hall.
“During the first few weeks of sophomore year in the sorority hall, I didn’t know anyone and had a single dorm. Until one day Anna Lisa knocked on my door to introduce herself and asked me if I wanted to get dinner because she didn’t have many friends in the hall yet. At that moment, Anna Lisa did not even recognize the small impact she had that day and the huge impact she has today on our entire sorority of girls that look up to her.”
Anna Lisa soon made friends with other girls in the hall which made her feel like she finally belonged. Mary Grace Cravens, a Furman Senior, reflected on the time when she first met Anna Lisa.
“I met Anna Lisa sophomore year when we were all figuring out who we wanted to be as individuals. While we’re still doing this, I’ve seen Anna Lisa grow so much as a person - As a smart and independent woman”.
The girl's Anna Lisa met in her hall soon became her very best friends and she has now lived with them for the past two years. Anna Lisa did not just start to feel a sense of belonging socially, she felt both academically and emotionally included at Furman. She soon joined FUtones, Furman’s only contemporary co-ed a cappella group. Anna Lisa ended up becoming a leader in that club, serving as the social Chair and Merchandise Specialist.
The Success of Senior Year
Anna Lisa was selected to be the President of Alpha Delta Pi in her junior year and took over the role in her senior year. Her role was to lead over 100 girls, work with the executive council to facilitate meetings, events, and recruitment, and be a role model to so many others around campus and beyond.
She stated that, “I am really glad I didn’t transfer because I would not be the person I am today if I did. Everything happens for a reason and transferring would have been the biggest mistake of my life.”
“I am beyond thankful for my sisterhood for seeing something in me that I couldn’t even see in myself, and I now think of myself as a confident person, and I hope to reflect that confidence to others around me.”
Today Anna Lisa is a leader and role model to not only her sisters but to every person who feels like they don’t belong.
“Looking back, I now know that I was supposed to go through that period where I felt like I didn’t belong because now being in the position I am in, I can make it my goal to make sure other girls don’t experience those feelings of unwantedness and isolation.”
The story of Anna Lisa serves as an inspiration to other students who feel alone, lost in their life, and like they don’t belong. Anna Lisa is a prime example that everything happens for a reason. As a result of Anna Lisa going outside her comfort zone and taking risks, she was able to become that strong confident leader and sister that her upperclassmen sisters first saw in her during her freshman year.
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