Home is where the heart is: meet our hometowns

ADPi at the University of South Carolina has become a place we all call home, but our sisters come from all over the country. Whether it’s a beach town or big city, each of our sisters brings a piece of her hometown with her to USC. Before ADPi became our home away from home, each of these places have shaped who we are and the values we’ve carried into Greek life with us. Get to know a few of our sisters and the hometowns that mean so much to them!

Addie Cox-Franklin is from Annapolis, Maryland. Her favorite thing to do is going sailing with friends and family on the Chesapeake Bay. She spends her time walking downtown, taking in the historic brick buildings, boutiques, and delicious ice cream shops. The blue crabs and oysters are best enjoyed in the summer on the deck overlooking the bay

“I chose to join ADPi because I felt a sense of family and belonging the second I walked into the house. Everyone treated me like a sister, and I could always be myself without worry of being judged or not belonging.”

Mackenzie Watkins is from Williamstown, New Jersey. Her favorite part about Williamstown is that it’s just 40 minutes from Ocean City, the beach she’s grown up to going every summer. From the beaches, walking down the boardwalk, and through downtown she loves it all. Every summer she looks forward to weekends down the shore! 

“Navigating high school friendships was not easy, so I was eager to come to USC and meet my best friends, and I did just that by joining ADPi!! I actually met one of my close friends during Honors College orientation. Little did I know that we would run home to the same sorority. She has made me feel so included and valued, and I am so lucky I met her!!”

Anna Hollan is from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Some of her favorite things to do are visit the farm animals (specifically goats), walk around Reynolda Gardens, and hanging out with her dog (Sandy)! There are fun coffee shops, flowers, clothing and jewelry shops, and so much more. 

“Coming from a small private high school, I knew I wanted a bigger college life. I wanted to stay along the East Coast, so I was not too far away from home because I am a homebody at heart! I joined ADPi because the girls in our chapter reminded me a lot of my favorite people from home! I had never been in such a big school, I wanted to find a smaller circle on such a large campus. I was easily able to find that in ADPi because I really felt connected to the girls and the overall chapter values.”

Ellie Geyer is from Seattle, Washington. Her favorite thing to do is take day trips to all the nature surrounding Seattle, specifically Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, and the Washington Coast. Seattle seems like a big city, but it is full of close-knit, warm communities and so much beauty! It’s always fun to go downtown to Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, or swimming in Lake Washington. 

"I chose to come to USC and ultimately join ADPi because the second I stepped foot on campus and in ADPi, I felt relief like I had finally found where I was meant to be. The thought of moving to the opposite corner of the country for college and starting a whole new life seemed so daunting, but ADPi has been one of the best things to come out of this year! I have been blessed, and was even elected as the Director of Public Relations for Beta Epsilon which has been so fulfilling.”

Lauren Cooley is from Cincinnati, Ohio. She loves going to baseball games with her friends (Go Reds!!), long walks on the Loveland bike trail, dressing up to go out to dinner downtown, country music concerts, and Saturday morning farmers market runs!

“I came into recruitment not knowing too much about all of the sororities here but when I walked into ADPi for the first time I hoped it couldn’t be my last. I will never forget the feeling I got walking into ADPi for the first time, all of the girls were so inviting and had such a passionate presence. Each girl I talked to beamed while talking about their experience in ADPi and all of the friendships they had made. Coming from so far, that was just what I was looking for, and I’m so thankful that I’ve now gotten to experience that myself!”

Lindsey Grubbs is from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She loves going to the beach with friends, going out on the inlet, and discovering new sushi and coffee shops! Lindsey loves how Myrtle always feels a little like summer with the beach only being a few minutes up the road and good friends around the corner. 

“[I’ve met] so many sweet ADPis through my time doing pageants and being babysat by a former Beta Epsilon growing up! I had heard nothing but good things about this chapter and was excited to experience it for myself!”

Emily Alonso is from Bluffton, South Carolina. Some of her favorite things about Bluffton are that it’s 20 minutes away from Hilton Head with tons of beaches. She also loves Old Town, which is a scenic town right on the river with tons of boutiques and restaurants. Emily never fails to find a pretty place to walk in her hometown!

“I decided to come to USC when I toured it because I immediately fell in love with the school spirit and campus atmosphere. I had no idea what recruitment held, but could feel that ADPi was special when I walked in the door. I texted my mom “I want to call ADPi my home” from the genuine conversations I had during Sisterhood and Preference Rounds. The conversations reflected my morals and standards; I truly felt welcomed and loved from the very first time we met!”

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No matter how far we’ve traveled or how different our hometowns may be, each place has shaped us into who we are today. While we’ll always carry a piece of home with us, ADPi has given us something just as special – a place where we feel supported, loved, and truly ourselves. No matter where we’re from, we’ve all found our way to the same place, and we’re so grateful to call ADPi home!

XOXO ALPHA DELTA PI - BETA EPSILON