In this series of articles, we feature several members who make up our amazing sisterhood. They all come from different backgrounds and have different passions and talents, but they all share one commonality: They are Tri Delta.
Brittany set her first national record in waterskiing when she was 12 years old. Since then, she has set several additional records, including one in jumping that had been standing for 10 years.
Before Brittany broke it, the record had stood at 104 feet. First, Brittany tied it. Next, she broke it at 105 feet. But she didn’t stop. She then broke her own records of 105, 106 and 109 feet.
The following year, Brittany attempted the record again. This time she broke it at an incredible 120 feet — a new record that continues to stand.
In addition to holding a record in jumping, Brittany also has five national titles and has placed fourth in jumping at two world championships — one in Italy and one in Spain.
Brittany comes by her skills on skis naturally. Both of her parents attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe on a waterskiing scholarship and skied professionally. After her parents married, they moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, and built their own lake. Brittany put on her first pair of skis when she was 3 years old.
Today, she skis for the University of Louisiana Lafayette’s college team. But when most people think of college sports, waterskiing may not be the first sport that comes to mind. Brittany admits even some of the students at her own school don’t realize the university has a team.
“People will ask, ‘We have a water ski team?’ And I tell them, ‘Yes we do. We’re actually really good, too.’”
Last fall, Brittany helped the team clinch the National Championship while also making history.
“We won every single event. There are three events — slalom, trick, jump — for both the women and the men, and we won all six events for the tournament,” Brittany says. “No one’s ever done that.”
Brittany’s love of sports influences other areas of her life. She’s currently majoring in dietetics and plans to get her sports dietician certification. “I grew up playing sports, and I want to be able to give back on the nutrition side,” she says.
She also plans to continue waterskiing professionally, starting with professional tournaments this summer. “Waterskiing was such a big family sport for us growing up…I want to keep waterskiing, but also focus on my career and maintain a balance.”
Brittany attended an all-girls high school and missed that sense of community when she first arrived on campus at Louisiana Lafayette. It wasn’t until her sophomore year that she decided to go through recruitment. The first day she walked into Tri Delta, Brittany immediately knew the feeling of sisterhood was what she had been missing.
When she first joined Tri Delta, Brittany knew she wanted to be an active member in the chapter, but she didn’t think she would end up being one of the chapter leaders. “Watching the officers do all these really awesome things inspired me to slate,” she says.
To her surprise, Brittany was slated as new member educator. “I never expected that,” she admits. “I didn’t really believe in myself that I could do that.”
Now serving as vice president/chapter development, Brittany says being an officer has pushed her and helped her confidence in being able to lead. “That’s going to carry on throughout my career and life,” she says. “I didn’t expect this group of women to turn me into a better leader, but that’s what they’re here for.”
In addition to developing her leadership skills, Brittany says Tri Delta has also helped her develop her communication skills. “Everyone in our chapter is so unique, and we embrace that — there are so many different types of personalities you come across, and you have to understand how to talk to each person. I’ve learned how to communicate on different levels, and how to be patient.”
She adds, “These women pushed me to be who I am today — I can’t imagine college without them.”
There are more than 200,000 Tri Deltas around the world who make up our sisterhood. Tri Delta wants to hear from YOU! What makes you unique? Tell us on social media using the hashtag #IamTriDelta.