Letters from the Recruitment Chairs

Hi everyone!

I’m Michelle Dike, and I am so excited to be one of Texas Sweethearts’ Fall 2026 Recruitment co-chairs! A little bit about me: I’m a junior Health and Society major pursuing a certificate in Spanish for Medical Professions and a Pre-Health Professions certificate. I’m from Houston, Texas, and I’m a Fall ‘24 sweetie! 

UT is truly unlike any other university. Having older siblings who didn't go here meant that most of what I had learned about college through them didn’t even apply here. Whatever I thought I knew was completely changed by orientation. Although it feels like ages ago now, one thing I distinctly remember from orientation was seeing a spirit organization for the first time. During club tabling, I went up to a table not knowing what it was, flipped through the book they had, and kept looking for pre-health clubs.

A couple of months later, on my first day as a student at UT, I walked from CH 301 with my San Jacinto neighbor and roommate. As we were talking our classes and surviving the 100-degree weather, I noticed then-Vice President Wengel A. encouraging us  to come over. Cautiously, I walked over, planning to listen to her spiel like I had at all the other tables on Speedway. But I quickly realized I didn’t feel awkward or like I was being talked at. We were truly having a conversation, and I genuinely felt welcomed to their next event. I thought, “Might as well,” and marked my calendar with the date of the Service Smoker.

Little did I know attending that event would change the trajectory of my college career and, probably, my life. Each event I went to felt so natural and made me feel even more comfortable being myself.

Since then, I’ve loved every moment in Texas Sweethearts. It’s so special to me that I don’t know UT without this organization and wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve gained so many friends, family (shoutout CHF!!), professional opportunities, mentors, and memories I will tell my kids about. 

My biggest piece of advice for recruitment is not to take it too seriously! Recruitment and applying is something fun and if it’s meant to be, it will be. Be yourself (actually!) and present at the events! It all works out in the end.

I’m so excited for the rest of this semester as one of your Recruitment Co-Chairs. It’s truly an honor. Feel absolutely free to ask me any questions or just pull me aside to chat! I can’t wait to get to meet you all so, so soon!

With love,

Michelle Dike (she/her/hers)

Hi everyone!

My name is Mariela Peña, and I use she/her pronouns. I am beyond excited to be one of Texas Sweethearts’ Fall ‘26 Recruitment Chairs! I’m a junior pursuing finance with an accounting minor and I am a Fall ‘24 sweetie. A few things I enjoy doing in my free time are playing volleyball, going to concerts, and trying new coffee shops. I’m also absolutely obsessed with cats. I’m from San Antonio, Texas, and I have 4 cats and 2 dogs back at home.

When I started at UT, I explored spirit organizations because I was looking for a place where I could find not only sisterhood, but a community of people who would be there to support me no matter what. I really wanted to branch out outside of my major and have a way of meeting and surrounding myself with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. 

I found out about Texas Sweethearts during freshman orientation tabling and was immediately drawn to the people. So, once I returned in the fall, I knew I wanted to attend recruitment events to get to know everyone and the organization as a whole a little bit better. I remember attending the first smoker and being overwhelmed with the amount of people who were present. I was initially so nervous and overwhelmed, but as I talked to more actives and recruits I found a sense of belonging and immediately knew this was the place for me. I continued to attend as many recruitment events as I could, got to know so many great people, and applied!

Throughout my time in Sweethearts, I have been surrounded by the most genuine and hardworking people, including my lifelong sisters. I even found my mini me last fall, Yasemin, who made this past year so amazing and I can’t wait to continue to make more memories! I have also enjoyed how heavily service is integrated into our organization, from volunteering with our philanthropies to the service mixers we do with other orgs, it serves as a great way to help our Austin community while getting the chance to meet new people! And of course who could forget about social and spirit!? I always love getting to attend Texas athletics games alongside my beautiful friends in this org (most of all football, of course)!

Texas Sweethearts has become my family over the past two years, and I am so grateful that I was brave enough to step outside of my comfort zone while recruiting. My biggest piece of advice for anyone recruiting this semester is to be yourself!!! We want to see your personality and what makes you, you. Whether that be talking about your hobbies, your favorite music artists, or even your niche interests, use them to connect with both actives and recruits during this process. You never know who you’ll meet unless you put yourself out there! This organization has gifted me everything I could wish for and more, and I want nothing more than for everyone on campus to find a community where they belong. I can’t wait to meet everyone, and please feel free to come up to me and chat anytime <3 

With love,

Mariela Peña