Greetings members,

Welcome to the new year and a new call to action! This past November at the 47^th Biennial Convention, Sigma installed a new president at the international level. Dr. Sandra Garmon Bibb was introduced as the 35^th Sigma president. I had the privilege of attending the convention and participating in the ceremony, House of Delegates, and convention. I also had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Bibb! I am excited to share the new call to action that asks us to Represent! This call to action encourages each of us to recognize our ability to speak on behalf of nursing and Sigma by representing our unique selves and be the collective change to shape the world as we like to see it. The call to action has three components, Reflect, Respect and Respond. Reflect means communication and caring culture. We are asked to model and reflect our commitment to self, care of others and care of the environment. Respect is about cultivating cultural humility through self-awareness and self-reflection. Finally, we are also called on to Respond. We respond by championing contemporary practice with professionalism, perspective, and perseverance.

The call to action resonates deeply with me. For the past few years as a nurse serving in the role of educating our future nurses, cultural humility and the power of self-reflection is a common theme that has been weaved within our curriculum. We encourage our students to be their authentic selves, to be self-aware, and to practice self-reflection. We ask them to envision themselves as future leaders and change agents. One of my favorite assignments is journal reflections where growth of professionalism and perspective among our students can be seen and hope lies. In a tumultuous world that we continue to navigate, I believe that it is fitting, that as Sigma nurses, who embody and are called to role model nursing excellence and leadership, see themselves in a broader role of making the world a better place for all. I encourage all of you to visit the Sigma website to learn more about how as an organization and a chapter we can Represent!

Roxanne Roth, President