Living the SRAT life isn’t always an easy life to live. Yes there are countless comfort color t shirts and philanthropy events to attend, but behind every woman wearing letters is still a girl who is trying her best to figure out this thing we call "life."     

Sometimes in a chapter of almost 200 women, it’s easy to get lost. It’s easy to feel insignificant and to wonder if, in terms of the sorority as a whole, whether or not you matter. I myself have even walked into a chapter meeting before and thought, 

“If I wasn’t here, would these women even notice?”

If you stand in the front of a chapter meeting I’m sure more than half of the women in that room would say that they have asked themselves that very same question. But the truth is you do matter and you are important, and here’s why: 

1. You offer something no one else can give.
Yes, this sounds terribly cliché but no matter how many times someone says it, it’s still true. You offer something to your chapter that no one else can give. Whether that be your unique perspective, your trendy style, your willingness to serve, your humor or your encouragement, the truth is that your chapter would not be the same without your presence. You are that puzzle piece that no one else can fill, and it’s not complete without you as a part of it. 

2. You have a purpose.
One of the hardest things about being in a sorority is feeling like you don’t have a purpose in your chapter. It’s hard and overwhelming to find your place in such a diverse and influential group of women, but it’s possible. You were put into your chapter for a reason; you were added for a purpose. 

In the words of Abileene Clark, “You is kind, you is smart, you is important.” You are important. Don’t let your fear of not fitting in cause you to walk away from something that could be life changing. You are important to the chapter dynamic as a whole. It’s a fact. 

3. You have the opportunity to make someone else feel like they matter, too.
A sorority is just another fancy term for a family. Greek life in itself wasn’t created to be a tool of separation, but a way for people to come together for a bigger purpose. To be in a sorority is to be a part of a group of women striving to make the world a better place. Of course all great things have their faults, but by being a part of a sorority means that you have been invited in to another family. You have the opportunity to be that hand that someone needs to hold, that shoulder to cry on, and that phone call at midnight. The reason you matter is because you get to make someone else feel like they are loved and have a purpose, too.