Greek life was always part of my plan.

Watching my older cousin go through recruitment and sorority life while I was still in high school got me hooked. At first, a lot of my college friends didn’t like the idea of Greek life, and it shook me. Did I still want to rush? Would I lose all my friends? Did I get the wrong impression of being in a sorority?

Regardless, I rushed anyway and almost a year later, I’m so proud of, and to be a member of my organization.

1. I really believe in the foundations of the organization I joined.

For me, these foundations are love, honor, and truth, and who wouldn’t want to believe in things like that? To be loving, honorable, and truthful is something I aspired to be before joining a sorority, and now I have a group of women to support me in keeping to those morals.

2. I found my best friends after joining.

One of the cheesiest sorority stereotypes is that we’re all best friends all the time. I won’t feed you that bullsh*t, because it isn’t true. Sometimes we fight and sometimes there’s drama, but I really did meet my best friends in joining my sorority. They’re the girls I can tell anything to, the girls I can always count on to help me out of a tough spot, and the girls I’m sure will be standing next to me on my wedding day. They’re a priceless part of my life both at school, and when we go home, and I truly can’t remember what college was like without them.

3. Being involved is cool, contrary to popular notion that it’s cool not to care.

It’s not cool to not give a cr*p about anything. Being apathetic towards the world is boring. And hard. Love the things the people you love, care about the things you enjoy, and put in effort where effort is due. I love my sorority, and I’m not going to pretend that I’m too cool to care about our colors, message, and events. I’m not too cool, and neither is anyone else.

4. Philanthropy is where it’s at.

I LOVE giving back. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help I’ve received along the way these past 20 years. And nothing feels better than being able to pass some help along. Whether it’s volunteering at a soup kitchen, doing a color run for kids, or waking up early on a Sunday to play flag football for CMNH, my sorority provides me with an endless number of ways to give back to the community on a local and national scale.

5. You get what you give.

It’s true. You get what you give. If you’re the kind of girl who wants to hang back and not be super involved, then power to ya. But you can’t expect to reap 110% of the benefits of anything if you’re only willing to give 40%. By throwing myself into my sorority, I’ve already learned so much about leadership, friendship, philanthropy, and myself.

I’m proud of being a sorority member, being involved in my organization, and representing what we mean. It’s fulfilling, rewarding, and purposeful to be part of a group of women who spend so much time volunteering, coordinating philanthropic events, working together, and boosting each other up. I can’t imagine a college experience without my organization. They’ve made me a better person, and I’m lucky to have them behind me not only for four years, but for life.