Before I entered college I always assumed Greek life was about partying and I had NO interest in being a part of it whatsoever. I attended a junior college my first two years and Greek life was not even an option for me, however, once I started attending a four-year university I was told I could participate in recruitment as a transfer. Instantly I said, "No thanks." I had never had an interest in being in a sorority and didn't think that would be changing now. Well... Some of my new teammates were involved in a sorority. Then one of my classmates, whom I was studying with, was also in that SAME sorority. All in all, I ended up joining Alpha Chi Omega and I will forever be thankful that I did. I have learned so much about being a part of a sorority and my whole perspective of what it means to be a part of a sisterhood has definitely changed.

Being a part of my sorority has taught me what the word "sisterhood" truly means. To me, it means always having someone there when you need someone to talk to. There is always someone who is willing to help you out if you get in a tight spot or if you are having trouble in a class. You always have someone to go do something with whether it's going to dinner or working out. You literally always have someone there by your side. When one of our sisters are going through something, we always try our best to cheer them up by doing nice things for them or letting them know that we are all still there for them. Being a part of a sorority is about the little things, whether it is kind words to someone who seems like they are down, having a bad day, or even just going and supporting one of our sisters at an event that matters to them- such as a play performance or sporting event.

Being a part of a sorority has taught me the importance of philanthropy and how helping out someone who may be less fortunate than you or someone in need of your help can really change a life. It has shown me that even if the work is hard and requires a lot of effort and dedication, in the long run, the impact you will have on someone else's life will be so significant that all that hard work and time you put in will be worth it for the positive outcome you influenced. It has instilled in me a desire and ambition to give back and be more involved in my community.

Being a part of a sorority has helped elevate my drive to be academically successful. Although we all like to have fun, we still put school first. People go to university to attend school to learn and eventually get a degree to start a career. My sorority provides me with academic drive and motivation, and this has helped me continue to aim to be as successful as I can be. Whenever I lack the motivation to do my homework or study for a test I know I can always count on one of my sisters to encourage me to keep going and to do the best I can. Often times if I am struggling in a class or having a hard time understanding a concept in one of my classes, if I ask for help, there is always a sister willing to go out of their way and set aside some time to help me out because they understand how important academics are and how important helping your fellow sister is.

"Greek life" to me use to hold a negative stereotype. It was something I never wanted to be a part of or have anything to do with. Now, though, my views have changed and I have learned so much about what it really means to be a part of Greek life. If you are skeptical about it or have a negative view of it, I recommend that you at least try it out. It is definitely worth it. You could meet some amazing people, like I have, that you otherwise probably would not and can learn so much! You can learn not only about other people, but yourself along the way. So, next time you think, "Man, I will never be into a sorority," remember that stereotypes and reality are two separate things and you should not judge a group without experiencing it firsthand and gaining your own perspective of the organization.