In light of recruitment season, I wanted to take the time to reflect on what being a Panhellenic woman means to me.

Panhellenic is the overarching term for the sorority community. At Florida Gulf Coast University, there are six organizations that fall under the umbrella of Panhellenic. Each organization has its own values and rituals, but they all come together to create one strong, united community of women.

This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to serve the Florida Gulf Coast University Panhellenic community as a Recruitment Counselor (Rho Gamma). With this position, I hold ALL letters close to my heart. While I am an active member in one specific chapter, I represent the women of all six organizations at FGCU. Talk about an honor! I have not taken this opportunity lightly as I AM the face of ALL Panhellenic women. While holding this position, I have truly learned the deeper meaning behind what it means to be a Panhellenic woman.

1. Being a Panhellenic woman means serving the community.

2018 recruitment teamJasmine Lollino

Being philanthropic is an essential piece to being a Panhellenic woman. It is one thing to just say you enjoy serving the community, but it is another to actually go out and offer a helping hand. Actions speak louder than words. We make it a priority to use our platform as Panhellenic women to give back to Philanthropies we hold near and dear to our hearts. We love our Philanthropies with every single piece of our being, and we love benefiting other organization's Philanthropies as well. Panhellenic women change others' lives as much as they change ours through our passion towards Philanthropy.

2. Being a Panhellenic woman means being academically motivated.

Recruitment team beach cleanupRachael Woodham

We have decided to further our education by going to a college or university, thus our education is at the forefront. Being a Panhellenic woman helps us stay focused and reach our academics goals. Our chapter sisters and Panhellenic sisters both hold us accountable to perform our absolute best on assignments, projects, exams, and much more. The Panhellenic community is filled with intelligent women who strive to get the best out of their education.

3. Being a Panhellenic woman means being a role model.

Panhellenic loveTaramae Noel

Panhellenic women are adorned with an immense amount of responsibility. Panhellenic women inspire many through their academic success, community engagement, campus involvement, research, and much more. We show women they can do ANYTHING, absolutely ANYTHING. We work hard, push ourselves, reach our goals, and uplift others. We are exemplary women, and we live out our every day as such.

4. Being a Panhellenic woman means being a leader.

Recruitment team Disney tripJasmine Lollino

Through our acts of service, we are leaders. Through our scholastic achievement, we are leaders. Through our ability to be a mentor to others, we are leaders. Through our support of others, we are leaders. Through our engagement on campus, we are leaders. In every sense of our being, Panhellenic women are leaders.

As new women will soon be joining the Panhellenic community, it is important to self-reflect on what it means to be a Panhellenic woman. To me, being a Panhellenic woman means being actively involved in philanthropy, making scholarship a priority, being a mentor for others, and ultimately being a leader.

What does being a Panhellenic woman mean to you?

Panhellenic BannerTaylor Pearce