The happiest day of my entire Greek Life career was the day I was announced sweetheart for my favorite group of boys on campus. I was in tears… literally. It was a moment that I will never forget. Being the sweetheart for a fraternity is a major honor. Not only are you the girl that proved herself out of hundreds of other girls, you are the girl that every brother saw as the woman that could represent their chapter best.

I get asked often why I wanted to be the sweetheart for that specific chapter and to start off it’s because these men showed me more than just a good time and that they were awesome. They showed me loyalty, friendship and love. They were the ones that spent hours listening to me complain about my boy problems. They were the ones that picked me up when my car broke down. They were the ones that paused the movie they were watching at their house just so I could come over and finish watching it with them. They were the ones that made me feel so wanted. Of course attention from 30+ men is the bees knees but it was a different kind of attention. They made me feel like my voice mattered and that my ideas were important. They gave a whole other meaning to the word ‘wanted.’ These men made me feel special and they made me feel important.

Before I became sweetheart for their chapter I was going through a breakup… I know typical. I felt lost and I felt that I would never find love again and that all guys were scumbags. I can be dramatic at times… But anyways I was going through a lot that year and I was having a hard time deciding if the sorority life was even for me anymore. So long story short I took a position in my chapter, which was one of the homecoming positions, and I used that as an escape from all my worries and to keep my mind busy.

Fast-forward through summer and now it is the fall semester, which is Homecoming season and at my school Homecoming is a HUGE deal. It means war during this time of the semester and it is also during recruitment season, and we all know how serious that is. So anyways, I was still debating whether or not I could handle my position and if I would even like it, but I sucked it up and I planned my first meeting homecoming meeting. After that first meeting and meeting the boys, I just knew I’d love them all so much and that I could see myself being good friends with their entire chapter. The first three brothers I met were so funny and I literally couldn’t stop laughing. By the end of the semester I became such great friends with every single brother and even including a couple of their alum brothers.

I will never forget how happy I was the day they announced me as their sweetheart and how many tears of joy I cried that night. They came into my chapter meeting and sang the Sweetheart Song in front of my entire chapter and handed me my very own set of stitch letters with my sorority and a pair of their stitch letters. Since that day, these men have been my rocks, my loves, and my support system. These men taught me loyalty, love and respect and I am so proud to say that I was the sweetheart for their chapter and they will forever be my boys.

These men change our life and explaining what it feels like to be a sweetheart for a chapter is unexplainable. You have to be one to know how much of an honor it truly is.

Here are a couple other experiences and stories from other sweethearts from other chapters:

Meet Tyler

She is the Sweetheart of the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Rho

Becoming the Sweetheart of the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Chi Rho was one of the greatest honors I have ever received. Academically I’ve consistently excelled, but socially I’ve always been a little awkward. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve definitely had friends – but knowing that I was a bit strange definitely took a toll on my self-esteem growing up. When I met my boys, I knew immediately that I loved them all. They were a group of men that was just as odd as I was, and they all loved and accepted each other for it. Just being friends with them, I grew to love myself as I was. But becoming their Sweetheart was something else entirely.

My chapter doesn’t do annual Sweethearts. In fact, before they decided to give me the honor, they didn’t even know if they had a ritual for it. I was their first Sweetheart in 15 years!

First, receiving this honor has taught me that someone will love exactly the way I am – a group of 40 men has decided to make me a part of their family just because I was myself. It has also shown me what true love and respect looks like. My boys don’t want to get in my pants. My boys don’t want me to do anything for them. My boys don’t expect anything from me. They shower me with love without expecting anything in return, and that’s what true loyalty and friendship is. Becoming the Sweetheart of Alpha Chi Rho has made me the confident, loving woman I am today, and I wouldn’t trade my experience with these men for the world. These men are my brothers through thick and thin and I will love them forever for that.

Meet Nicole

She is the Sweetheart for Pi Kappa Phi at Arizona State University

When I was a freshman I was scared, nervous, and worried about how I was going to make it through the next four years. I went to Arizona State University for a fresh start but when I finally got there, the young 18-year old inside me that thought she was all grown up realized she had no idea what she was doing. Only knowing about four people from my hometown made me very eager to meet new people, so naturally, I decided to rush and joined a sorority. After this, one of those few friends I had from before invited me to a fraternity party, being Pi Kappa Phi, so that maybe I could branch out. To say that one night created a whole new path for my college experience would sound dramatic, but it would also be the truth. By the end of the night, I met some of the nicest, smartest, and most genuine guys I have ever met in my life. They weren’t those stereotypical frat guys you have either heard about or even met, but they were a fraternity that respected not only the value of what a chapter meant, but also each other. Three years later, I decided to run for Miss Push America, their philanthropy Sweetheart for their philanthropy Ability Experience, formerly called Push America hence my title at the time. Surprisingly, I won and that year was a whole new experience. Ability Experience is an organization Pi Kappa Phi created to support people with disabilities, and while I turned into a figurehead for Arizona State’s individual chapter to help them, they were the ones that helped me. While attending friendship visits and making gifts for Pi Alpha’s who biked across the county to raise money, it was me who gained more from the experience then I could have ever given those men. I learned how to connect to people I may have never had the honor of meeting before, and while society tends to look down or use foul language, such as the R-word, to diminish people with disabilities, I learned close-minded people are the ones with a disability, a disability to not be able to see the full potential of others. Being Miss Push America developed me into a person much greater then I thought I could ever be, learning to value the abilities of all people one relationship at a time.

After my year as the philanthropy sweetheart, I thought my time with my guys was up and as much as I was sad, I had a wonderful year and loved getting to be Miss Push America. Pi Kappa Phi does have a higher sweetheart, however, being called the Rose, and as much as I wanted to be it, I ‘knew’ I wouldn’t be it because there were other girls gunning for it and guys before had told me maybe I shouldn’t wish so much for it because I probably wouldn’t get it. So I decided no matter what, they would always be my best friends and I would be around all the time anyway. The time came around, and while I sat in a corner, somewhat trying to sober up, because again, I just ‘knew’ I wasn’t Rose. I was proved wrong when all of a sudden my name was called. That night will always be one of my favorite memories in my college career, and other then my sorority, that moment I realized I did have a support system that cared for me just as much as I cared for them. Those guys became not only close friends, but like brothers. When we join a sorority, we learn the true meaning of sisterhood, truth, honor and love, but I don’t think everyone gets to know the beauty in Greek life as a whole. I built life-long friendships in other chapters other then mine, not only in Pi Kappa Phi but also with other sorority women who came around, sticking together with our favorite fraternity. In life, we will always have people try and knock us down, especially sweethearts, but all that matters is the people that care about you and support you throughout your endeavors, and I not only got that but I learned how to give that to a whole chapter of fraternity men not only through gifts, food and crafts, but caring about something bigger then myself and just being the support they needed during the time I was their sweetheart.'

Meet Sydney

She is the Sweetheart for Alpha Tau Omega at North Dakota State University

This past fall I went to a bonfire at the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house, and one of my friends in the chapter turned to me and told me I should run for their sweetheart. As someone who is not affiliated with Fraternity and Sorority Life, I would have never guessed that I would be voted their sweetheart a few months later. In fact, I told him there was no way I would win. But the more I hung around the house and got to know more members, the more I wanted to be a bigger part of the bond that brought all of them together, and the more I worked to win the title of sweetheart. Since then, I have been infinitely blessed with everything that comes with it.

My friends' favorite joke is asking me "Are you the ATO sweetheart?" Yes, I talk about my guys a lot. I tell stories about them all of the time. I've made innumerable Instagram and Facebook posts about them. I bake them cookies, and won't let my other friends eat them. I can be found at their house more often than my own apartment. Without a doubt, I annoy the HECK out of my friends, but I can't help it. These boys have literally captured my heart.

I have the absolute honor of representing an entire fraternity as their sweetheart, but it's so much more than a title and a song. I have a house full of protectors, study buddies, friends, and most importantly brothers. They have given me a home away from home and a slightly dysfunctional, incredibly loving second family. I may never be able to be initiated into their chapter, but I know without a doubt in my mind that these men will stand by me in the same way they would one of their own. It's an almost indescribable feeling to know that, but I can say this, I am eternally grateful, and they will always have my love & respect

Meet Paiten Chriss

She is the Sweetheart for FIJI at SHSU

My time as a sweetheart has changed everything I knew to be true about fraternity men. I am an advocate for the fraternity man who are judged just for being in a fraternity. They have been the most caring and understanding people I have ever met. No matter how weepy or weird I got and without them, I would not have gotten through some of the toughest times of my life. They have no idea that they have been such a big support system. I want to thank them for everything they have done for me, without realizing it, the men of Sam Houston Phi Gamma Delta have become my brothers. My start as a sweetheart is a little different than most. Because I didn't start with an active chapter, I started with a colony. I remember seeing most of the boys in their interviews way before they were members and way before I was a sweetheart. My roommate at the time was a founding colony member so he basically brought me into the chapter, and for that I will be forever thankful. I have seen these boys through breakups, hookups, vomiting and even engagements and I couldn't be more proud of all of the amazing things they have accomplished and all of the things I know they will accomplish. I remember when they started from nothing and now are one of the most influential fraternities on campus. Their first bid day was small and instead of renting a bar like all of the other fraternities, because as a colony it was not allowed, we had a tailgate bid day. It was literally the hottest day ever, but I loved them more than anything so I was willing to do what I had to do to support my boys. That morning was the first morning I and the other five sweethearts ever made them breakfast and needless to say, it was a disaster because booze and chocolate chip pancakes do NOT make the best combination, but being the gentlemen they are they ate them anyway. They have always been supportive of anything the sweethearts have done for them, even if it was disgusting cookies that they really didn't need to eat, or banners that sometimes looked messy because we waited till 5am the morning before to finish.

They have become bigger and better than ever and I am glad I was there through all the trials and tribulations. They have won several awards and have gained the recognition of many important individuals at Sam Houston State University. One of the proudest moments I can remember is their chartering. When they finally became an actual chapter, it was the moment everyone from had been waiting for, especially alpha class and the original alpha class sweethearts. I think I was more excited than they were. You know people always say you are more excited for other people's accomplishments than your own, and it is absolutely true. I use to hate spending hours and hours painting banners and baking, which I am terrible at and now that I just graduated, I would give almost anything to get that time back. I never knew those hours of sitting in the cold for relay for life would be missed, but they are. I never knew that I could miss helping a group of men so much and I can not wait till I can come back years from now and say I was there from the beginning. I was there when there were just a few boys who were just figuring it all out, to when they became men that anyone would be proud to be a sweetheart for I love them almost as much as I love my own sorority and that is an amazing accomplishment. They have aided many men in the their journeys to the top and will help many more.

To all of those current and future sweethearts: Cherish every single moment, you will miss those times you hated the most and hope that the girls you leave your precious boys with, will take care of them like you did. They will forever be MY boys, and I am not ashamed to say any girl who comes around wanting to be a sweetheart, I will judge you extra hard and have judged you extra hard and have given my full opinion on you, whether it was good or not. Not sorry and I will never be, my boys deserve the best (current sweethearts know what I am talking about lol). You owe it to those sweethearts before you to take care of the boys better than you have taken care of anything in your life.

The gentlemen of Phi Gamma Delta: Thank you for giving me years of love and affection and helping guide not only me, but everyone around you into success. I hope that the legacy, and all of the countless banners you all begged for, that I have left behind will be remembered. Because I know I will NEVER forget you guys and everything you all taught me.