So many people view sororities by their exterior, only seeing the parties we throw and the seemingly endless amounts of matching apparel we have. They see us fundraising in the quad or rushing around during recruitment every semester, but unless someone takes the time to try to learn more, they only see our sororities at this surface level.

When I decided to rush a sorority, the first people I told were my mother and my sister. My mom responded hesitantly, agreeing that I had nothing to lose by rushing alone and that I could always decide later if actually being part of a sorority was something I wanted. My sister first asked why I needed more “sisters” and continued by saying I probably wouldn’t end up liking it anyways, speaking from her own experience rushing a few years earlier at her own school.

While these reactions were not enthusiastic, I knew that my family members didn’t really care what decision I made and would support me either way. However, telling my friends from home after I had joined a sorority was another story. I received reactions of laughter and of mockery. None of these responses came from malicious places, but all made me uncomfortable nonetheless. From a great number of people I heard, “I never thought of you as the sorority girl type”.

The stereotype of the shallow, materialistic, narcissistic sorority girl has been so engrained into our minds as a culture that so many people refuse to recognize a flaw in this monotonous stereotype. Sororities exist all over the country, at some 4,000 different schools, not to mention all the different sororities themselves. These girls are not all the same and chances are, if you enjoy and fit in at whatever school you attend, you probably have more in common with these “shallow” sorority girls than you realize.

I’ll be the first to admit, I found myself believing this portrayal of sororities for a while as well. If someone would have told me my senior year of high school that a year later I would happily be a part of a sorority, there’s no way I would have believed it. I never saw myself as “the type” either. It wasn’t until I started the recruitment process, talked to some of the girls, and more importantly, saw how they interacted with each other, that I realized how wrong I was about it all. As part of a local sorority, I may not be exposed to many of the details that come along with being in a nationally recognized sorority, but I would like to think that, fundamentally, the purpose behind it and the affect it has on an individual are similar.

Through my sorority I have learned the importance of female relationships; I found a group of women who are constantly working to empower and educate each other and themselves. Since joining my organization, I have witnessed and been a part of constructive conversations regarding racism, mental health and sexual harassment. From my Greek family, I have found unwavering support and guidance when I need it and a great number of people who are willing to go out of their way to make each individual know that her voice is heard. I am incredibly and unapologetically proud to be a part of something this powerful and I wear my letters with pride.