Last Wednesday I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to start my flight adventures to Saint Louis for my sorority’s national convention. As I ventured into my thoughts on those long plane rides, I couldn’t help but imagine how amazing the week was going to be, how much I would learn about my sorority, how many sisters I‘d meet, and how many new shirts I would come home with. I never thought I would come home with an even deeper love for my organization (since I thought I already loved it as much as I could). I never thought I would come home feeling like I’m capable of bringing crazy amounts of change to my organization and Greek life on campus with all the things I learned throughout the week. I also never thought going to National Convention would teach me loads about myself and who I’ve become as a Greek woman.

“You’re not a sorority girl, you’re a sorority woman.”

When I heard this during my week at convention I just thought it meant stop letting people stereotype me and stop falling into the universal culture of allowing the world’s population belittle your worth of capability. Because you’re a woman. As I further analyzed this, I realized that this meant more than that. It meant that I not only had one title that made me capable of greatness, but two. Being a woman makes you strong because you always have to fight harder for people to see your worth and abilities. Being a woman means that you know how to present yourself beautifully internally and externally but never give up your dignity in the process. It means that you know how to nurture and lead any follower. A Greek Woman means you’re a woman, but you’re abilities and capabilities are overflowing due to the letters you hold dear and true to your heart and on your shirts.

A Greek woman gets scrutiny every day for her letters and for the stereotypes that websites, movies, and some people social media's portray, but that’s not a Greek woman. That’s a “sorority girl”. Every Greek woman has that sorority girl inside of them that keeps them a little fun here and there, but that’s not who we are. We are women who are destined to be great. Greek women have been shaped by their founders who taught them to put aside their fears and be courageous enough to fight for what they believed in. Greek women have been shaped by their values that teach them to be respectful, responsible, loyal and honorable. This makes every Greek woman contain characteristics that everyone looks for. Not only the perfect humble and kind sister, but in a friend, wife, employee, etc.

Every Greek woman has been shaped by her sisterhood and her philanthropy to put herself last and others first. This doesn’t make her vulnerable or a pushover, this makes her aware that sometimes there are things that take bigger priorities in life. Every Greek woman has the most amazing personal skills, like planning or crafting that makes them more than able to be the best of the best in every position on their executive board that they hold and every job they hold in the future. Lastly, every Greek woman is a leader. Whether they were a GM (general member) who went to every event and just shined their pearly whites and knew what to say during recruitment to get the PNMs to love their organization, or they were an overachiever that ran from every single position and set goals of holding their first semester. We are leaders.

Greek women through socials, sisterhood retreats, rituals, partying and even just going out to lunch with alumnae have been given every single key there is in life to being a leader. This is why everyone says to put your organization on your resume. While to everyone being a "Greek woman" may just mean that you had the best four years of college and beyond, those who truly see what a Greek woman is understand that you are incredible.