To start off, I can be a very awkward person when meeting new people and when I'm in new situations and settings. I tend to not open up to people very quickly and sometimes people write that off as me being uninterested or rude, when my intentions are far from that. I have a shy side and usually am very nervous going into things that I do not have full control over.

Sorority primary recruitment is one of the most chaotic and stressful, but also fun and rewarding times that goes along with being a sorority woman. It has helped me break out of that shell, to become more vulnerable, to make connections with women I've just met, and to be myself without fear of judgement. Sorority recruitment has shown me that it's sometimes okay to not know what to expect and that sometimes the best things come out of situations that make you feel uncertain or a different kind of way.

When I went through primary sorority recruitment 3 years ago, I had no idea what to expect. With many mixture emotions during the week of recruitment, I was unsure of what house I liked more on preference night. Looking back, I cannot see myself anywhere else than the house I ran home to on bid day and it astonishes me how much I've grown in my time in college with a big part of that coming from being in my sorority and simply being a sorority woman.

Sororities are unlike many other organizations and in recent times are not always portrayed in the best light. It's sad that those reflections are coming from a minuscule part of the entire Panhellenic community and do not show what the majority of sorority life is like. I have learned to be selfless, how to push myself and my sisters to achieve excellence, and to always be a genuine, passionate, kind-hearted friend. All of these things are especially prevalent during primary recruitment.

Each and everyone of us is reminded why we wanted to rush a sorority and why we love the sorority we chose. Recruitment involves so much preparation and very long days but it pushes college women to connect with strangers could become their besties, their future bridesmaids, and most importantly their sisters. Recruitment is all about connection, which was something that was very hard for my freshman self. Every year when it's recruitment time, I am always reminded how much I've grown and learned and why being a sorority woman is an incredible honor.