The thought of joining a sorority never really crossed my mind. When I was graduating from high school a ton of girls around me were talking about rushing, but I had just decided it wasn’t my thing. Flash forward two years later and I am now a proud sister of Alpha Xi Delta at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

How did I get here? Well the story is kind of funny.

I was working at this boutique around the holidays when I met my, now twin, Alex. I had no idea she went to UAB until we had known each other for a few weeks. Somehow we got onto the topic of Greek Life and how she was a member of Alpha Xi, so I just casually said, “Yeah I’ve been thinking about Greek Life,” because that’s just what you say… right???

Well immediately her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, “Oh my gosh you have to be my sister!!!” and it was one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. Someone wanted me to be their sister, their sister. So here I am, all because one special girl wanted me to be their sister and now she’s my twin!

So I went to a couple of recruitment events, now while I am a very social person it’s hard for me to interact with huge groups of people that I don’t know very well. If I don’t feel safe I immediately shut down and I won’t talk to anyone. But that didn’t happen at any of the recruitment events. I would look across the room and see Alex and I would instantly feel safe, so I naturally felt safe around the other girls.

The best thing about being an Alpha Xi is the connection that I have made with every single sister. They inspire me every single day and I love each and every one of them with my entire soul. Being the eldest I have always had to be the “big sister” meaning I’ve always had to take care of everyone. But now I have one hundred girls who can take care of me, and I will take care of them. It has been a huge stress reliever, especially around exams when I had sisters there who encouraged me to do my best.

Being a part of Greek Life at UAB was the best thing that could have happened to me. For the first time in my life I felt happy. As a person who has struggled with finding herself in young adulthood and being confident in her own skin, I was completely shocked when I realized that I was happy with my life. These women have done more for me than they could ever possibly know and now I encourage everyone I know to try Greek Life. I know that it isn’t for everyone, and I certainly didn’t think it was for me, but look where I’m at now.

I have to give a huge shout out to my Big though, who is truly amazing. She was my first rose buddy and the first sister who made me feel at home. I knew I was an Alpha Xi when I met Kat, and I knew I was lucky to have her as my Big during Big/Little Reveal. It was filled with Harry Potter and Star Wars references (which I adored) and not one but two sets of Letters she had made especially for me. Her love, encouragement, humor and our many Chick fil A dates have made me realize how lucky I am to have found Alpha Xi.

I have such a different point of view about Sisterhood and what it means now. It’s not just a group of girls who socialize together; it’s young women who truly connect with one another. We are there for each other through the good times and the bad and everything else in between. We are there to share laughs and tears and inspire one another. I know I have been inspired to realize my fullest potential by being a sister of Alpha Xi and with the fall semester just around the corner I hope that I can meet even more women who will inspire me to live life to the fullest.

So what does the pink rose of Alpha Xi Delta mean to me? It means friendship and loyalty. For me it means being comfortable and confident in your own skin and encouraging others to do the same. It’s about being a part of a truly outstanding sisterhood and seeing the change that you bring to other people’s lives. I am a sister of Alpha Xi Delta, and I couldn’t be more proud to wear my golden quill and letters.