Before I got my bid to the Delta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha, I was a completely different person. In high school, I was not a leader. I would openly admit that I was a follower. I went with the crowd and never really branched out. There was maybe one activity I stayed in all four years of high school, and I never held any leadership positions. As graduation inched closer and closer, I felt my circle of friends growing smaller and smaller. I was ready for college. I was ready to start over. I hoped to meet lots of people and make new friends. When I went through sorority recruitment at the University of Southern Indiana in 2013, I never expected to gain not just new friends, but a whole new way of life.
I was immediately interested in joining a sorority. I liked the thought of joining a group of women who have similar interests and do so many fun, interesting things together. I also wanted to get more involved on campus and do philanthropy work, something I never did in high school. In the weeks leading up to recruitment, I was immediately interested in Alpha Sigma Alpha. Their values, philanthropies, and symbols immediately stood out to me. I remember visiting each sorority’s table at the involvement fair, and I spent the most time at ASA’s. I was almost late to a doctor’s appointment because of how long I was there talking about Netflix and other silly topics. I knew going through recruitment was going to be a good decision, and I secretly hoped that I would be able to join ASA.
Obviously, I kept an open mind, but I can’t hide that when I checked my schedule each day during recruitment, I sighed in relief when I saw “ASA” on my list of parties. As the days of recruitment passed, I felt my connection to ASA and the members I met growing stronger. I felt that I could truly be myself, and I loved every single person I met. I remember telling the girls I was talking to on the second night, “I don’t know if it’s too early to say this, but I really love you guys.” I bawled my eyes out on preference night, and then was laughing the next. The girl who talked to me during that party eventually became my Ruby, and then my Big. I met her roommate on Bid Night, and that woman eventually became our chapter president and somebody who I look up to every day as we work together on the executive board. I met over 30 beautiful women who make up my pledge class, a group of women I am still obsessed with to this day.
Not only did I gain all these new friends I had wanted for so long, I also grew so much. As I said earlier, I was not a leader in high school. However, the thought of having an office in ASA was so exciting. I wanted to help our chapter. Running for an office was scary at first, but I was so proud of myself when I made it onto the slate as Scholarship Chairman.
Being an officer is not always fun. Some days it is just plain horrible. However, it has made me grow so much. I feel that I can see others’ points of view so much better, and I’ve learned to work through problems one step at a time, thinking of every possibility and how it could help or hurt the chapter. Being on executive board as VP of Programming and Ritual has shown me just how much “behind the scenes” work it takes to keep this chapter up and running. I’ve gained a deep appreciation for all who have held offices before me, because now I understand the hard work it takes to keep the Delta Kappa chapter alive.
If you had told me at my first chapter as a new member that I would eventually be sitting at the front of the room as an executive board member, I would have said that you are crazy. That wasn’t me, but now it is.
Simply put, Greek life changes lives. If you choose to go through recruitment and accept a bid, I can promise you will graduate college as a completely different person than the one you were when you came to college. Greek life won’t magically transform you overnight, but if you put in the work and let it happen, you will grow and change. You will catch yourself standing up in chapter to voice your opinion, running for an office, or talking to complete strangers like they’re friends. You’ll do things you’ve never dreamed of doing and travel places you’ve never been before. You’ll discover a side of campus you couldn’t have imagined even existed.
When I came to college, I was dreading going to USI. Now, I proudly call USI my home. I have such a deep appreciation for college and am savoring every moment. I never want to graduate. College is a place where you get what you put into it, and Greek life is such an amazing example of that. Being a Panhellenic woman has brought me so many friends I never would have had otherwise, and I am confident I will be able to tackle anything in the real world because of my experiences.
