When you think of sororities, you think of pretty girls with blonde hair and blue eyes. You think of "Legally Blonde" or "The House Bunny," right? Well, I don’t. I’m a proud Mexican-American woman who looks like just that: Dark hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. I’m also an Alpha Chi Omega at the University of Texas at Arlington, where my chapter is full of woman who remind me nothing of those stereotypical sorority girls.

Entering college is scary enough; you’re moving away from home, starting a new chapter in your life, and meeting new people. Add rushing a sorority to the mix, and it gets a little more nerve-racking. Sororities have been bashed in the past and have become headline news when their recruitment videos fail to show diversity and woman of color. When I decided to rush, I did think about the fact that I was a minority. I’m of Mexican heritage and I look it, no if, ands, or buts about it. I considered how it may be easier for the girls I knew in high school who had pretty blue eyes and long flowy blonde hair, and how they may be judged differently because of the “look” they happened to have. Would the sororities want the women who fit the mold of sorority girls in the movies? Would I stand out like a sore thumb with my brown hair in a midst of blondes? These were all concerns that ran through my head when I decided to rush in the fall. However, I was far off; after day one, all of those concerns had flown out the window, as by day one I knew where I belonged, and I was ecstatic when they wanted me too and gave me a bid.

Now I won’t lie. My sorority does have girls who are blonde with blue eyes, but who they are runs deeper than their looks. From a single conversation with any of my "stereotypical sorority" sisters, it is clear that they received a bid from Alpha Chi for who they are and not what they look like. Alpha Chi Omega is full of women who are different; we come from different backgrounds, we have different skin tones, and we love one another for who we are, not what we see. Maybe I feel this way about my sorority because we happen to attend a university where we are one of the top five diverse campuses in the country, or because we happen to be a smaller university than most. However, I don’t want to think that. I would like to think that sororities across the nation look at more than looks. I would hope that they take what girls bring to the table into consideration. That they consider your experiences and the kind of woman you are, and nothing else.

I’m glad that my reservations didn’t stop me from rushing. If I had let my worries get the best of me, I would have never found the sisterhood that I did. I would have never have found all of the real, strong women I call sisters. Joining Alpha Chi Omega has opened my eyes to so much. It has allowed me to have irreplaceable experiences, and it has given me great memories that I will forever cherish.