To the girl who never found a home in the Greek system,

You are worthy. You are strong and capable and charismatic. You are destined for greatness. You are destined for great friends. You are no less of a girl, no less of a student and no less of a person just because you aren't a part of Greek life. The excuses including but not limited to not pretty enough, not smart enough, not outgoing enough are irrelevant. Odds are, they just don't know you well enough.

This is by no means an intentional bash of Greek life. For some, joining a sorority is the best decision ever made. The important thing to remember is that making the choice to join Greek life is just that, a decision.

No matter what side of the Greek life spectrum you exist on, there is one thing that everyone agrees on. Recruitment is a painful process. Judgment is never easy and in the case of sororities, girls are given almost no time to get to know one another and have to make snap decisions based off of first impressions.

Especially for you attending southern a school, Greek life seems like everything. You have this horrible misconception that you have to be a part of a sorority to go on dates, meet people or have fun. To that, I say not even close. There are so many opportunities presented to you every single day on campus and odds are you aren't even taking the time to look.

You are going to college in the era of female empowerment and the push for positive body language. Unfortunately, though, many girls talk the talk but don't actually put those words into practice. You deserve to be around girls the encourage you and make you feel loved and important on your campus. If you aren't feeling that support in the Greek system, why are you feeling the need to join? Parties still happen, boys still exist, friendships are still made. You do not need a sorority to make you, you.

Sometimes admitting to the fact that everything happens for a reason is easier said than done. Being rejected or even just feeling rejected by any group of people is emotionally damaging.

So please, as Bid days pass and sorority functions begin, remember that not being in a sorority yourself does not make you any less of a person. What truly marks a strong woman is the ability to get back up after being knocked down. Step out of your comfort zone, join a group you didn't even know your campus had, try out for an a cappella group, before you know it you'll find your tribe and be happier than you ever thought you could be.

Sincerely,

A college gal doing just fine