Hi, my name is Julie and I am a frat bro.

I get a kick out of seeing the reactions I get spread across people's faces every time I tell someone that I am in fact a girl and in a fraternity. When I wear my letters on campus, people will occasionally ask me which sorority I am in. I always respond, with a big smile, that I am not in a sorority but a fraternity.

I am a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi, a co-ed National Honorary Band Fraternity that was founded at Oklahoma A&M back in 1919. Kappa Kappa Psi is dedicated to the ideas of leadership, musicianship (it is a band fraternity), service, and my favorite — Brotherhood.

Even though some people may think it is strange that co-ed fraternities even exist, or that all their members are called "Brothers" regardless of their gender, in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't really make a difference if I wanted to join a sorority or a fraternity.

The majority of the honor, academic and service fraternities, at least at my school are already co-ed. A long time ago when that society was founded, it was for only men or only for women. But should people be excluded from the benefits and social aspect of an amazing organization because they are a guy wanting to join a group that was founded by women decades ago?

When I showed up to recruitment for Kappa Kappa Psi, I didn't really know what I was joining for. All I did know was that the couple of brothers I had interacted with prior were awesome and I wanted to get to know more people like them. And when I was accepted into the organization and became an official brother, I found a family away from home at college, something I desperately needed as a nervous college freshman.

The organization has allowed me to grow in leadership, service, and musicianship. And this isn't just from my school's individual chapter either. This weekend I had to the opportunity to travel to a precincts meeting for the fraternity and our sister organization. It was inspiring to see how passionate all the brothers and sisters were to serve and learn more about how they could grow individually and in the brotherhood.

I am so excited to be able to be active in the fraternity for another year before I graduate next year, and am so grateful for the three lucky years I have been able to spend with my brothers.