They say that recruitment week is the best and worst week of your life.
I didn't realize what this meant until mid-way through the week. The week was lengthy, energy draining and all that fun stuff, but at the end of the process, I would have a new home - a home away from home with 100+ sisters to hang out with.
On bid day when I opened my card, I was ecstatic to get the sorority I wanted. Even though we didn't exactly get to run home (we got dropped off right in front of the house due to safety precautions) all the excitement flowing through my body felt like I physically ran home.
Hopping off the bus, I saw all of my new sisters holding signs with all of the new members' names on them. Looking around and finding my rush crush was the serenest thing ever. That day I met more people than I ever thought was possible. My Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and every other form of social media I owned was blowing up with an abundance of friend requests, comments and likes from people I didn't even know yet. These people knew me and wanted me there. It was such an amazing feeling to have. I never had a sister growing up or someone to look up to, but now I had more than I could count.
Originally, I didn't fully know what to expect from joining a sorority other than a bunch of new friends and a new home. What I didn't realize is how much this would actually mean to me and how much it would do for me. They say within a sorority what you give is what you get, and I abide by that 100 percent. Sometimes I'm really busy with overruling school life and I don't get as much as I want from Greek life, but when I do give it my time, I have the best times and make the best memories of my life.
I didn't just gain friends when I went Greek, I gained experiences and life-long bonds.
As soon as I walked through the doors of Alpha Epsilon Phi during rush week, I felt a sense of home. I never felt like I had someone to look up to, being that I was the oldest in my family. If I needed anything from professor recommendations, a shirt to wear, advice about a boy, someone to go to Walmart with, someone to study with or anything honestly, I now had it.
Not only did joining a sorority open social doors for me, but I also have opportunities for internships, community service, charity and even more. I also am not limited to just my chapter, I have the opportunity to voice myself within the entire Panhellenic community.
