I was always the girl that said “oh NO, I would NEVER join a sorority. I can make friends on my own! I’m too independent anyway.” While I know that I would have made friends without joining Greek life and that I would still be having a great time in college, joining a sorority has done countless things for me already—and I only just finished my first semester of college.

So, it was the summer before college began, I had absolutely zero intentions of joining the Greek community. As summer went on, a few of my older friends (who are/were in a sorority/fraternity) kept pushing me to at least try it out. They wouldn’t stop talking about it, and I finally started to consider it. Eventually, I couldn’t get it off of my mind. I started to realize that if I didn’t at least try it out, I would definitely regret it. So, I went online and signed up for recruitment a couple of days before the deadline. My attitude towards it at the time was: alright, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but if it does, that would be cool too.

But after recruitment week (which was incredibly exciting and exhausting) and all of my time I had invested in it, my attitude completely changed. I wanted it to work out. As the week progressed, I began realizing how much it actually meant to mean to me. I knew I had found a place where I wanted to spend my next 4 years, girls I wanted to spend those years (and beyond) with, and something that I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life. (Embarrassing side note, I literally bawled my eyes out during preference night. I am such a baby. Afterwards, girls told me they wouldn’t let themselves look at me because they knew they would’ve started crying too!!)

My sorority—and Greek life as a whole—has provided me with so many amazing opportunities that I never would have had otherwise. I have so many chances to get involved, try new things, meet new people, and make special memories. I have met girls that I will be friends with for the rest of my life—girls that I can turn to when I’ve had a bad day, my bridesmaids and maid of honor, someone to talk to when I need advice about a boy, when I want someone to go on a smoothie run with me, when I need a hug, when I need someone to dance with, and so much more.

I’m not here to say that the only way to get involved, have fun, and meet new people in college is to join the Greek community. That is entirely untrue; there are countless ways to get involved in college. There is something for everyone, and that is what makes it so special. But I know that I have been forever changed by these women and the opportunities that Greek life has provided and will continue providing to me, and I really do not have to words to express how thankful I am for that.