Greek life is something a lot of people, both boys and girls alike, think about throughout high school. The idea of whether to rush or not to rush is consistently on your mind, and you might struggle with the internal debate on whether or not Greek Life is for you.

I had seen multiple friends from my high school and sisters of friends who had gone Greek and completely thrived. They had that picture perfect life that you only seem to see in movies. Amazing social lives while raising thousands of dollars for various charities, and more. I wanted that; there was no doubt in my mind. So when I got my acceptance to college, I just knew it — I was going to go through recruitment.

I registered for recruitment the same day that the registration portal opened. I spent all summer communicating with my Gamma Chi (recruitment counselor) and began researching the different sororities on campus. When I attended orientation, I stopped at all of the Greek Life tables, tailgates, and mixers. And the first week of school, I was bent on interacting with the young women who could potentially be my future sisters. I spent days rifling through my closet to find the perfect outfits for each day of recruitment, leaving no detail unattended.

The first day of recruitment finally arrived, and I went through the process with an open mind. By the end of the day, there were three chapters that I absolutely loved and three that I liked but wasn’t 100 percent sure about. I ranked my preferences and went back to my dorm hoping for the best. The next day, I came back to get my invite list and saw one of my top three on my list…but that was it. And while I won't lie — I was disappointed — I still went into their philanthropy round. I was eager and ready to learn while meeting more of the women. By the end of that round, I was ecstatic and, yet again, hoped for the best.

The third day of recruitment came, and I impatiently awaited the call from my Gamma Chi to let me know when I was supposed to come. I got a call that afternoon and answered it excitedly, my makeup and hair already done for preference round and my dress hanging in my closet.

Then I heard the four words that absolutely shattered me: “You weren’t invited back.” She continued, saying things like, “It’s not your fault; you did nothing wrong,” and encouraged me to go through informal recruitment in the spring. We hung up, and I sat in my room the rest of the night and cried my eyes out. I blamed myself, telling myself I wasn’t pretty enough, smart enough, exciting enough. I kept picking out my smallest flaws, called my mom and cried on the phone with her, 2000 miles away.

The next day, which would have been bid day, I skipped my class to avoid walking past the excitement that was happening on the main lawn. It was heartbreaking. Later that night, I finally was able to come to terms with what happened. Girls in my Gamma Chi group reached out to me and assured me that they still wanted to remain friends and encouraged me to still try to find my place on campus. Those were exactly the words I needed to hear.

Fast forward to almost three years later, and now I'm a senior in college. I’m still not involved in Greek Life, but 95 percent of my friends are and I couldn’t be happier or more proud to support them, their respective Greek letter organizations, and their philanthropy events. I’ve never felt excluded or unwelcome at any of said events, nor have I ever felt like the odd one out.

I am a proud member of the Activities Programming Board, going into my third year as a member, and now serving on the executive board as their Director of Public Relations. If it weren't for my Greek friends, I never would have felt encouraged enough to apply for that position, let alone get it. I also had the opportunity to serve my university as a senator for our Student Government Association. It was my Greek friends who helped me to campaign and stayed up with me early in the morning to make posters. Even my roommate is a proud member of a sorority, and I absolutely love her to pieces.

What I’m trying to get at here is, if you have your heart set on joining Greek Life and don’t receive a bid, don’t let it affect your life negatively. Life has a crazy way of making things that are meant to be happen, and the people who are truly meant to be your friends and be in your life will be there. I wasn’t meant to join Greek Life, and I’m 100 percent OK with it, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love and support every single one of my friends who are Greek.

My Greek friends have been some of my biggest supporters, have picked me up when I’ve been at my lowest, and have always encouraged me to reach for my full potential both academically, socially, and professionally. Don’t forget that there are hundreds of other organizations that you can get involved with to find yourself and your home while on campus. I am living proof that it can happen.