A year after joining my sorority, I can say without hesitation that I have zero regrets about it. I never thought I would be a part of Greek life, but when I walked into my sorority on that first night of recruitment, I knew I had found my place. The girls in my organization immediately made me feel welcome, but it wasn’t until a few months later that I realized the real bond that makes Greek life everything it is.

Last year, my sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon, held our biggest philanthropy event of the year, Deepher Dude, just a few months after I received a bid to join the organization. For those who aren’t familiar, most Greek organizations have a few charities they raise money for throughout the year, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is one of Delta Phi Epsilon’s national philanthropies. This means that the money raised by every chapter through Deepher Dude goes straight to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

I had no idea what to expect walking into our Deepher Dude last year. But throughout the night, as the contestants in the ‘pageant’ performed joke talents, spoke seriously about the cause, and everything in between, I realized how much everyone cared. It wasn’t just the girls in my sorority that put their time and effort into this event; it was every contestant on stage, all the people that came to speak, and the people in the audience who could have been doing plenty of other things with their Friday nights. All of these people had come together for this cause, and that’s when I realized how much good we had the power to do.

Watching my sisters on stage turning that check around changed my life. The way their faces lit up, the tears in the eyes of the girl who came to speak to us about her struggle with CF, the general awe of the entire crowd at the amount of money our little school was able to raise for this cause – it was incredible. There are countless causes across the world that deserve donations, but in that moment, everyone seemed to understand why trying to find a cure for CF is so important.

That night, I saw Greek life for what it truly is, and I have never been so proud to be apart of something. Sororities aren’t about cute t-shirts, invites to frat parties, or crafts hanging on the wall. It’s about being able to be a part of something bigger than any one person could be on their own. By myself, it would have taken years for me to raise that money. But with the help of my organization, we did it in a few short months.