My mom is my idol. She inspires me and is probably a better role model than any celebrity or female politician I can think of. She is the reason I wanted to go Greek.

I grew up begging her to sing her sorority songs for me before I went to bed and for as long as I can remember I’ve been drawing and doodling her sorority’s symbol in my notebooks and sketch pads. She even taught me how to “throw what I know,” and over the years, I have continuously forced her to do it with me in pictures.

Over the years, I’ve traveled with her to different chapters in her region that she’s in charge of, and I’ve heard the numerous conference calls she’s been on, working on how to make the chapter an even better chapter than it was before.

She taught me what being a sorority woman is really about; it isn’t about the cute fraternity boys or the crazy parties on "Greek Street." Being a sorority woman is about sharing your values with other women, and empowering each other to change the community for the better.

Not to mention, she’s shown me how being involved is important. From the day she accepted her bid in 1986 to now, she’s been involved in her sorority. She’s shown me that being a part of a sorority isn’t just for four years; it’s for life.

She never forced me to want to join her sorority. When I went through recruitment, she made me promise to keep an open mind and choose the house where I truly felt I belonged. But after years of tagging along on her trips to different chapters of her sorority, I couldn’t see myself being anything different.

When I arrived at her sorority’s house on Drake’s campus, I was filled with excitement. Not a single second did my heart waver on its decision, and I knew when I saw the tiny anchor drawn on the envelope of my bid day card that I had become what I always wanted. And when I called her to tell her she was not only my mother, but my sister as well, she burst into tears (the perfect reaction that I was going for).

Being legacy doesn’t mean I had to be what she is. But it gave me the opportunity to see Greek life without its stereotypes, and now I’m even closer with my mom. We’re going to our National Convention together in June, and I texted her the other night begging her to get matching baseball caps with our Greek letters on them (how many of you can say you and your mom/dad do that?).

She’s my best friend, my inspiration to change the world, my kick-ass mom, and, last but not least, my sister.

So to all the moms out there who have inspired their daughters to become sorority women, thank you. Without you here to inspire us and support us along the way, we wouldn’t have followed our hearts, or would have been sucked into the stereotypes presented in the media on Greek life. We love you, and we love being your legacy.