Being a Panhellenic woman is not about spirit week, mixers, or wearing Greek letters across our chest. Being a Panhellenic woman is about surrounding yourself with ladies who are striving for excellence, encouraging your dreams, and empowering you to be the best version of yourself. While there is at times a competitive nature between sororities, at the end of the day we all share a special bond of Greek sisterhood with each other, regardless of the letters we wear. We are all working together to better the Panhellenic community by encouraging each other to be the best representation of ourselves. Some of my best friends are members of different sororities, but we still have the same goal of wearing our different letters proudly. We all support each others philanthropies and work together to better the community.
My sorority's open motto "We Live for Each Other" has become the anthem of my daily life. This motto can be something as small as holding open the door for someone, grabbing your friend a coffee, or simply smiling as a random person you pass in the hallway. As a Panhellenic woman, I am constantly trying to change the stereotype of Greek life. Yes I do love my vineyard vines, lily pulitzer, and just about anything with ADPi on it, but I joined Greek life because of the life long friends who would push me to think outside my comfort zone, hold me to a higher standard, and love me no matter what. Greek life holds their members to a higher standard; we are held accountable for our actions because they not only reflect our self but our sorority as a whole. Panhellenic women hold leadership positions all across campus in all kinds of organizations such as student government, religious groups, and tutoring. Greek life is all about character building and forming us women into upstanding members of society.
Another lesson I have learned through Greek life is balancing my life. Being involved in Greek life is no small commitment. It requires multiple hours a week on top of already busy academic loads. Being apart of Greek life has, as a result, taught me how to balance my time. If I was to spend all of my time studying, then I would get burnt out really fast; however, in contrast, If I spend all of my time on social activities I would be neglecting the reason I came to school in the first place, education.
When I tell people I am in a sorority, I typically get a smirk or a frown back. Greek life unfortunately gets a bad rep, but there are so many reasons why I am a better woman because of Greek life. Sometimes life gets hard, but because I am a Panhellenic woman, I am able to face life's challenges head on.
