Every time I read an article defending Greek life, it goes something like this:

“I never thought I’d join a sorority/fraternity when I was in high school, but in college I met people who didn’t fit the stereotype. I learned about values, made friends, blah blah blah, [insert three paragraphs about how philanthropy is so rewarding here].”

While of course there’s nothing false about any of those statements, but I feel like while defending Greek life, people put philanthropy on a pedestal as the only rewarding thing it has to offer, which is far from the truth. Don’t get me wrong, philanthropy work that sororities and fraternities do are amazing and rewarding, but it’s not the only thing that is.

First of all, it shouldn’t be understated the importance of the amazing friendships you make through Greek life. I remember feeling so comfortable around the women in my pledge class a day after meeting them when I started telling my regular jokes, which are usually received with an eye roll or a blank stare, were actually laughed at. It may seem like a small thing, but for any freshman in college, after a semester of trial and error with friends who come and go, it’s so refreshing to suddenly be in a room full of people you can relate to.

Another great staple of Greek life is the mentorship you receive from older members of your organization. Everyone who joins a sorority or fraternity receives a big sister or brother who is there to be your mentor for anything from Greek life to academics to college life in general. Not only do you receive a big, you also get an entire family of people to look up to and ask for advice, not to mention an entire organization of people to go to as well. I’ve gotten so much valuable insight from members of my family and other sisters in the sorority about everything from classes, jobs, moving, emotions, and everything in between. By having almost a hundred girls who are older than me, there’s bound to be someone there who knows what I’m going through and can give me the right advice.

Finally, I genuinely believe being part of a sorority has pushed me to be the best person I can be. I think it says a lot that the number one place I see my sisters is in the library, where we claim a large table daily during the school year. Always having people to study with has been a great encouragement to getting through the semester. I’m also regularly inspired by seeing other sisters working hard at their jobs, internships, research, and leadership. I wasn’t interested in leadership coming into college, thinking I was done with trying to impress colleges with the clubs I was in in high school, but now I see women around me every day working hard and dedicating themselves to so many great organizations around the school and I want to be able to do so too.

While philanthropy is great and super rewarding, it’s not the only part of Greek life that is. So the next time someone asks me how Greek life is different from the stereotype, I’ll tell them about how motivated I am by all of the wonderful people around me on a regular basis first.