Confused, misplaced, regretful, uncertain, embarrassed, defeated. This menagerie of words create the epitome of how I felt my freshman year of college. I departed my hometown late August of 2015 feeling nervous and regretting my college decision. Throughout my first semester, I made a couple of friends, however, I still overwhelmingly felt that I did not truly fit in at my university. There was no "spark" that made me actively love my new surroundings, so I decided that I had to keep myself busy and get more involved. I had always wanted to go through recruitment, so I patiently awaited the arrival of my university's second semester rush.
Although I had been dead set on going through recruitment for so long, that did not eliminate the fact that I was nervous about the process. I've always considered myself a little odd, and the stereotypes surrounding sororities across America began to chip away at my belief that I would find a welcoming niche through Greek Life. I am happy to say, boy was I wrong.
Recruitment was hectic, overwhelming, and nerve-wracking, but hey, so is life. At the end of the whirlwind, I found a home. As an only child, I remember immediately crying when I received my bid card, because I was so thrilled that I would finally have sisters. I ran home to Pi Beta Phi that day, and they welcomed me with open arms.
Throughout my second semester, I realized how lucky I was to be in the presence of such great women. We learned throughout our New Member Process that Pi Phi operates around 6 core values. I would like to share each of these values and an experience that I've had with them, in order to express how proud I am to call myself a member of Pi Beta Phi.
Integrity
Right off the bat, each member of my pledge class recognized how highly the women in Pi Beta Phi value honesty and virtue. A sense of togetherness felt in Pi Phi is culminated through the trust and good character exemplified by each member of the chapter. Because the WI-Delta chapter is so large, I cannot yet say that I have met every single member. However, I wholeheartedly believe that anyone who reps our letters, is someone I know I can rely on.
Lifelong Commitment
What thoroughly impressed me within my first few weeks in Pi Phi was the alumni involvement. There are so many generations of Pi Phi's all around this country, willing to help any chapter at any given time. They aim to aid the betterment of each individual associated with Pi Phi, and do a phenomenal job doing so. These alumni are positive, determined, and strong. The core values they pledged into Pi Phi knowing were not merely forgotten post-grad, but they evolved and were embraced through the lens of ensuring the success of Pi Beta Phi for years to come. I am incredibly thankful for the community of alumni that have blessed WI-Delta with their presence.
Honor and Respect
In Pi Beta Phi, every one is different. We do not all look, talk, or act, one specific way, and we pride ourselves in that. Our differences bring us together, which is why we value the respect of each member so highly.
Philanthropic Service to Others
Pi Phi's philanthropy is called "Read>Lead>Achieve" and these group of girls do everything they can to honor that. Not only do these girls voluntarily allow strangers to throw pie in their face to promote literacy for our event "Pie a Pi Phi", but these women also carve time out of their day to go read to children attending Milwaukee Public Schools.
Personal and Intellectual Growth
As far as intellectual growth goes, I can not tell you how many times my grades have been saved because a Pi Phi sister jumped at the chance to tutor me in a subject. Trust me, I am not the easiest to tutor either. So, the fact that these women are ready and willing to watch me cry over simple math problems really says something about their character. Regarding personal growth, whenever I spend time with one of my sisters, I leave simply feeling like a better person. Through my involvement in Pi Beta Phi, I have become more organized, more responsible, better at communication, better at listening, and a better friend all around. This is a perfect segway into the last core value...
Sincere Friendship
I owe this one to those closest to me. I cannot thank my little Pi Phi family enough for the countless laughs, pieces of life advice, stories, meals, and memories, shared with me throughout the short time I've known them all. This, I find truly amazing. I've only known my big, grand big, twin, and niece, for a few months now, but they have become such integral roles in my life. What truly makes me love Pi Phi so much, is the fact that even though all of us are so different, each member has a genuine and sincere desire to befriend all.
I cannot express enough how thankful I am to be surrounded by a community of women like those of Pi Beta Phi. Thank you to Marquette University for supporting the integrity and success of Greek Life, to Wisconsin Delta for bringing me home, and to Pi Phi's everywhere for committing to values as honorable as these.
ppl&m
