I know what you're probably thinking: here's another article by a pretentious sorority girl whining about how she hates when people tell her she "bought her friends." Now, I'm not here to convince you otherwise, but hear me out on this one.

I'll be the first person to tell you that I joined a sorority for all the wrong reasons. Actually, I didn't really have any reason at all. Sure, I thought it would be fun to meet some new people and sure, I was into community service, but I mostly went through recruitment because I wanted to know if I was "cool" enough or "pretty" enough to "get in." I thought that maybe this was my "in" to the popular crowd that I was never a part of in high school. It sounds really bad because it is. All I knew about sorority life was what I saw on TV and in movies. I thought being Greek was just about parties and that I would hang out with my sisters when I was going out, but always come back to my friends from home or in the dorms when I wanted to have a genuine conversation or a girls night in. I never expected to be able to have that kind of relationship with the people in my future sorority because I thought they were just fun-loving, surface-level people.

What I'm getting at here is that,I get it.Had I never decided to rush, I probably would've thought sorority life was ridiculous, too. I've gotten a lot of heat for joining a sorority from my non-Greek friends and for the first couple months after bid day, I just played it off. I laughed at their jokes and downplayed any impact joining a sorority had made on me. Nobody had expected me to go Greek because I was never "that kind of person," but I just told them it was something fun I was doing. I didn't say it was meaningful or impactful or even important at all. I just said it was "fun" and that it wasn't going to change who I was.

Well let me tell you, it did change me and not in the way where I'm now tall, skinny and bleach blonde (because I'm certainly not). Being in a sorority has made me a better version of myself. During recruitment, I began to realize that there were people in these houses who were actually like me, people who cared about the same things I did and were real, raw, emotional human beings.

Three years later, I fall more in love with my decision to go Greek every single day. It didn't take long for me to realize that joining a sorority would actually have an impact on my life and it was a lot more than that "fun" thing I thought it would be. (Although it is pretty fun, too.) Greek life has introduced me to some of the most strong, confident, smart, ambitious women I have ever met; women I would have probably never otherwise crossed paths with; women who are diverse in every sense imaginable with different majors and interests and are from different countries and cultures. I never would have thought I would know people who interned at NASA, ran marathons for fun, spent years volunteering across the globe, or will work for the United Nations or run for political office, but I do. To think I have the opportunity to meet all of these women who share the same values as I do, but live their lives in a completely different way, is absolutely incredible. Sorority life has opened my eyes to all of the unique opportunities that surround us each and every day, but we often ignore due to our routine or limited time.

Not only do my sisters excel in their activities, classes, internships and careers, but they push me to be a better woman as well. Whether it's being there to help me study for a test or put in a good word for an internship, my sisters are always there to encourage and support me. Whether I'm having a good day or a bad day, I know that there are 150+ women who have my back and are ready to lift my spirits in a heartbeat. These women genuinely want to help me succeed and be the absolute best version of myself I can be.

More and more, I realized that joining a sorority wasn't just like joining another campus club. Every aspect of who I am as a person and the values I stand for is reflected in my chapter: philanthropy, scholarship, sisterhood, helpfulness, positivity, compassion, empathy and ambition. Both on our own and together, my sisters and I are making a difference in the community, in our lives and in the lives of others.

To think that before I rushed, I didn't think I would ever be able to have a deep connection with these women, astounds me. We have cried together, laughed together and fought together. I have truly found a second family by joining Greek life.

I have never been more proud to be a part of an organization that has given me so much already and I know that it will be there for me for the rest of my life. I have never been more proud to say what I was once ashamed to admit: I am a strong, confident, genuine, ambitious sorority woman and I wouldn't have it any other way.