While I was growing up I was surrounded by mostly boy cousins, the few girl cousins I had were nowhere near my age so I mostly hung out with the guys as a kid. My best friend as I grew up was my nana, since she was the one I always saw while my mom and dad were still at work when I came home from school. Don't get me wrong, I loved that I grew up the way I did. I learned how to make my own fun and was able to develop my creativity by drawing or writing while I was home from school, but once I grew up a little and reached those angsty teenage years as everyone calls them, I really wanted someone my age who would understand what I said and what I meant, like a sister. Sure, I had a few close friends that I told my secrets to and they told me theirs but a lot of the time they didn't truly understand what I meant because they lived in a different town or they didn't really listento me and the words I said. Even when they said they did I knew they couldn’t truly know; me telling stories wasn’t the same as actually being there, plus a lot of the time I was too nervous I’d be seen as annoying to say anything which really didn’t help me.

Once I graduated high school, I decided it was time for a change and I thought about how great it would be to find my group of friends at college and be happy.

My first semester was rough, it wasn't what I had hoped it would be so I started all over again, cutting everyone out of my life that brought negativity and toxicity and brought in those who made me happy. It was incredibly hard, going off on my own when everyone at that point had found their friend groups but in the end it was so worth it. By doing that and choosing to go my own way I allowed myself to look into what would become the greatest decision of my life.

One of my best friends was in a sorority and she looked so happy and was always surrounded by love and friendship from those also in her sorority and oh, how I wanted something like that. To see people in the hallways that would stop what they were doing and give me a hug and talk to me about absolutely anything, and with that I started giving rushing some serious thought. In July I finally decided I was going to go Greek that fall as I entered my sophomore year of college. I went to events with my best friend and we both entered the crazy beautiful world of Greek life in fall 2015, and I now call that decision the best choice of my life, which led to other great choices giving me the best year I could have ever asked for as a sophomore. It gave me new knowledge and new confidence in speaking in front of a group, in making choices, solving problems and helped me land a job as an orientation leader, a job that I’d wanted since I drove into campus for my own orientation.

I now have a support system of over fifty sisters, active members and alumnae plus those across the nation that I met at convention. On campus I have plenty of people to text if I want to grab dinner or a snack or watch The Bachelor instead of doing homework for a little while. If anything you're just across campus which was the farthest I would have to go to some of you but now most of you will be closer and it'll be much easier to meet up to chat or grab coffee or dinner and just hang out and enjoy the college experience as it was meant to be, with friends. My friends just happen to be some of the greatest people on the entire campus.

The point of me writing this is to say thank you for everything. As an only child I always wanted someone who understood me, and now I have over forty who get me, some who understand me completely. You've given me a family away from my family where I can go if I'm sad or lonely or happy and confident. My sisters give me strength to conquer the things I fear and to talk to people who I'm too scared to talk to. You, my sisters, are the reason why I seem to smile so much more now than I ever used to because now there's a special spring in my step as I always know that no matter what happens, you'll be there for me no matter what.

To my sorority sisters, thank you for absolutely everything. You don't know how much you've improved my life and I don't think you will because I can't seem to find the words, but know that you're some of the best people I've ever met and I'm so, so glad I can call you my sisters.