To the ladies of Gamma Phi Beta,

Let me just begin by saying thank you. Moving 2,500 miles away from home and coming in to a school of 30,000 students with no one else from my high school was intimidating, to say the least. But you guys welcomed me with open arms and haven't failed to encourage me, inspire me, and put a smile on my face every day.

When I first joined the chapter, I wasn't sure what to expect. None of my family had been in Greek life, and my only experience with sororities was from my favorite movie Legally Blonde, so I was a little concerned because I was no Elle Woods. I have a love for all things pink and sparkly, but I also love to do nothing but sit on the couch and watch sports all day, and I was unsure if any of the other girls would be like that. As I actually started to really get to know some of the girls throughout, I realized this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I had learned about the four core values of our chapter, but I really developed an appreciation for them after I began meeting more girls in the house. The women of Gamma Phi Beta truly do represent the four core values of our founders: love, labor, learning, and loyalty. And they represent them so strongly through everything they do.

My sisters are some of the most loving and caring people I have ever met. They're not afraid to reach out to you in your time of need and really be there for you through the good and the bad times, even if they barely know you. Being a part of a house with 215 girls is a bit of a scary concept at first, but I've never met a more genuine group of people who I have adopted as my second family.

The ladies of Gamma Phi are also some of the most hard-working girls I have met in my short time at school. The girls are constantly making an effort to reach out not only to others in the Greek Community, but campus wide as well. From student government to club sports, the ladies represent the highest type of womanhood in whatever they do. I didn't know what it meant to be truly busy until I saw some of these girl's schedules -- packed with challenging classes, being members of other clubs, jobs, and volunteer work, but still making time for their sisters no matter what.

Joining such a scholarly chapter has also been extremely beneficial to my education in freshman year. Being a part of an organization with so many people from different backgrounds and majoring in different fields helps you to learn from other people's life experiences and opens you up to trying new things that you might not have before.

Everyone always talks about one benefit of Greek life being all of the connections that you make, and I'm proud to say I've gotten to experience this. Being a journalism major in a house with so many other girls majoring in the same thing has provided me with the ability to have multiple advisors/mentors to help me study and look for potential internships, and they do it for the love of the chapter and the desire to see their fellow sisters succeed.

Our last core value, which is most strongly represented, is without a doubt loyalty. I have never met a group of girls who are so loyal, not only to the girls in our house, but on a national level. Gamma Phi is such a highly respected organization that we work so hard to maintain the representation of every day, and it's rewarding to know that when you tell someone you're a member of Gamma Phi Beta, they respond with such a positive reaction.

So I thank you, ladies of Gamma Phi, as I enter the last month of my freshman year. I truly do not know where I would be without the organization and my sisters. Without you guys, I would never have experienced what it feels like to live so far away from home but still feel just as at home when I walk through the front door of our beautiful brick house. I would never know what it feels like to have not just one friend but a whole group of women who are so dedicated to helping me whether it be in school, getting in shape, or just picking me up when I'm having a bad day. I would never get to experience how good it feels to win homecoming week, or know the excitement and stress of preparing for Greek Week.

But most importantly, I would have never experienced what it feels like to know that you have more than 200 beautiful, and intelligent women to have your back no matter what, and for these experiences, I am forever grateful. I can't wait to see what the next three years with you ladies will bring and watch all of us succeed as a chapter.

With love,

Your fellow sister