As Thanksgiving draws near, I've started to really take the time to think about everything that I am thankful for in my life. This semester has had its ups and downs, but throughout it all, there is one thing that I have remained thankful for since the end of September: rushing a sorority.

While I would never consider myself the "typical" sorority girl, rushing was something I decided to do on a whim. When I walked into the room for my first night of rush week, I was so nervous and scared. Going out and meeting a ton of new people -- by choice -- was not something that I normally did. I walked into the room timid and shy, but after meeting the sisters and seeing how friendly all of them were with each other, by the end of the night I knew I had made the right choice.

I attended each night of rush week, becoming more and more comfortable around the girls who would be my future sisters with each passing night. From October to the middle of November, I continued on with rushing and found myself making a strong bond with the girls in my rush class and enjoying all of the time I spent with the sisters of the sorority.

After a month and a half of interviewing all of the girls in the sorority and participating in sisterhood events, I finally reached initiation. As I looked around the circle of people in my rush class and at the rest of the girls in the sorority, I felt a sense of true belonging. I couldn't believe how far I had come from the first night of rush week to almost two months later, in front of girls that would soon be my sisters. I knew that all of the time I spent waiting to be initiated was completely worth it, and I was so proud to become an official sister with the rest of my rush class. I knew that rushing was a decision I would not come to regret.

I'm so thankful that I decided to rush. I'm thankful that I have met so many wonderful people and have gained over 40 new sisters (and misters!) who I know will be there for me no matter what happens. I'm thankful for the new friends I have made, who I am extremely thankful to now call my sisters. I'm thankful for the girls that I met in my rush class, I wouldn't have been able to do it without you by my side. I'm thankful for bonds that I have made with my sisters that I am sure will last a long time to come.

Looking back, I may not fit the description of a "typical" sorority girl, but I have never been more proud to tell my friends and family that I am now officially a sister of Epsilon Sigma Alpha.