I am going to be completely honest; I had no freaking clue what a Greek family was prior to coming to college. For those of you who do not know a ton about sorority and fraternity life (like myself), a Greek family consists on the foundation of a “Greek marriage” between a sorority woman and a fraternity man. Obviously, there are no real marriage references; however, the idea behind a Greek marriage is to build a network of people throughout the Greek system that you would not normally interact with. Furthermore, when two Greek people get “Greek married,” each of their littles become the children of the family; the families are always being built upon. Not all sorority women and fraternity men choose to get “Greek married,” but for those who do, it is truly a great bonding experience.

When I ran home to my sorority and found out that Amanda was my diamond sister, I was absolutely ecstatic. We really connected during preference round and I knew from the minute we started talking about Chipotle, Jane the Virgin, and the NHL, that she was the perfect big sister for me. Before initiation, Amanda told me that she had gotten Greek married to Nick; therefore, he became my Greek dad. They met freshman year and were already good friends. Later that month, I met Nick and we all became extremely close. We became a Greek family.

My Greek family is one of the main reasons why I have loved my college experience so far. We usually eat lunch as a family once a week, study in the library together, and even have Facebook group to include our extended Greek family. They are so special to me that I often call them my college mom and dad. Nick and Amanda are always looking out for me and I could not do college without their constant encouragement. Whenever I miss home, have a rough day of classes, or just need a hug, they never fail to brighten my day with funny bitmojis or a scoop of ice cream.

So, for those of you who are skeptical about Greek life, remember that it’s about so much more than crazy girls in trendy outfits. Through panhellenic, I have found people who are not even in my sorority that would help me in a time of need. Through my Greek family, I have learned that “going Greek” is not just posting cute photos on Instagram, but being a part of a community that pushes you to be a better person and create a better world. Thank you to my Greek family, Nick, Amanda, and Tim, for putting up with my crazy shenanigans and always supporting me in every adventure I take! You guys mean the world to me.