What do you think of when you think about a stereotypical sorority girl or fraternity guy? Girls that are dumb and mean? That only care about looks? Guys that drink all the time and treat women horribly? People who need to buy friends? Well, those stereotypes are very wrong. Men and women go Greek for a wide variety of reasons.

With that, I’d like to share with you my story, and my friends’ stories, about why we went Greek.

I know that going Greek was the best choice I’ve made for myself so far in college. I moved more than 400 miles away from home to a state I had never lived in, to a university nobody in my immediate family had ever attended, and I didn’t know a single person on campus. My mom never got into Greek life. However my dad was an ATO at the University of Kentucky, my aunt Chelsea was a Delta Gamma at Miami Ohio, and my Aunt Christy was a Pi Phi at Dayton in Ohio. I’ve known some of my dad’s fraternity brothers for as long as I can remember. When my aunts got married, their sisters flew in from all over the country. I’ve seen the long term bond you gain through Greek life so I figured, why not?

Most of the people I’ve spoken to went Greek because they wanted to find their home away from home. Especially at a big university it’s nice to have a place to go at the end of the day. I’ve never walked into the house and felt isolated or like I had nobody to talk to. We all love each other no matter what. I know if I need something like a shirt for a date party, someone will be more than willing to loan me one. We give each other rides, we take care of each other when someone gets sick, and we help each other with school work.

Some aspects like study hall hours often go unnoticed. We are encouraged to maintain a high GPA and study for an assigned amount of hours per week. We have to attend events, be involved on campus, and hold ourselves to a standard, which isn’t a bad thing. I believe being involved in my sorority has really helped me clean up my social media and gain better networking skills.

Whether you are in it for the networking, the social life, the philanthropy, or for the sisterhood, you will find the house for you. I went into rush week having done no research on each house so I could keep an open mind. Making the decisions based on how I felt in each house allowed me to find a sorority I love. I love every girl and the diversity of our house. We have girls from all over the country who have different interests. We build strong girls and build each other up. I know that I probably would have come home my freshman year if I didn’t have my sorority. I made irreplaceable friends.

When I was unnecessarily put into the hospital last year, to say I was terrified is putting it lightly. I had no family and I just wanted my parents to help me sort things out. But they were in Kentucky. My house mom and chapter president never left my side. They never judged me for my tears of frustration and stepped in on my behalf whenever they could. They were the ones who got ahold of my parents and kept them updated. Sisters I had never met before sent me messages saying they were praying for me. Others asking if I needed clothes to change into, if I needed a pillow or phone charger. That’s when I knew that I found my second home. I’d do the same thing for every one of them. Why? Because that is what sisters do.

So, for those who are nervous about rush, please trust that you will find your second family too.