If you had told me two years ago that I would be living with 50 women, dressing up every Monday to attend meetings, and spending hours crafting for a girl I barely knew, I would have laughed in your face. I probably would have done more than laugh if I’m being honest. I would have called you crazy and spat out some line about not enjoying large groups of female friends because it was just “too much drama.” I would have firmly stated that I wasn’t the “sorority girl” type.

Yet here I am two years later living with 50 women, attending Monday chapter meetings, and owning so many craft supplies my closet looks like the acrylic paint section at Michael's. On the outside, I’m the sorority girl that past me would have hated. And I don’t regret any of it.

When I went through fall recruitment my freshmen year, I never actually meant to join a house. I rushed to meet other freshmen girls. I thought I would drag my way through the first couple of days, meet some people, and go on my merry way. As recruitment went on I thought “eh, what the heck," I’d already dedicated hours to this process, why not see it through? When recruitment ended and I was placed in a house, I was sure I was going to drop. But again, I thought that I’d already dedicated so much time to this why not stick around and see.

I never actually thought that I would enjoy it, and at first, I didn’t. I was never one to like dressing up and being told what to wear when. Interacting with such large groups of females at a time wasn’t exactly in my comfort zone. The whole thing felt awkward. Then, I really started to get to know the women around me. They were kind and understanding of the struggles a freshman away from home for the first time was facing. They pushed through my original tentativeness and took the time to get to know me. I went from knowing about five people in the entire state of Oregon to over 100. But it isn’t the quantity of the people that made me stay, it was the quality.

Through this organization, I have met the women who have shaped me into the person I am today. I have met women who have inspired me and challenged me to be better. I have met women who have supported me and whom I’ve supported in return. I have met women who have taught me the greatest lessons I have learned throughout my college experience.

They taught me how to study. I came to college with the plan to study the same way I did in high school. I thought that I would study the night before for an exam and that would be just dandy. That was not the case. It wasn’t until I started studying with girls in my sorority that were also in my class that I understood the dedication I needed to put into my academics. They encouraged me to spend time studying with them and invited me to do so.

They taught me how to listen. I was new to close female friendships. I didn’t really know how to go about it. I learned through example that the first step to a friendship is listening. They listened to my stories and I, in turn, listened to theirs.

They taught me to think before I acted. College can be fun. It’s pretty easy to get caught up in the social aspect of it all. The women I meet helped me learn that balance in college is key. If I did something particularly dumb they weren’t afraid to gently remind me that I needed to think of the consequences of my actions before I did them. They held me accountable.

They taught me the importance of compromise. Living with 50 girls can be kind of crazy, to say the least. I learned that in order to have positive healthy relationships (as well as roommates who don’t hate you), it is necessary to compromise.

They taught me how to be a supportive friend. Through the love and support shown to me, I learned the importance of being there for someone. I have met friends whom I would drop everything for if they needed me.

They caught me when I fell. When I fell short academically or socially, they were there for me. They helped me through it and they lifted me back up when I needed it most.

The best thing I have found in my sorority is not the social events or rituals, but rather the connections I have made. Every day, I am surrounded by women who empower me and who inspire me to be a better person. They have taught me to be strong by showing me what strength truly is.