When people ask me where I am from, I never know what answer to give because my answer is not as simple as one place: it is a multitude. Growing up, I shuttled between the United States and India, with a predominant part of my developmental teen years in India. I grew up in a different education system to the United States, a country where the idea of sororities does not exist and with parents who had not experienced university in the U.S. When I was applying to college, I had no idea what American college life would be like. Movies and TV shows were my only glimpse into college and sorority life, rife with stereotypes and exaggerations. Sororities were being portrayed as predominantly white, heterosexual, and cliquey, with the idea of “paying for friends” and a party culture that did not resonate with me as a young, queer brown woman. Yet, the idea of being involved in social events and potential for leadership, giving back to the community through philanthropy, and cultivating a network of connections did resonate with me. I didn’t want to discount the idea altogether.
When I came to UC San Diego during my freshman year, I opted out of recruitment and made the most of my time meeting new people, many of whom I am still closest to to this day. And despite having fun getting involved in other organizations and excelling in academics, something felt like it was missing. I love being involved and active in my community and needed something else to fill this gap; sorority recruitment seemed like the next step. Thus, I decided to go through formal recruitment during my second year. The process was quite overwhelming, and I wasn’t sure if it was the right fit. The stereotypes and doubts started to trickle in: Would I fit in? Would I meet people I like? How do I know if I found my forever home? How was I going to afford this?
But when I received a bid from Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII), I wanted to give it a chance. And all of the doubts and fears I had about sorority life went away because I always felt so seen, accepted and loved for who I was by my chapter and the diverse Panhellenic community as a whole. Being surrounded by such a strong, ambitious, talented group of women enabled me to find myself, excel in my academics and grow as a person while also having such valuable experiences. I have had the chance to visit places I haven’t been, participate in various sisterhoods, give back to the community through philanthropies, compete in various intra-sorority sports and gain valuable leadership skills such as being the director of academics for AOII, and later the Panhellenic VP marketing and external relations.
These positions greatly grew my leadership, networking, communication and team management skills- which have all translated into my other pursuits in college. These positions, coupled with other academic pursuits, enabled me to get scholarships to pay for sorority dues.
I am eternally grateful for every memory I have made in my time the past three years, especially having the privilege of meeting my sorority fam, Saanvi, Emily, Parisa and Mariella, and some of my closest friends like Alice, Stephanie and Kylie, who have made my time here even more worthwhile. I have met my lifelong best friends, grown so much as a person and gained a lifetime of connections. Hand over heart, I can definitely say my college experience would not have been the same without it, and if you are thinking about being a part of Panhellenic, I would tell you are thinking in the right direction (but definitely not biased or anything…wink wink).
