As a second-generation immigrant, I never planned to join a sorority. I barely knew what sororities were, yet here I am now, writing blogs for thesororitylife.com.
Since I was little, I have always lived by the motto “the more the merrier”. The more hobbies, friends, clubs, toys, clothes – I always wanted more. In high school, I was an International Baccalaureate Diploma student, cheer captain, theatre kid, and yearbook editor. Most of my friends weren’t friends with each other. And in the mix of balancing it all, I became somewhat of a “floater friend”: always invited, never a core part of the group. Sure, I had a lot of friends, but if I ever needed something, I wasn’t sure who I could call.This worked fine for many years. I was happy, but as adulthood approached, I started to crave greater consistency and trust in the relationships I was building.
I only knew a handful of people who were going to the same university as me, and within that handful, just about every girl was telling me about their plans to go through sorority recruitment. Their excitement and nervousness radiated so strongly that I couldn’t help but feel interested. After all, it was just another opportunity to meet more people and network: More friends, more involvement, more fun!
Going into recruitment, I was just trying to meet as many people as possible. I didn’t want to be tied down to one group of girls. I wanted to explore and discover myself through different groups, so rather than trying to persuade a sorority to want me, I let the sororities convince me why I should want them. Strangely enough, not trying to fit into one group allowed me to find the group in which I felt at home. The recruitment process, by design, taught me so much about sorority life. As each sorority highlighted its philanthropic drive, intentional sisterhood and personal stories, I felt empowered to be a part of something bigger than myself. I began to recognize that this could finally be a group I was a core member of, one I could call if I ever needed anything.
Throughout recruitment, I found myself drawn to my future chapter, Phi Mu. What really convinced me to join Phi Mu was the fact that every girl in the chapter was herself before Phi Mu. Being in the sorority was a secondary title, but still one held with pride. I was introduced to the President of Business Ambassadors, a Johnson & Johnson Intern, a Dean’s Scholar – all incredible achievements bound together by “Oh, she’s a Phi Mu.”These are the people that I want to look up to and grow to become.
A part of me still holds on to my desire for more, and meeting these accomplished and powerful women reminded me that being in a sorority does not limit your options – if anything, it makes them grow exponentially. By joining Phi Mu, I wouldn’t become tied down or limited. Instead, I found a safe space to learn, grow and discover myself alongside a community of inspiring women I know I can always lean on.
I was sold. The next step was to convey the same awe and empowerment to my parents within the week before Bid Day.
Recruitment gave me a sense of what sororities truly are, which I hoped would justify the cost to my parents, who had never heard of sororities. While it took a lot of explaining, when my parents heard about the opportunities and success sorority membership has brought to many, along with my passion and determination to join this community of incredible women, they were on board. And I couldn’t possibly be more grateful.
Now, I serve as my chapter’s Vice President of DEI, where I hope to inspire and encourage current and future members to cross boundaries and lean on each other. Being in Phi Mu has given me the confidence to become deeply involved in my campus community and to grow in ways I couldn’t have expected. Even at my lowest points, I know exactly who I can call. One of the most beautiful things about sorority life is the concept of constant growth. Sorority women are a part of something greater and constantly growing within our community. Sororities encourage and inspire so much personal growth. My parents are forever grateful that I have amazing women by my side to be my study buddies, take care of me when I’m sick, drive me to the airport, or offer me career advice when they can’t.
