People often ask me why I am still involved with my sorority. My response is to look at them questionably and ask why not? Some of them are the same people who often say, "When I was in a sorority," or "I was an XYZ back when I was in college."
This infuriates me.
Simply put, when I joined my organization, I took a pledge and made an oath that said I would be a part of that organization for a lifetime. I promised that I would uphold the expectations of membership, many of which directly impact my involvement as an alumna member. Why so many choose to ignore that oath of the organization that they so desperately wanted to be a member of at the time, I don't know.
But what I do know is that they are missing out.
To be completely honest, my experience as an alumna member of Gamma Phi Beta has been one of the most impactful, meaningful, and transformative experiences of my life. While I certainly had some fun times as a collegiate member, my few years as an active chapter member don't hold a candle to my time as an alumna member. It saddens me that so many become so far removed from their organization after graduation. Sure, life changes. We move on, we get married, we have children, we have to become adults with a full-time job, but that doesn't mean that there's no room left for your organization.
I started out as one of those people. After graduation, I needed a break. I needed to step away. I'm not going to lie and say that my college years were the best, because they weren't. I talk to maybe 2 people that were my chapter sisters in college. But after my 3 year break, I knew that I missed the organization itself. Maybe not those specific people (my sincerest apologies for any chapter sisters reading this - it's not personal, trust me), but what Gamma Phi Beta represented and meant to me.
So I went back and stepped in to serve as a Chapter Advisor. And it was the single most important decision of my life up until this point. I completely changed my career and life focus after taking on this volunteer role. Before, I was dead set on getting my Masters in Social Work and continuing to serve in some sort of non-profit, counseling capacity. Then I fell in love with advising, with student affairs, and with continuing to advance our Greek organizations. It wasn't an immediate transformation. I learned a lot in the first couple of years serving as a young collegiate advisor. But it no doubt taught me so many skills and abilities that helped me to get to where I am today.
If you took a look at who I was as a person in high school and even in college, you would see a much different person than I am now. And I can safely say those changes are due to my involvment in Gamma Phi Beta. I have gained confidence, the ability to have conversations with pretty much anyone, the ability to present in a front of a large audience (and actually enjoy doing it), the desire to be a better person and to display my values to those who come into contact with me on a daily basis. I am much more upbeat, outgoing, cheerful, and insightful than I was even a couple of years ago. I now can acknowledge that I'm a leader. And it's all because I found my calling in life and an organization that supports that.
Being a member of a Greek organization defines who I am. Let me explain - so many people define themselves as being a part of something; a runner, a swimmer, an athlete, a dancer, a musician. Me? I am a Sorority Woman. I am a member of Gamma Phi Beta. And I'm proud of it. When my current supervisor first met me, he called me a "Greek nerd" because my tire cover on the back of my car says Gamma Phi Beta in bright, hot pink letters. You know what? I LOVE being a Greek nerd. Nothing wrong about that. People think it's weird to wear letters or other Greek related paraphenalia after graduation. I think they are crazy. I'm going to continue to do it well into my 70s and 80s when I show up to Gamma Phi Beta Confirmed Conventioneers Dinner at Convention and rock out my 20-some carnations on whatever hat I'm given.
So to those that wonder why I'm still so heavily involved, I want to reiterate again how much being a part of this organization has changed my life. I have met so many women throughout my years as an alumna volunteer that continue to motivate and inspire me, women who serve as role models and mentors, and women who continue to daily remind me what it means to be a Gamma Phi Beta. I can only hope that by sharing my story, that someone out there is inspired to get reconnected. Take at least that baby step of updating your contact information with the national organization, maybe even pay your alumnae dues. You don't have to become the Chapter Advisor or give hundreds of dollars to the organization to still maintain that meaningful connection. And I would be willing to put money down on it, that the benefits you will receive from that reconnection are well worth any time, money, or effort that you put into it.
To all of my sisters, thank you. To all of my interfraternal colleagues, mentors, and friends, thank you. What you are doing truly is relevant and impactful.
