I remember the first day of my Panhellenic recruitment weekend like it was yesterday. I was overly excited to meet all the sororities on campus and really get a chance to find my home. It was spring 2018, my sophomore year, and I was waiting outside the door of my first recruitment room. So many things were going through my mind, thinking about what I was going to say, or what was going to happen. Within a blink of an eye, the doors opened, and I started walking into the room filled with cheering sorority women. By the end of the day, I was extremely exhausted but filled with joy and excitement. I, along with the other potential new members, had to rank which sororities we felt the most connected to. Once I ranked my top sorority, I handed in my slip and went back home to prepare for the second day of recruitment.
The second day was when I was told which sororities invited me back into their room, so I can speak with them again. When my recruitment counselors gave me my day two schedule, I found I was not called back to the sorority I ranked first. I felt heartbroken. I really thought they liked me. At this moment, I was about to completely drop out of recruitment, until my recruitment counselor came up to me. She noticed that I was upset, so I told her what happened, and how I wanted to drop out of recruitment.
She explained to me that each sorority is amazing, and they can all offer a great experience. She then told me to continue on with recruitment and give the other sororities, I was invited back to, a chance. I wasn’t fully convinced until she reminded me that the first day of recruitment goes by so fast, you don’t get to meet all the chapter members in the timeframe you have to meet with them. Going back again on the second day would allow me to speak to more women and get to know more about the organizations and could possibly change my mind about how I was feeling.
I kept her words in mind as I went to the Alpha Sigma Tau (AST) room, and who would’ve thought it would be true. Little did I know that the first sister I talked to that day, the one that I felt a true sisterhood connection with, did change my mind. Later became my mentor and big sister!
To this day, I still remember this moment and thank my recruitment counselor for encouraging me to complete my recruitment weekend. If I didn’t take her words into consideration, I probably would not be the sorority woman I am today. When you go through sorority recruitment, I encourage you to keep an open mind, trust the process and stick it out. You never know what might happen and where your home might be.
