As president of my sorority, this weekend I had the pleasure of attending one of its national leadership conferences.
For those of you who did not know, SURPRISE! Believe me, you are not the only ones shocked by this.
When I first told my friends that I had been elected the president of my 200-member sorority, most of them reacted with laughter. I can tell you that it was not something I ever imagined I would find myself doing.
However, once they got over the initial shock of it all, no one was actually that surprised. I had always participated in leadership, and it seemed almost natural that my sorority would be no exception.
Truthfully, I think one of the best things Greek life does for its students is encourage leadership development. There are so many opportunities to get involved, and being on the executive board of any Greek organization is like being on the executive board of a small company. You deal with real money and real problems every single day, and for college-aged students, that is the most valuable life experience you can honestly get.
At this past weekend’s leadership conference, I attended workshops, seminars, and speakers that aimed at teaching us to understand our leadership style and reflect on what it means to be a great leader. We heard from inspiring, accomplished sorority sisters of all ages and from all different walks of life, and the weekend was truly a testament to the empowerment of women. Most people do not get training like this until they are a part of the workforce, but here were over 300 collegiate women, learning how to inspire other women. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before.
I would argue that leading a fraternity or sorority is even more difficult than being president of another collegiate organization. In these other organizations, you are the president there, but then at the end of the day, you get to go home.
I live in my sorority house. My best friends are my constituents, my employees, my consumers, and my sisters. My relationship with the women I lead is much more complex than it is between other leaders and their organizations.
At the age of twenty-one, I am expected to command the respect of a group of highly educated and opinionated young women. I am tasked with leading these women, even though truthfully, I have little more life experience or know-how than the rest of them.
I have dealt with real life-or-death situations. I am legally responsible for whatever happens to these women. I am on-call 24/7, for 365 days. I can assure you that this is a lot more responsibility than most people my age chose to take on.
And that my friends, is the kicker. I CHOOSE TO DO THIS. I do not get paid.
I am a volunteer. In the prime years of my life, I have chosen to take care of 200 women.
I am in no way, shape, or form complaining or patting myself on the back. Being president has not been easy, but every important lesson I have learned since coming to college has been as a leader in my sorority. I am truly honored that these women trust me enough to allow me to make decisions on their behalf. I am so grateful for everything these women have taught me and given me. My sisters are some of the most incredible, inspiring, ambitious women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
I cannot imagine what my life would be like without my sorority. It has honestly made me a better person in every way possible.
While universities and the media love to blame Greek life for all that they think it does wrong, I can attest to the fact that it does a lot of right. I can guarantee you that my sorority has empowered numerous women to be leaders in their communities and will continue to do so for as long as it exists. I heard from many of these women this weekend, and I can assure you that the world is a better place because of their existence.
This is why people like myself volunteer to lead our sororities. We see the value that they bring to women’s lives, and we wish to be a part of that. I truly believe that my life purpose is to empower women, and I would have never discovered this without my sorority.
So say what you will about sorority girls because I am damn proud to be one.
Girls, Who Run the World? 