Sorority Girl

As a high school senior, the option had never really crossed my mind that I could choose to join a sorority in college. However, upon visiting Hanover for a scholarship competition weekend and staying as a guest of my hostess at a sorority house, I was intrigued by the sisterhood that I saw during my brief time there. When I arrived as a fresh face on campus the following fall, I found that Hanover offered four unique, vibrant sisterhoods of women. Each of these sororities were full of talented, smart, and involved ladies who were eager to get to know me and see if I might fit into their sisterhood as well. The thing that I appreciated so much was seeing how these organizations debunked the sorority stereotypes that are so prevalent in movies and TV shows. Instead, I learned of their focus on academics, traditions, philanthropy, and growing as a sisterhood. Throughout my freshman fall semester, I spent time weighing the pros and cons of each sorority for myself and had the privilege of joining Chi Omega the following January. At the time it was a bit of a decision to choose which house to dedicate myself to for the rest of my college career; in retrospect, however, I can't imagine my college days without very fond memories of time spent with my sisters.

One of my very favorite things within our sorority are the "families" made up of sisters of various ages. Each new member (or little sister) is given a big sister. These Big and Little pairs are kept secret as the big sisters shower their littler sisters with various gifts and snacks leading up to revelation. Long after the Big and Little pairs are revealed, family bonds can have a lasting impact on one's sorority experience. For me, I am still very close to my big sister. In fact, she is a fellow teacher at my school. Additionally, my little sister and I stay connected and visit one another even though we live a few hours apart from one another.

This past weekend, I was in for a real treat. I was able to meet the newest addition to my sorority family over dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I was the oldest in attendance and spent a wonderful meal with five other generations of our family. It was so neat to me to see how connected we are even though we span such a range of years and ages at this point in our lives.



Although I am not as involved in my sorority as I was during my collegiate days, it has helped build me into the woman I am today. I am forever thankful for the times I spent in my chapter of Chi Omega and the ways that it keeps touching me in a positive way even now.