We live in a time of rising women empowerment. An extraordinary amount of women are breaking barriers, surpassing all expectations, ignoring social norms placed to hold us back and becoming firsts in fields that once completely excluded females from joining. These brave and confident women are paving a new, glorious path for future female leaders.
I am extremely lucky to see many of these women around me everyday, and to live and interact with 50 of them on a daily basis. My sorority sisters have traveled the world, led organizations that have improved the lives of so many around them and left their footprints and names in the world at such a young age.
Joining Greek Life has transformed me into an empowered and confident woman. I did not become confident in spite of being in a sorority. We all know the common stereotypes of sororities – that we party all the time, we strive for materialistic goods and are just buying friends. However, like most stereotypes, those are extremely incorrect and unfortunately deter women from joining these empowering organizations. If you are still not convinced, here are a few ways that my sorority has transformed me into an empowered and brave woman:
- My Sisters Constantly Encourage Me To Keep Going Even When I Have Had Enough
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When it is 8:45am on a rainy Friday morning and the only thing I want to do is skip my 9am lecture to curl up on our comfortable couch, my sisters practically force me out of the house and to class. They are constantly encouraging me to keep trying and keep my head up high in my hard science classes. My sisters reaffirm all of the hard work I put into my classes. I would have given up over 100 times if it were not for my sisters. They are constantly pushing me to be the best version of myself, both in the lecture hall and in the real world.
- There Are So Many Opportunities To Be A Leader Within The Sorority
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Being in a sorority is so much more than what meets the eye. We have so many different leadership positions that are up for grabs, making it so easy to develop leadership skills and be able to create a direct impact in the organization. It is so empowering to know that your ideas and thoughts are truly valued and you have the capacity to create change – no matter how big or small it might be. One of my positions, for instance, is the Sustainability Specialist. In this position, I am able to implement changes that go beyond my sisters and impact the environment around us.
- Our Philanthropy Helps Open Our Eyes To The World Around Us
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Being in a sorority allows you to leave your mark on a much greater platform than just a college campus. Through our philanthropy, The Ronald McDonald House, I can be a leader not just at UCLA, but in our surrounding community as well. I am empowered everytime we do activities with the kids. From cooking for them, creating crafts or just playing with the children, not only do I experience such immense personal development by surrounding myself with so many amazing people in my community, but I am also learning how to be a leader in the world around me.
I am most definitely shaped, encouraged and pushed by the women in my sorority. While many people seemingly leave sorority women out of their definition of empowerment, I literally would not be the person I am today without the amazing women that I surround myself with. To be a sorority women to is to be resilient, brave and kind – all traits that define empowerment.