Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
placeholder article
placeholder article

Independent and Proud of it

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
GDI Emory Senior Student Contributor, Emory University
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar
Jessica Leigh Student Contributor, Emory University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Emory chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Greek Life is a great part of Emory, and I have a number of friends who joined sororities. It is also a community that I never considered joining.  As an athlete and active individual in a variety of other activities, I felt that, while I appreciate the Greek community and adore my friends in it, it wasn’t ultimately a necessary part of my college experience.  My involvement in other activities keeps me busy, and my weekends are still filled with friends and trips to Toco Hills.  Of course, Greek Life has done some wonderful things for me inadvertently: I have amazing friends who are Greek, some of whom I met because my closest friends are in sororities.  I still visit my guy friends in their fraternity houses on occasion—even as a senior (I promise I stay upstairs!)—and have even gone to some sorority events as well.  Greek Life is an incredibly open, inclusive part of Emory, and while I am not a member of any organization, I have never felt excluded from anything.  Greek Life definitely isn’t necessary for a college experience, but I would never judge anyone who is part of it.

Jessica lives her life at several speeds. She talks too fast, eats too slow and over-analyzes too much.  When she’s not telling long-winded stories, sitting alone at the dinner table, or staring off into space, Jessica loves all things creative. Screenwriter, play director and poet at age 9, songwriter and choreographer at age 16, now, at 23, all she really wants to do is write, help others, and post Instagrams.  As a social media coordinator for multiple fashion brands, and a post-grad writer for Her Campus, she gets to do just that. Jessica is a Midwestern girl from the suburbs of Chicago, but she fell in love with city living during a summer internship in the Big Apple, and now calls NYC home. Jessica loves chocolate milkshakes, dance parties, Chippewa Ranch Camp, Friends re-runs, Chuck Bass and of course, spending time with her fans (read: family and friends).