Hi everyone, my name is Jess and I’m in my second year at the University of South Florida. I am half Dominican and half Honduran, as well as a first generation American whose first language was Spanish. Going Greek was never a part of my plan in college, seeing as academics and finding my footing was always a priority. Not to mention, I’m an out of state kid who had no idea what she was going to do a thousand miles away from home. There were so many insecurities that were spiraling in my mind before deciding to go through spring recruitment, but in the end it all paid off.
I decided to do spring recruitment in order to pursue a more enjoyable aspect of college for my own happiness as opposed to my more stressful commitments, make connections with like-minded women with the same values, and establish a foundation for myself so far from home. There are evident perpetuated stereotypes about looks or attitudes regarding Greek life, some of which I succumbed to believing myself. In actuality, I met the most understanding and emotionally progressive women in my college experience. Some of these girls I have only known for a week, and they check in on me consistently as if we’ve known each other for so much longer.
General advice is to find a place where you can feel yourself. Diversity and inclusivity in a chapter was such a huge component that I needed in order to join a sorority; it was essentially an ultimatum. There will be so many doubts running through your mind, like what if they judge me due to an identifying characteristic about myself, what if I don’t make genuine friends, and so on. After finding an environment where you’re comfortable, the fears will slowly dissipate, and your experience can become more authentic after removing the mental blocks. This is definitely easier said than done, especially taking into account the fact that a lot of tears were shed during spring recruitment due to personal anxieties.
In the end, Greek Life was never something I thought I would participate in, but I am incredibly optimistic for my future in the chapter and connections I have the potential to foster.
Love y’all
Jess Pimentel