“Why did you wait until you were a junior to rush?” “Why did you decide to rush now rather than during your freshman or sophomore years?” “Why now; what makes now the perfect time for you to embark on this journey?” These were all questions I was asked throughout the sorority rush process, and to each of them, I responded with different variations of the same response.
Rushing was always something I had thought about doing but never saw as an option for myself. I always thought that sorority girls were exactly like how they were perceived in movies and TV shows like Legally Blonde or The House Bunny; and as someone who has been considered ‘One of the Boys’ her entire life, I never thought I’d be able to fit in. But as I watched all of my best friends from high school rush sororities and find their “homes,” I began to realize that the image I had concocted in my mind for all of these years might not be plausible. I too could find a place that I could consider my “home”. However, life has a funny way of getting in the way.
I’ve always considered myself an introvert. For the majority of my life, I would’ve much rather interacted with the words I wrote or characters I created than with actual people. It wasn’t until after a pretty rough semester and a half during my freshman year of college that I started to come out of my shell and became the person I am today. If the person I was during my freshman year saw me now, they probably wouldn’t believe that we’re actually the same person. The difference between us is that now, we are much more confident and sure of ourselves. We are strong—both mentally and physically—and shockingly, we actually enjoy interacting with other people and stepping out of our comfort zone. The girl I am now isn’t afraid to show the world her true self, however witty and awkward it may be at times. She is unapologetically herself.
Waiting to rush until I was a junior gave me the time I needed to become the best version of myself: time to truly understand who I was as a person and what I wanted out of life. Are there still things where I could improve and that I am currently working on? Yes, but for where I am now—to be mountains away from where I used to be—I am happy and confident in myself. I am now confident enough to step out of my comfort zone and do something I always wanted to do but never deemed possible.
Rushing as a junior is definitely a different experience than rushing as a freshman or sophomore, but I am so glad that I got to the place where I was confident and comfortable enough with who I was to embark on this journey. My journey from rushing as a junior taught me a lot about myself and helped me become more confident and outgoing. And as an added bonus, I met a lot of great girls which ultimately led to me finding the place that I could call “home”. I know it’s an unusual path, but I am so grateful and proud of myself for deciding to rush and am so excited for all that my new sorority has to offer me!