I went to a small liberal arts college in Michigan with 1,600 students that had a robust Greek life: six sororities and six fraternities. Joining a sorority was not on my radar and was not a reason I chose the college, but soon after I began my freshman year, I found myself ready to go through rush.
I was attracted to the fact that sorority members still had to live in the dorms but each had a lodge where sisters could hang out, have meetings, and host events. I was also drawn to the small membership numbers—each sorority had around 60 active members.
When it came time for rush, several of my friends were ready to give it a try and most of us ended up in Kappa Delta. For those who joined other sororities, that was ok, too. We still hung out and developed meaningful friendships (many of which we still hold on to today). For me, my college experience was only enhanced by being in a sorority, not to mention that my best friend of 28 years is a sister (she also was my college roommate for four years, and we were each other’s maid of honors).
As a Kappa Delta collegian, I was fortunate enough to be able to hold several leadership positions that undoubtedly helped shaped who I am today and provided me with great experiences that have helped me throughout my career. There was a strong focus on philanthropy and academics and there were fun times, too, with many stories and escapades to talk about when we are together. I do often wonder though what it would have been like if social media existed back then . . .
As a Kappa Delta alumna, I have an entire network of sisters that I can connect with no matter where I am. I have moved quite a bit in my life and each time I have moved, I have connected with the local alumna chapter or even collegiate chapter because I know that I will find like-minded women who only want to see each other succeed in life. The connections are limitless. The drive to continue to be philanthropic is still a major part of my life. For example, I am one of eight recipients who recently received a Kappa Delta KiDS grant so that I can continue my work in the area of child sexual abuse prevention.
Every once in awhile, I do get out my KD sweatshirts or will even wear my pin to special events. It immediately brings me back to my college days and I am proud of that. I know that Greek life isn’t/wasn’t for everyone, but my experience was life-changing and life-enhancing and I am glad that no one can take that away from me.
Love and AOT!
