I Found a Forever Home

“Oh you’re in sorority? So basically you are paying for your friends.” More times than not I have heard this when I tell people I am in a sorority. After being in a sorority for almost a year now, and after completing recruitment where I welcomed 57 amazing women home to Alpha Chi Omega, I know this is so far from the truth.

I am the first to admit that Greek life has a certain stigma that surrounds it, and often those who aren’t a part of it never quite understand it. But that’s ok, because, before I joined the community I really didn’t understand it either. Truth is, Greek life is so much more than the Instagram pictures or the socials. It is a family of students who want to find a home, a place where they can give back to the community while meeting some kick-ass people.

Being in Alpha Chi I have realized just what an effect it has had on me as a person. Because of the 150 ladies I was able to surround myself with, I have become an independent woman, who is comfortable in who she is, but I have also become someone who isn’t afraid to take risks. I have become a woman who knows so much more about the underlying issues of unhealthy relationships and domestic violence. Instead of sitting around, I have become a woman, like all my sisters, who is doing everything she can to put an end to it. I have seen us as we all sit in one room for 10 hours during sisterhood week laughing until we cry, but I have also seen us all stand by a sister when she experiences a devastating loss. You see, these are the girls I want to share every good and bad moment with, because these are the people that have become my family.

Now I sit here writing this post after two very long weeks of recruitment and I can say that more girls than you can imagine have experienced this too. Yesterday I was lucky enough to welcome 57 Real Strong Women home to a place where they are accepted for all their amazingly crazy personalities. A place where they can get support during the good and the bad. I have watched their faces as they walked, actually ran, off the bus into the arms of those who love them unconditionally today and tomorrow. I have seen them burst into tears when they connect with a girl they met only 15 minutes earlier on so much more than a surface level.

You see these places we call “srats” can become a college student’s whole life. They can be the reason someone stays when they are thousands of miles from home. They can be the connection a woman needs to get that job they have always dreamed about or just a place they can laugh until they cry and make unforgettable memories, and sure, have some good Instagram posts while they are at it.

So yes, I went Greek. Yes I am a sorority woman but no, I have not bought my friends, and I can proudly say I’m in this for life, because this forever home is something I am proud to be a part of .

Until Next Time… Go Hawks!

Letter to my Freshman Year

Dear Freshman Year,

When I first came to Iowa I’m not going to lie you scared me. Being without my family so far away from home was something so new to me. 10 months later I want to say thank you.

Thank you for bringing me my best friends. Small dorm rooms and late nights have brought me friends that I will have for a lifetime. They are the people I want to spend every waking minute with. We never run out of things to talk about and continuously found ourselves on the floor of our halls laughing at the stupidest things. They are the people that know everything about me. They have become my Iowa family and I am forever grateful that we were brought together by Burge.

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Thank you for teaching me to push myself. When I graduated high school I thought I had learned everything there was to know about success. Then I came to college and it hit hard. Countless all-nighters and tears on the phone with my mom later I have learned just how strong I really am. I have learned that college is hard, but putting in the time and effort will pay off.

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Thank you for football. When high school ended so did my cheer career and anyone who knows me knows just how hard that was. But, because of Iowa my football withdrawals were short lived. I cannot describe the smile that I got on my face every time I was able to walk into Kinnick and be in my “happy place”. I cannot describe all the memories that I got to make in the 12-0 season that was my freshman year.

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Thank you for sisterhood. Being a part of Alpha Chi Omega has brought me more than I could ever imagine. Lifelong friends who I know I will have by my side no matter what, a passion for equality and domestic violence awareness, a new love for the color purple, a beautiful castle as a home and too memories to mention. Alpha Chi brings a smile to my face every day and I am forever grateful for the countless jokes in our group chat to the crazy mental breakdowns when we have been trapped in the house for what seems like days for recruitment practice. These 150 girls have truly become my sisters and I am so excited for countless more hours and memories together.

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Thank you for allowing me to grow as a person. When I came to college I was alone and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. After spending a year in Iowa City I have become a person that I am becoming proud of. I have become an adult who has learned so much about what I want from life and where I am going. You have allowed me to become independent, you have taught me that it is ok to make mistakes as long as you learn from them, and you have taught me that everything you want is on the other side of fear. I have gained so much knowledge during my year as a freshman and I can’t wait to learn even more over my next three years at Iowa.

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Finally, thank you for helping me to create so many memories that I will cherish forever. The people I have met, and the things I have done have been amazing and I cannot describe just how in love with Iowa I am. A year ago I accepted this school, deciding to go out of my comfort zone and create new experiences and I can honestly say that it is the best decision I have made. I can’t wait for my next three years here where I know countless memories will be made.

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Until Next Year

Go Hawks!