I literally stumbled into Recruitment Week.
I had no intention of going Greek, no idea what it even meant. But my roommate in the residence hall told me she was going to an ice cream social, and who doesn’t love ice cream? I tagged along, and suddenly, I was in the whirlwind of Fall Recruitment. I was registering and attending the first night before I knew what hit me.
The entire week is still a blur. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into. House Tours, Philanthropy, Preference Round? Lifelong bonds, sisterhood? These meant nothing to me until weeks later. I followed groups of girls around, trying to get my bearings on a world I’d never experienced.
I can’t remember much about the week except the beautiful house that I now call my home. Standing inside the vintage foyer of Kappa Kappa Gamma, everyone feels like they’ve walked into a castle. However, the women inside made me feel like the princess.
They were warm and welcoming, and somehow, they were the most real women I’d ever met. They laughed along with me, told me fantastic stories, and made me feel like part of their family.
The moment I remember most is when one of the senior members, Shae Buggs, stood up and began talking about her wedding. Over the summer, she’d married her long-time boyfriend. However, the moments she talked about were filled with love and support from her Kappa sisters. She told us about all the amazing times she got to have at her wedding thanks to the women sitting in the room, and how they were the ones who really supported her and made the event go smooth. I knew in that moment Kappa Kappa Gamma was the house for me. I wanted to be a part of the love these women shared, and the joy that was reflected on all of their faces when they looked at their blissful sister. I knew that there was no other place for me. I was going to be a Kappa.
I got that same moment of bliss this past September, and a reminder as to why I am a member of Kappa.
The day before my 21st birthday, my boyfriend gave me his fraternity pin, a powerful symbol in the Greek system, much like a promise ring. When I got home from our date, floating on a cloud, I ran into my Godlittle’s room to wake her up. Much to my surprise, she was sitting up in bed, waiting for me. As it turns out, my boyfriend had asked her permission to pin me! He knew how important Kappa is to me. I was moved to tears the amount that my sisters had played in the pinning. My Little and Godlittle had been helping him to plan the event for months.
By the end of the hour, all my sisters knew. During my birthday, girls were running up to me to hug me on campus, and alumni were calling me to congratulate me. Later that evening, my sisters performed a candle-passing ceremony in my honor. Once again, I couldn’t even begin to fathom the love and joy that these women had. As each sister hugged me and congratulated me through tears or laughter, I felt a surge of bliss that is unparalleled by any other happiness I’ve felt in my life. I have never doubted my choice to become a Kappa woman, and I know that with their support, I can do anything.
