I want to start off today by addressing how complex it is to explain what you did as a leader of a sorority. Fortunately, in my line of work it is easily explainable because almost everyone is a member of a Greek-letter organization so they know what it means when I say I was new member educator or the recruitment chair. However, not everyone does the work that I do and you all have a much bigger struggle on your hands - learning how to communicate your experience.
I recently read this article from the Levo League (who I absolutely adore) and was a bit bothered by something.
How many times have we seen this quote in reference to our sorority membership? Yes, it is a bit cliché, but the I am more bothered by the meaning of the quote and what it implies. It almost acts like leverage for us to not have to try to explain what it means to be a member of a sorority. When it comes down to it we can articulate our experience in a meaningful way to our future employers and colleagues.
There is an awful perception of what it means to be a sorority member that is constantly perpetuated by TSM and the like, but we can redirect that conversation by simply saying what we really do. Yes, we plan social events, but you also learn risk management and event planning skills. We host a basketball tournament, but we make a difference in someone else's life by raising thousands of dollars. We implement this new member program from our national organization, but we oversee the care and guidance of several young ladies.
On the surface, sorority membership is just that, a membership - you paying your dues to some other student organization on your campus. But the sorority part is what brings it all together and makes it something worthwhile. Never has there been something so meaningful to so many young women.
I challenge you to leave a comment below on how you explain what it means to be a member of a sorority to anyone who has no idea what it means. I look forward to reading them!
I though I'd have this answer in the bag. But I can't think of how to word it. The same goes for my experience at a womens college, sometimes it's just beyond words....
ReplyDeleteIt's about friendship, communication, growth, support, community, and so much more. I think it's mostly about community - in all senses of the word
There are countless benefits to joining a sorority. To me, it was about getting prepared for the real world. I learned to work with people of all kinds of personalities, and how to get along with those who differed from mine. Recruiting girls became a fun and easy way to meet new people while also building my confidence by talking to people I didn't know. My verbal skills tremendously improved from promoting my organization, leading meetings, advertising for events, etc. Had I not been in a sorority, I don't know that I would have been as prepared for life after college as I was. I learned so many lessons ranging from how to present yourself and put your best foot forward to how to get innovative with how to attract people to your events. Everything I learned from my sorority is precious, invaluable, and special to me. I think everyone feels something similar to that and that's what makes it so difficult to put into words.
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