Over the years, I have had my "light bulb moments" (thank you Oprah) where I wake up and realize I need help, I need guidance, I need support. I've also had the moments where I realize I can attribute who I am to a specific time, event, or person. Every time I have one of these moments, I wonder how different my life would be if it wasn't for (insert your 'what if' here)... in my present day case- What if I never joined a sorority? Every sorority women, maybe even fraternity man, has this moment where they consider 'what if', but most never really do much with it. But as a graduate student at Bowling Green State University who is majoring in College Student Personnel and a focus on Greek Life, I choose to take it one step further.
I became a sister of Zeta Tau Alpha in fall 2006, September 10 to be exact. I remember recruitment, the memories, and the emotions I had trying to choose an organization I wanted to be a part of for the rest of my life. I remember meeting the president of my chapter, (Kappa Tau shout out) Liz Perez and thinking I must have been special because the president knew my name. I remember thinking this would be a life changing experience that would make me a better person. I knew it would provide fun and give me something to do on the weekend at a school that didn't have much to do. I knew it would make me someone, something, bigger than what I was alone. And while I was naive about some of these things, my sorority experience did not disappoint. I went on to become very involved, holding numerous positions and gaining the respect of the chapter members, alumni, and national council. I worked hard at my sorority experience. I often joked to family and friends that I was majoring in Greek Life and minoring in Orientation, who would have thought this would be true.
In 2009, I met my mentor and a best friend, Cal Majure. This man forever changed the course of my life. A fellow Greek -Cal is a Pi Kappa Phi- Cal had just graduated from Bowling Green State University and came to work at my undergraduate institution, Florida Gulf Coast University. As the assistant director of orientation and new student programs, Cal brought a lot of much-needed change to the department. I had previously served as an Orientation Leader in 2007 and loved my position. I wanted desperately to breaking back into the New Student Program world. Cal was the one way I could get back involved. After getting involved and holding a large leadership role with orientation in 2010, Cal sat me down and began to discuss my future. He questioned me about my passions, what motivates me, and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I knew I wanted to educate people and make a difference. I also knew that my sorority was giving me more than my degree. The next words out of Cal's mouth made my life different: "You know you can do that for a living, right?". Cue the lightbulb moment.
From that moment on, the next year and a half of my life was a whirlwind. I separated from a long time boyfriend, dated others, applied to graduate school at Bowling Green where Cal went to school, taught professionally for 6 months, visited Bowling Green, got accepted to Bowling Green, quit my job, packed up whatever could fit in my SUV and moved from Florida to Ohio (Hello, culture shift!), created a 'home' where I knew no one, started over, started classes, moved to Berea, starting working in res life and Greek life, was reconnected me with the love of my life (Thanks, Cal!), was put on academic probation, reevaluated my life, learned a lot, got off academic probation, and finish my first year of graduate school. Needless to say, a lot changed and a lot happened.
Above all, my life changed form one lightbulb moment and I realized if I had never joined Zeta Tau Alpha, I would not the the person, have the people in my life, or have the opportunities that lay before me. If I were never Greek, I would still be teaching (which I loved doing) and not following my dream. If i never joined a sorority, I would not be writing this blog. They say everything happens for a reason. When I went through recruitment in 2006 with a friend, I never thought my life would be changed to this extreme. But thinking back, the lightbulb moments from September 2006 onward, have changed my life for the better.
Cal and I during my first visit to BGSU in Fall 2010.
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