Greek for a Lifetime

Upon returning from Phi Mu National Convention earlier this week, I began to reflect on my Greek Life experience. I always knew that becoming Greek would be life-changing for me, and it has been since bid day. However, I often get wrapped up in my local alumnae chapter or my collegiate chapter and I forget about how amazing all of our Greek organizations are on a national level. It is almost unbelievable to imagine the bond that we share with hundreds of thousands of brothers and sisters all over the world.

Greek Life teaches important values and life skills, as well as creates leaders on campus and in the real world after college. I call on the skills I learned from Recruitment and Panhellenic Life almost everyday. Networking, interviewing, and simply being a professional are all things that Panhellenic taught me throughout my college years, whether I realized it at the time or not.

I'm pretty sure that back in August of 2005, I had no idea what Greek Life had in store for me as I sat on that lawn in front of Phi Mu soaking wet from the torrential downpour that we had to run through to get to our new home. 

Every year that passed brought me more involvement and more love for Phi Mu and for Greek Life.

Sisterhood Retreat to Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia 

 The Executive Council that I had the pleasure of serving with as Chapter President

The moment I realized that Phi Mu is for a lifetime. I was honored to present one of my Alpha Epsilon sisters with her 75 year pin for Phi Mu. Right then and there I decided that I would be involved and volunteer for Phi Mu for the rest of my life. 

My last recruitment - with my little and grand-little

Celebrating our Phi Mu chapter's 80th Anniversary at Florida State University

In addition to values and life skills, Greek Life gives us a family away from our own and teaches us the importance of loving and supporting your family. 

For most of us in Greek Life, this is where it ends. We graduate, we start our new lives, and our sorority or fraternity simply becomes a memory of the fun times we had in college.

 However, Greek Life doesn't end with college. Remember, during recruitment when the person "rushing" you sold you on the fact that being Greek would give you best friends for life? Friends you will have at your wedding, friends that will be the godparents of your children...etc.  

The truth is, being Greek doesn't stop at graduation. It never ends. Whether you’re 18 or 80, you are still Greek. I am just as much a Phi Mu today as I was on the day I was initiated, October 21, 2005. When I hear men or women say, “I was a ___ in college”, I want to remind them that being Greek is for a lifetime, not just for college. Even more importantly, I want to remind them that if it wasn't for the dedicated alumni who volunteer their time and talents for their national organization, they would have never even had that college experience. Do you think that all those socials, date functions, initiation, etc. would have ever happened if you didn't have a chapter adviser, or a National President, or the money and service of thousands of alumni volunteers? No way. The support of alumni members is what keeps our collegiate chapters going. Remember all of the Greek men and women who have come before us and all who will come after us when we are long gone. I remember all that Phi Mu and Greek Life has given me over the years, and this is why I give back to Phi Mu.