I think it is safe to say that many fraternity men and sorority women believe joining their respective organizations was one of the best decisions they made in college. For many, it is a 4-year commitment. They go to the meetings and mixers, participate in the philanthropies, and sport their letters on anything they can find. We often preach to our members “It’s not four years, it’s for life,” but many of the members don’t actively continue their membership beyond college.
Since graduating in May 2013, I have had the privilege of serving my fraternity (yes, many of the “sororities” are actually women’s fraternities) as an advisor remotely for our Zeta Upsilon Chapter-Northern Michigan University. I began my volunteer commitment as the Member Development Advisor, basically overseeing the VP Member Development and our equivalents of new member, personal development, and senior coordinators. At the end of my first year, I was asked to apply for the position as Chapter Advisor. This was an intimidating step to take as I was only a year older than some of the women in the chapter. However, in my role as a house director at UND, I felt confident in my ability to be a role model and authority figure to my “peers.”
It has been a challenging year so far, but I would not trade it for the world. I am a firm believer in the saying “it’s not four years, it’s for life.” When I was initiated into Alpha Gamma Delta, I promised to uphold our values not for college, for lif
e. Our guiding principle, the Alpha Gamma Delta Purpose, continues to be my moral compass in my every day life. I strive to live up to the ideals our founders set forth 111 years ago at a time when women were still discriminated against in higher education and in society.
Although I am unsure if I want to work as a Greek Advisor after graduate school, the skills I have gained, both from my undergraduate experiences and as an advisor, will be invaluable during the job search. I have had the opportunity to supervise women who are not much younger than me and advisors who some are much older than me. I have been the liaison between the chapter, volunteer service team, and International Headquarters staff. I have been given numerous professional development opportunities through conferences, webinars, and online resources. I have helped the chapter overcome years of unstable leadership and worked to build the chapter back up to the best it can possible be. We have made huge strides over the past year, and I look forward to seeing what else these amazing young women do in the coming year.
Being an advisor isn’t for everyone. Some people could better use their time or talents in an alumnae chapter/club or volunteering through the volunteer service team. Whatever they choose, I cannot stress enough the value of fraternity or sorority membership has beyond the college years. The events were great while they lasted, but we joined for the values of our organizations. It is up to us to continue to live out those values and show the world what true fraternity and sorority men and women look like. We are CEOs, politicians, actors/actresses, writers, and leaders of our fields. Collectively, we hold a lot of power, and together, we can make a difference.
From Passion to Purpose 