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Experiences from Current and Graduated Members
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Three years ago, I made the decision to go through sorority recruitment and I have not looked back since. As crazy as it was, and as nervous as I was, I still remember the feelings I felt when walked into Pi Beta Phi on that first day. Finally, I understood the cliché saying that was repeated to me all weekend; “that I would find my home”. For me Pi Phi is my home at Western. When I looked across the room that day, I felt the sincerity in the friendships and respect that these women had for each other. Since then, going through recruitment and choosing Pi Phi has proven to be best decision of my university career. I’ve created once in a lifetime memories and experiences that have shaped me into the woman I am today and will surly remain with me well past my time at Western. That same nervous girl, who back in 2016 sat and listened to the Vice President of Membership give a speech, found herself standing up at that very same podium two short years later. My sisters recognized qualities that I didn’t even recognize in myself and pushed me to step outside my comfort zone. They inspired me to see the best in myself, and helped me to grow into not only a strong young woman but a leader within Pi Beta Phi and the Greek community. Joining Pi phi not only meant that I had joined a sorority, but a network of strong, fearless women in the Panhellenic community. Women who uplift each other no matter the letters. I am especially grateful to Pi Phi for the strong bonds of friendship I was able to make and my two beautiful littles who inspire me every day. With both their courage and their quirkiness I see in them what someone saw in me three years ago. They and the women of Pi Beta Phi are unapologetically themselves and in doing so made me proud to serve as their Vice president of Membership.
-Mika Rajkumar Pi Beta phi |
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While going through the Formal Recruitment process during my first year at Western, I was intimidated and unsure of what to expect. I went into the weekend knowing very few people and I felt like I was in over my head. Yet everything changed when I walked through the doors of Alpha Phi, it felt like home to me. Over the last 2 years, Alpha Phi has shaped me into the individual I am today. Alpha Phi has encouraged me to be the best version of myself by enhancing my leadership abilities, driving me forward to reach my highest scholastic potential, and assisting me in giving back to the London community. I have been given the opportunity to be apart of the executive team, attend leadership conferences and create a network of genuine and loving friendships. The Panhellenic community at Western is unlike any other. Each organization is unique and is filled with some of the most empowered and driven women you will ever meet. The Recruitment process is one that will lead you to finding a group of women who keep you here, who you can make a difference with, and who encourage you, provide you with deep-rooted love and support you in lifelong achievement. Joining a sorority at Western has without a doubt been one of the most amazing, memorable and rewarding experiences of my life. Alpha Phi has shaped me, my sisters have challenged me to be the best version of myself, and I genuinely cannot imagine my University experience without Alpha Phi.
-Lauren Poelzer Alpha Phi President (2020) |
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Being a part of Greek life has been one of the most transformative experiences at Western. Growing up, I always knew what sorority was but I never truly understood what it meant to be a part of a Greek organization until I after I joined. My grandma, my mom and my sister were all members of AGD during their undergraduate career and it remained an integral part of their lives for decades afterwards. So, knowing that impact joining a sorority has in one’s life, when I made the decision to come to Western that also meant I made the decision I wanted to join Greek life.
In 2016, I went through formal recruitment and while I was nervous about the entire weekend I can fully say it was one of the best choices I have ever made. The women of AGD have given me some of the best memories of my undergraduate career. I have spent countless nights laughing until my stomach hurt at the chapter house, and had the opportunity to travel and attend leadership conferences in the United States with other Greek leaders from around North America. However, my connection to AGD is much deeper than that - this organization has given me a home away from home, a place where I can be myself, and an army of friends that truly help each other through whatever life throws at us. The power that joining a Greek organization is something that cannot be found elsewhere. University is the time of massive transition and personal growth but being able to share and learn that with others makes the impact that these four years have multiplied. Combined with living a world that is increasingly uncertain, the importance and value of sororities is something that cannot be understated. I could not be more proud or grateful to be a member of AGD, an organization that empowers other women. -Maddi McNevitts Alpha Gamma Delta |
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I joined Alpha Omicron Pi during my first year of university. Coming from a small town and generally being quite introverted, I knew that joining the Greek scene would be a great way for me to break out of my shell and experience new things. Little did I know that this organization would have such a drastic impact on my overall university experience here at Western. Before arriving at university, I had been hesitant to go through recruitment because I didn’t think that I would find a place where I truly belonged – but I was wrong. The ladies of Alpha Omicron Pi instantly made me feel welcome and accepted, and now have become more than just close friends, they have become my family. Not only has this organization allowed me to meet some of my best friends, but it has also allowed me to grow as a leader with it’s many opportunities for philanthropic and executive involvement. I can truly say that being apart of the Panhellenic community is an experience like no other. Alpha Omicron Pi, along with the rest of the Panhellenic community, push me to be the best person that I can be and continue to inspire me each and everyday to achieve excellence in all areas of my life.
-Emily Goldman Alpha Omicron Pi Philanthropy Chair and Panhellenic Exec (2019) |
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Walking up to the first night of recruitment, I remember listening to the VP Recruitment give her presentation on Greek life, absolutely clueless about what lay ahead. Never did I think that 3 years later I would be the next VP Recruitment standing on stage giving the same presentation I heard 3 years prior. As an alumna of Theta and having served on Panhel, I was able to see exactly how a sorority can enhance one’s life. I have witnessed sisters, fellow Panhellenic members, and myself experience tremendous self-growth thanks to the amazing opportunities that being a part of Western sororities granted us. As I sit in my graduate school classes and at work, I realize how skills like confidence, cooperation, and professionalization, were all skills I learnt from my sisters throughout my time in Kappa Alpha Theta. Having graduated a year ago, I can truly say that there is no richer undergraduate experience than to be a part of Greek life at Western. Undergrad would not have been the same without it. Your sisters will help you reach your full potential just as they did to me, and 5 years from now you will thank yourself for making the decision to Go Greek, just as I am thanking myself now
-Shelby Cruz Alumnae of Kappa Alpha Theta and Panhellenic Exec (2016) |
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