I joined Kappa Delta in 2011. I vividly remember telling my mom after freshman orientation that I wanted to join a sorority. My mom believed the negative stereotypes of Greek organizations and was less than enthusiastic about my decision. Nevertheless, I stuck with my plan and registered for recruitment. My cousin, a Gamma Phi Beta, kept reassuring me that it would be the best experience of my life.

I remember walking to the first recruitment event and almost turning around to go back to my dorm. I couldn’t help but think what if I am not pretty enough, skinny enough, smart enough, involved enough, cool enough. The list went on.

Luckily, I didn’t turn around. If I had, my life would have taken a completely different direction, as I am one of the lucky few who have been able to turn their sorority experience into a profession.  I work with sorority women every day and repeatedly hear one heartbreaking statement:  “I don’t tell [insert professor, employer, love interest, etc.] that I am in a sorority because I don’t want to be judged.” Why should we feel the need to hide our sorority membership?

Sorority women are CEOs and founders of nonprofit organizations. They are Pulitzer Prize winners and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients. They are state governors and U.S. senators. They are TV hosts and fashion designers. They are teachers, soldiers, police officers, reporters and community volunteers. They are advisors and mentors. Sorority women have the ability to change the world.

I spend every day on the phone with Kappa Delta collegians, and I am amazed by their accomplishments at such a young age. I talk to women who are starting their own nonprofits, researching cures for cancer and interning at Fortune 500 companies, all while maintaining an impressive GPA and high level of involvement in Kappa Delta and other campus organizations.

This is sorority. It is not what you see in the movies or on TV shows. It is so much more than what could ever be depicted in the entertainment world or the media. It’s the comfort of knowing someone is always there to support you. It is the knowledge that you have a network of women across the country with whom you have an automatic bond. It is a shoulder when times are tough.  It is encouragement to become the best version of yourself. It is the commitment to philanthropy and civic engagement. It is friendship, sisterhood and the reason I proudly say, I am a sorority woman.

The I Am a Sorority Woman campaign, started by Delta Gamma Fraternity, was created to combat stereotypes and show the world the many benefits of sorority life. I encourage you to join the conversation by sharing a photo or statement on social media with #IAmASororityWomen.

Catie Barbieri
Chapter Services Coordinator