Sororities as Agents of Personal Growth

Every alumni member of a sorority would say that being in a sorority made them a better person and professional. Sororities are much more than just social clubs for women to hangout with. Women come out of sorority life as confident individuals who have leadership skills and a strong sense of themself. Something that sticks with people outside of their collegiate years is the heartwarming sorority initiates. As a result of sorority life many people continue to volunteer their time or donate money to the philanthropy their sorority partners with. 

Membership class 2022 member Liv Wendt of Gamma Phi Beta shared with me the factors that drew her to her sorority, parts of her sorority experience that have contributed to her confidence and ways in which she believes sororities encourage leadership development and confidence among members. 

Liv was initially drawn to her sorority Gamma Phi Beta as a result of how welcoming the sisterhood felt. She noted that the people she met she knew were genuine which made it easy for her to build connections before she even joined. Liv was a transfer student who was struggling to find comfort at her new college and shared that she felt safe and at home within the sorority which resulted in the sorority being her home away from her hometown. Holding positions within her sorority exposed Liv to her potential to be a great leader and solidified her passion for event planning and graphic design. Overall, she said that she gained valuable skills that made her feel good about herself in addition to fulfilled by the fact that she helping the betterment of her chapter. 

Sororities, according to Liv, “contribute to building a strong sense of self and character building opportunities” (Wendt).

She said that despite what others may says she believes that sororities are not the sole determining factor of one’s identity building journey in college but rather a supporting factor to helping members find who they are, what they want in life, who they want in there life and how they want to spend their lives. 

Liv shared that her sorority sisters are highly involved and she has enjoyed getting the witness their personal growth within clubs and groups on campus.

She stated that “I love watching my sisters find areas that they are passionate about from either holding roles in the chapter or joining other organizations. Many of my sisters have either found the major they enjoy or felt solidified in the major they are in because of there experience in the chapter or a position they hold” (Wendt).

Liv firmly believes that the benefits of sororities last beyond the college years. Her sorority experience has prepared her to be an effective communicator, how to do outreach and how to create effective social media content. Liv’s personal goal when transferring from her small town community college and joining a sorority was to learn and connect with the Panhellenic sorority as a whole.

She said that “today some of the best relationships I have are within fraternities and sororities” (Wendt).

She has witnessed the personal growth of her fraternity and sorority members who have grown as people and professionals since joining. Now as an alumni she has been able to reflect back on her time in the sorority and recognize the ways in which the sorority helps shape members into confident women of character who has a strong sense of themselves and there ability to be a leader.