To all the girls who are about to start recruitment or are in the midst of it right now, hang in there!

You are going to make more than friendships during this process and throughout your time as a member of a sorority. I know the days will be long, the heat is going to be unbearable, and your voice will start to give out on you, but believe me when I say it’s worth it. In fact, I will go as far to say it is MORE than worth it.

If I could give you one piece of wisdom, it would be:

Be true to yourself. Who you are is more than enough and you do not have to act like someone you are not. The beautiful thing about finding your home in a sorority is the fact that the people around you will love you as you are. You will find the place that brings out the best in you and pushes you to be a better version of yourself. Please never feel like you have to change who you have been created to be in order to ‘fit in’ somewhere. Recruitment is not about shaping yourself to fit a certain mold. It is about finding where you—a unique piece of a puzzle, fit’s in perfectly.

It has been a year since I was in your shoes—a year since I first walked into the place I now call home, and I can confidently say it has been the best year of my life.

Sure, I have made so many friends and for that I am beyond grateful, but being in a sorority has given me so much more. It has given me jobs, internships, scholarship opportunities, leadership positions. It has given me mentors, neighbors, study partners, soul mates, best friends, classmates, moms, sisters and influencers.

My girls have quite literally changed my life. They have pushed me to pursue my dreams and to follow my heart. They truly are my biggest fans and I feel the same about them.

If you’re reading this and you are nervous, don’t be! Walk into those houses with confidence and know you have worth that is far more valuable than the letters you wear. Walk knowing you are going to find a place that makes you feel like you never left home.

If you’re reading this and you’re tired, I don’t blame you! Like I said before, I was in your shoes just a year ago. Push through! You WILL get through this and it WILL be worth it. You are going to look back on this experience like I am doing right now and realize just how fortunate you are to be surrounded by girls who love you without abandon, who push you to be greater, and who will end up in your wedding one day. For those reasons and many more, I am beyond thankful to be a part of something this amazing.

I found my girls and I know you will too.

xoxo, Brooke