The author believes what Greeks learn from their fraternity brothers and sorority sisters help shape them into the successful people they will become.

Being a member of the Greek system during your college years is an amazing experience. We all know that the parties are epic, the tailgates are more fun than the actual football games, and raising money for charity can actually be a blast. After you graduate, there are no more monthly date parties or spring formals. This does not mean you are no longer a Greek. We are always told, “being a member of a Greek family is for life.” What does this mean, exactly?

The things we learn from our fraternity brothers or sorority sisters help shape us into the successful people we will become. Take a look at the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. He was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon at Eureka College. Or, we could talk about Martin Luther King Jr., a fraternity brother in Alpha Phi Alpha at Morehouse College (editors note – this is a correction, thanks to those who caught our earlier error). Both men were incredible leaders that people looked up to and respected. There is no doubt that they learned many of their leadership techniques and gained their driven mentalities from being a part of the Greek system. Performers such as Brad Pitt (Sigma Chi), Kristin Chenoweth (Gamma Phi Beta), and Kenny Chesney (Lambda Chi Alpha) were involved in fraternities and sororities during their college experience as well. They gained the confidence and drive to chase after their dreams; and look how far they’ve come! The first man on the moon, the second woman to be the US Secretary of State, and the founder of the Hilton Hotel chain were all members of fraternities and sororities as well.

Being Greek is something we should be proud of and should be recognized as a positive way to get an upper hand later in life. We can use what we learned by being a brother or sister to help us reach our goals. Many fraternities and sororities implement a grade point average requirement in order to keep school a priority in the lives of their members. Being involved in a fraternity or sorority teaches us how to balance our time, improve our social skills, and get a firm grasp on what it means to be a leader.

You may have decided you wanted to be Greek, but in the end, being Greek chose you. Make your brothers and sisters proud. Use the opportunities given to you by the Greek system to get yourself where you want to be. Dream big, go for your goals, and never forget the family that helped you get where are today and in the future!

You might also be interested in:

1. A non-Greek reflects on Greek life
2. Greek life: the dark side
3. The Overachiever gives Greek life an A+
4. The tragic romance of a Greek and a GDI
5. Slowing the Rush: Should freshmen be restricted from going Greek?