Why I Whole-Heartedly Believe in Greek Life

This was intended to be an open letter to anyone who has ever looked at a girl in a sorority and thought less of her based on that fact alone, but I do not believe addressing those people is worth my time. Instead...

This is for every girl, including myself, who has heard the words "sorostitute," "vapid," "skin-deep," "daddy's girl," "rich bitch," or any of the other hundreds of things that are negatively spat at the girls of Greek life. To those girls:

never listen to a single word of it. Never, for one second, let it enter any part of your mind. Whether the words are heard in passing, in a conversation next to you, read online, or spoken directly to you. Do not let the misunderstanding, jealousy, stereotyping, and ignorance of others hold you back or bring you down even an inch.

Instead, hold your head high. You are seated among incredible women. Let's meet a few of them:

Condoleezza Rice: Alpha Chi Omega, University of Denver
-66th United States Secretary of State
-First female African-American Secretary of State
-Second African-American Secretary of State
-Second female Secretary of State
-First female to serve as National Secretary Advisor (Under George W. Bush, first term)
-Professor of political science, Stanford University
-Served on the National Security Council as the Soviet and Eastern Europe Affairs Advisor (George H.W. Bush)
-Pioneered the policy of Transformational Diplomacy

This isn't even close to everything Condoleezza has done in her incredible career.

Katie Couric: Delta Delta Delta, University of Virginia
-American journalist and author
-Yahoo Global News anchor
-Hosted on all "Big Three" television networks in the U.S.(NBC, CBS, ABC)
-Co-host of The Today Show
-Anchor on CBS Evening News
-Correspondent for 60 Minutes
-New York Times' Best Selling Author (The Best Advice I Ever God: Lessons From Extraordinary Lives)
-Inducted into Television Hall of Fame

Kate Spade: Kappa Kappa Gamma, Arizona State University
-Co-founder and namesake of Kate Spade New York
-Council of Fashion Designers of America's "America's New Fashion Talent in Accessories," 1996
-I'm just going to leave part of her bio here to explain the rest. She is a creative genius.
-"Spade launched her New York-based design company "kate spade handbags" in January 1993. As the name implies, they initially started out selling mainly handbags, but eventually extended to include stationery, personal organizers, address books, shoes, beauty products, perfume, raincoats, pajamas, and eyewear. In 1996 Kate Spade opened its first boutique, a 400-square-foot shop located in Manhattan's trendy SoHo district, and moved its headquarters into a 10,000-square-foot space in West 25th Street. In 2004, "kate spade at home" was launched as a home collection brand. It features bedding, bath items, china, wallpaper and various items for the home."

Hoda Kotb: Delta Delta Delta, Virginia Tech
-News anchor and TV host
-Today Show co-host
-Daytime Emmy Award winner, 2010
-Dateline NBC correspondent
-Virginia Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors, 2010
-New York Times' Bestselling Author (Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee
-Breast cancer survivor

Carrie Underwood: Sigma Sigma Sigma, Northeastern State University
-American Idol winner, fourth season, 2005
-Member of Grand Ole Opry, 2008
-Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, 2009
-Seven Grammy Awards
-Seventeen Billboard Music Awards
-Eleven Acadamy of Country Music Awards
-Eight American Music Awards
-Nominee, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
-Rolling Stone's "Female Vocalist of Her Generation"
-Debut album, Some Heats: fastest selling debut country album in Neilsen SoundScan history, the best-selling solo female debut album in country music history and the best-selling country album of the last ten years
-Over 65 million records sold globally
-Top Country Artist of all time on the RIAA's Digital Singles ranking
-Biggest American Idol earner of all time
-Female artist with the most No.1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, from 1991 to present
-One of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People"


These are only a few of the many powerful, successful, influential, brilliant women who were members of sororities during their college years. Sororities should be celebrated.

There will never be a group of people that is perfect. There are sorority chapters that fail to attain the level of class and dignity that sororities should have. There will always be members of every type of group on this planet that misrepresent their group. But what good does it do to falsely stereotype every single member for the acts of a few? Any time you find yourself generalizing an entire group of people, you're most likely wrong. Whether it's political parties, college groups, schools, genders, ethnicities, classes, religions, etc... People are individuals. They make their own choices and live their own lives.

The heart of Greek life is service and community. Sororities donate time, money, resources, and materials to philanthropies ranging from childhood literacy to domestic violence. They connect groups of women to encourage friendship and support. Along the way, some have lost sight of these values, but that does not mean we leave them behind. Instead, those of us who hold to these values should be lifting up our sisters and encouraging them to reevaluate their situation and return to the heart of the matter.

So, Greek girls- whether you're a Zeta, Chi O, ADPi, Kappa, Tri Delt, or in a non-PanHellenic sorority (shoutout KXA), stand tall. Hold to the values. Be proud.

You are incredible. You are unique. You are magnificent. You are a world-changer. You're the next Condoleezza Rice, or Carrie Underwood. You will change the face of politics, television, fashion, and music. You will influence other women to go above and beyond their wildest dreams. You have immense responsibility in your hands to publicly defy the nasty stereotypes placed on sorority girls. You are not these stereotypes. You are human. You are worthy of love. 

As my girl Hannah Montana says- "I'm unusual, not so typical, way too smart to be waiting around! Tai chi-practicing snowboard champion; I can fix the flat on your car... I might even be a rockstar!!!" (Killin' it, Hannah)

"From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it."