Anne Marie Baker, Chi Omega ’13

What has my Greek experience meant to me? I don’t even know where to begin.

Some people identify themselves by their ethnicity, religion, fashion sense, or even music, but after these past four years in Greek Life I can honestly say I identify myself as a Greek woman. Not because I like the tshirts, the mixers, or the supposed stereotypes that comes with my chapter or the community as a whole, but because Greek Life stands for everything I believe in. The past four years have been filled with friendship, service, career and personnel development, socials, scholarship, and campus activities. All of which have provided me with memories and experiences I wouldn’t have gotten elsewhere. Not only did Greek Life bring laughter, a packed social schedule, and a lot of familiar faces around campus, it brought me leadership and communication skills, life long bonds, and a sense of belonging here at the college. During my four years I was honored to serve on my Chapter’s Dream Team, take office as the New Member Educator, become the Chapter President, travel to my Chapter’s National Convention in Arizona, raise thousands of dollars for Make-a-Wish and much more. Those experiences not only helped me build my resume but also prepared me for life outside of college. In today’s world I find it hard to find a group of young adults who share the same passion of service, expectation of academic excellence, all while building friendships and having fun. Greek Life changed my life and I am excited to see what it has in store for me after college.

Zach Wall, Alpha Epsilon Pi

Growing up, I knew when I went to college that I would be a part of the Greek community.  Both of my parents joined a fraternity or sorority and they both regularly talked about their experiences and the benefits of going Greek.  When I got to school the fall of my freshman year I knew I wanted to be part of a fraternity and I joined Alpha Epsilon Pi.  AEPi has become my family in Charleston and the members of the fraternity truly are my brothers for the rest of my life and I will gladly do anything for them. After about two years of being in AEPi I see the benefits and experiences that my parents talked about and I would not trade my time in AEPi for anything.

Zach Wall ’12, Accounting

Kathryn Matrangola, Delta Gamma

I knew that the relationships I would make through Delta Gamma would last a lifetime. I simply never considered that they would span generations. On March 28, 2010, the Eta Sigma colony of Delta Gamma celebrated their first Founder’s Day. That was also the day I found out a local Alumna, Ginger Sharpe, was my mom’s “little sister” in the Delta Sigma chapter at Auburn University. Not only was our Founder’s Day a celebration of the new relationships we’ve made, it was a celebration of the long lasting impact the relationships will have on our lives.

Kathryn Matrangola ’12, Hospitality & Tourism

Sarah Vining, Zeta Tau Alpha

When people ask me how I liked the College of Charleston, I reply with “It was the best experience I could have asked for,” and I can honestly say my sorority plays a huge role in that.  I began my freshman year at the College feeling like a number in a crowd.  I took part in fall recruitment my sophomore year, unsure of what sorority I would join but soon fell in love with the girls of Zeta Tau Alpha. I accepted a bid from ZTA and instantly began making the most of my college career by taking on different leadership roles within the sorority. I made my best friends through Zeta.  I went abroad this past semester and I’m now graduated, living in a new city, but I can say my sisters are the friends who have made the most effort to stay in touch.  It’s much more than going to socials and paying dues, it’s a friendship that truly lasts forever. As with everything in life, college is what you make of it.  If you’re debating about joining a sorority or fraternity, at least go through recruitment, you’ll surprise yourself.  Going greek helped to make my experience at CofC what it was!

Sarah Vining ’10, Communications

Sam Orelove, Alpha Epsilon Pi

There are typically two types of Greek students: 1) the ones who go to college knowing they are going to join a fraternity or sorority and 2) the ones that had no plan to seek out Greek organizations, but ended up making a connection. I strongly fall into the latter category. With that being said, I can’t imagine a college experience for me that doesn’t involve Greek Life. My fraternity has given me a second family, an opportunity to see how leadership is developed, and greater expectations involving service, philanthropy, and scholarship. Greek Life at CofC has given me a network of inspiring individuals that share similar expectations and care about their organization as much as I care about mine. I joke with my parents that I double major in Business and Greek Life, but there is no question I will graduate with two degrees.

Sam Orelove  ’11, Business Administration

Caroline Henning, Alpha Delta Pi

I came into college knowing I wanted to go through recruitment and hopefully find a sorority that was a right fit and be just a member. However, after just spending a couple of weeks in Alpha Delta Pi, I knew I was a part of a sorority that was going to change my life. What made

Alpha Delta Pi stand out so much in the past three years is the sisterhood I have felt from every single girl. With a sorority that has more then 160 members, it can seem difficult to really get to know every single girl. However, our chapter strives in making sure that each girl is able to form that special bond with any other person in our sorority, and we want to make sure that they are able to say not only did they find a friend, but also a sister.

Caroline Henning ’11,  Corporate Communication

Jessica Eovino, Zeta Tau Alpha

Looking back at my college career at the College of Charleston, it was the greatest 4 years of my life. The best memories by far are those that came from being a member of the Greek system at CofC. After my freshman year I felt as if something was missing from my college experience. Becoming a Greek filled that void. I joined Zeta Tau Alpha my sophomore year.  I wish that I had gone through formal recruitment as a freshman so that I could have had 4 years of being a Greek in college.

Thanks to being a member of a Greek organization I excelled more with my studies and became more involved on campus. My sister’s were so supportive of me and all my endeavors. I entered into an industry that was not common to most business majors – logistics. Being a member of a Greek organization helped me develop the courage and self confidence that I had the ability to try something different and to succeed.

You learn so many life lessons from being a Greek. You learn how to manage your time, write reports, pay bills, balance your check book (because most of your checks were written to your organization for t-shirts), team building skills and leadership skills.

Now, 13 years after I’ve graduated, I’m still active with my sorority. I’ve have the fortunate opportunity to serve as President of the local alumnae chapter,  General Advisor to my collegiate chapter and most recently serving as a National Officer for my sorority. Those leadership positions helped me to gain necessary leadership experience to excel into supervisory positions and manager positions within my corporate organization.

Every time I move to a new city, I know that I can contact the local alumnae chapter and I’ve got a great group of women who befriend me.

I still keep in contact with my sorority sisters from college in my chapter and members of other Greek organizations. Being a Greek really opened up lots of opportunities for me as a collegian and as a graduate.

Jessica Eovino ’97, Business Major / Intermodal Transportation Minor

Krystal Yeadon, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

I am the only girl in my immediate family. Being a part of a Greek letter organization has given me the sisters I never had.  We all share an irreplaceable bond with one another. It has also given me an even bigger Greek family, which includes the rest of the Divine 9 sororities and fraternities. We realize that no matter what the letter, we’re all Greek together. We all work together for common purposes, such as serving our campus and community. Sometimes it can be challenging trying to keep up with your school work, job and Greek organization all at the same time, but school work definitely comes first. You just have to learn how to balance everything and not take on more than you can handle. For some reasons, higher expectations are put on Greeks. We are expected to have a certain GPA, even though we do the most on campus. Once you become a part of a Divine 9 sorority or fraternity, you not only become a member of a sorority or fraternity, but you also become a member of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which means you work for and plan activities for both. Greeks are usually the most well-rounded people on campus because they are involved in several campus activities besides Greek life. Being a part of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated has made me a more well-rounded person through scholarship by knowing that I had to maintain a certain GPA to stay in that organization, leadership by allowing me to take on leadership roles and hold leadership positions, service because I joined a sorority that strives to do service as our motto is “Greater Service, Greater Progress,” and fellowship by providing me with a new family I can bond with socially.

Krystal Yeadon ’10, Theatre (Performance) and Communication (Media Studies)

April Dupree, Kappa Alpha Theta

When I ran down Coming Street to the Kappa Alpha Theta house on bid day nearly 17 years ago, I don’t think I had a clue how much that day would eventually shape the woman I would become!  I think it is fair to say I was joining Greek Life for all the superficial reasons like the cute t-shirts and the broadened social scene.  The member education period and my initiation were the start of a growing appreciation for the more important parts of sorority membership – true sisterhood, leadership, and accountability, to name a few.  I remember waiting to cross the street one day and seeing one of my sisters on the adjacent corner.  I thought to myself how different we were and how our paths might not have crossed if not for Theta and how there were so many things about that woman that made me proud to call her my sister. I think that was my first “Ah ha!” moment.

A few years after graduating, I joined the Advisory Board for my chapter and eventually moved on to become a District officer, and just a few weeks ago was elected to Grand Council.  Volunteering for Theta has truly enriched my life in ways I could never have imagined.  The Fraternity principals and ideals I pledged to uphold as a collegian are still a guiding force in my life today. I’ve had the opportunity to hone the leadership skills I began to develop as a collegian.  I’ve made relationships that will last a lifetime with women who were toddlers when I pledged Theta and women who pledged Theta before I was born.  Perhaps the most rewarding experience has been to watch as women I mentored as a chapter advisor go on to become an advisor themselves.   Thetas have a saying, “Theta for a lifetime”, and for me, that is absolutely the truth!

April Pinkston DuPree ’96, Biochemistry Major

Diane Turgeon, Zeta Tau Alpha

I joined Zeta Tau Alpha in the fall of 1999, and have rarely been without a “Zeta Job” since then.  Beginning as a freshman, I served my chapter as Alumnae/Collegiate Relations Chair, Historian, and Secretary.  The leadership opportunities offered to me by my sorority were invaluable in preparing me for the working world.  I learned more about working as a team, crisis and conflict management, scheduling, and budgets than in any course I could have taken.  Those positions also looked very nice on my graduate school applications!  In my alumna life, ZTA has continued to offer me the opportunity to serve and grow as a leader.  I have held several offices in my local alumnae chapters and have served as an advisor to the chapter at the University of South Carolina.  I now serve in a national office as District President and oversee all seven alumnae chapters in South Carolina.  I receive leadership training at national conferences and get to work with Zetas around the state.  It’s an excellent resume builder!  My Greek affiliation has provided me with education, growth, and sisterhood beyond my college years.

– Dianne Turgeon ’03,  Geology