Never in a million years could I have guessed that as a junior in college, I am on the executive board of my sorority at the University of Florida. That sentence is literally nuts. Greek life was never something that I knew enough about to even consider. Growing up, I heard about the occasional sorority and fraternity from movies and TV shows that depict them stereotypically; It wasn’t a huge surprise that I wasn’t ever into them. I’m also a Cuban American from Miami. To this day I am still explaining to my parents what a sorority is and does. They didn’t grow up around any of that. Needless to say, it wasn’t on my radar.
Then I got to Gainesville. All of my friends from home were joining sororities or at least knew about them and I was just still tunnel visioned about it so I didn’t give it much thought. I spent most of my freshman year with my friends from high school who I adore and love, but it almost felt as though I was in 13th grade; I never really set a boundary between high school and college. COVID definitely didn’t help either. All of my classes were online, I wasn’t really involved in anything on campus, and going out was still frowned upon. So you can imagine that making friends was so incredibly difficult. Coming into my sophomore year, I knew there was something missing. That entire first year, I was really doing everything alone. I didn’t have a group of people I could go to for things like help on campus or advice about life. This is when I decided I would take a leap of faith and jump head first: I was going to try Greek Life.
I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the idea of formal recruitment was terrifying. As a pro-over thinker I was so nervous about the entire process: what was I going to talk about, who would I meet, WHAT WAS I GOING TO WEAR? But as I got closer to August, my nerves started to settle. I realized that I just had to be me. I went in confident, knowing who I was and I had such a positive experience. Every single woman I spoke to was so impressive. They were kind, attentive, and friendly and genuinely cared about me and what I had to say. Recruitment ended up being so much fun for me that I ended up being on the flip side a year later. I wanted to help women find their homes just like I did. For me, the decision was a simple one and I am so happy I made it. Kappa Delta has been a safe space for me in this massive campus. I’ve met women that I know will still be in my life 15 years from now. The bonds you make here in college are so important and long-lasting. Shoutout to my girls in Kappa Delta! I love you!
Fast forward a year and a half and I’m the happiest ever. I’ve found my place in Kappa Delta and on campus. I’ve finally honed in on my skills and passion for fashion and entertainment and art and switched my major to advertising where I’ve gotten involved with The Agency and AdSociety on campus on the executive boards. I’m also a director at Rowdy Magazine, which has been so rewarding and fun as it aligns so perfectly with what I love to do. My sisters in Kappa Delta constantly support and hype me up, which makes me feel so welcome and seen. They also are my go-to for literally anything involvement wise on campus. I would say that is a huge plus of being in a sorority; there are so many women who all have diverse interests and so are involved with soooo many things on campus. Volunteering, professional development, student orgs, sports, you name it, they have my back. My big is literally a girl boss and will offer her services to any sister, whether that’s reviewing your resume, LinkedIn, or interview prep. I’m so happy to have been able to find Kappa Delta and all of the incredible women in the chapter. I love it so much that I decided to apply for an executive board position and am now the Director of Marketing and Social Media. I felt that I had to give back to the chapter that gave me so much. I manage KD’s social media pages and figure out creative ways to get our name out there because all I want to do is help girls like me find their second homes like I did at Kappa Delta. Just know that there is always a place in Greek Life for you.
With love, Bella Falero