Personal Story:
The Profound, Lifelong Impact of My Decision to Join a Sorority
The Profound, Lifelong Impact of My Decision to Join a Sorority
by Liz Toombs
Liz Toombs: As a college freshman in the fall of 2001, I chose to participate in sorority recruitment to find a smaller group with a greater sense of belonging within my larger university experience. I had no clue how accepting my bid to join Alpha Gamma Delta (AGD) at the University of Kentucky would affect the path of my life and career after college.
It is my career where this has shown its greatest impact. My business, PDR Interiors in Lexington, Kentucky, provides design services and products for Greek housing clients all over the U.S. My colleagues and I travel to campuses and work alongside national and local house corp boards to create spaces that serve the needs of their chapter members. When I talk with journalists about the work my team does, I get a lot of questions about creating spaces for campus parties or I hear comments about membership promoting exclusion and the “mean girl” mentality. Folks, that is not what Greek life is about. The philanthropic training, the leadership skills honed, and the networking opportunities offered are the positive and life-changing messages I focus on spreading.
It is my career where this has shown its greatest impact. My business, PDR Interiors in Lexington, Kentucky, provides design services and products for Greek housing clients all over the U.S. My colleagues and I travel to campuses and work alongside national and local house corp boards to create spaces that serve the needs of their chapter members. When I talk with journalists about the work my team does, I get a lot of questions about creating spaces for campus parties or I hear comments about membership promoting exclusion and the “mean girl” mentality. Folks, that is not what Greek life is about. The philanthropic training, the leadership skills honed, and the networking opportunities offered are the positive and life-changing messages I focus on spreading.
I had no clue how accepting my bid to join Alpha Gamma Delta at the University of Kentucky would affect the path of my life and career after college.
While I was in college, AGD’s chosen philanthropic focus was juvenile diabetes. We held annual fundraisers on campus to raise money to fund research and care for children with diabetes. Between the ages of 18 and 21, I admittedly didn’t give much thought to the importance of giving back to my community. However, the seed was planted by my participation in philanthropic events, and it started to bloom after graduation. As an adult and small business owner now, I have a personal goal to be involved with one to two charitable organizations through board service and/or volunteering at all times. Without my time at AGD, I may not have viewed this kind of community service as relevant and necessary.
Much like my philanthropic understanding, I didn’t fully see the leadership seeds planted in me by AGD until later in life. Feeling a little unsure of my abilities, I never held a leadership position in my chapter in college. What I did learn about leading was through watching the actions of members who held executive positions in the chapter and national organization. I witnessed them rally us around a common purpose, cast a vision for the future of our chapter, and promote collaboration among members. It’s those characteristics that draw me back to AGD today. I am currently involved as a facilitator in their inaugural leadership program called Empower. Members of the program meet with their cohort once a month to discuss leadership principles and how those principles can be implemented in their daily lives.
Participating in recruitment was my first exposure to networking as I experienced it in my professional life. I attended scheduled meetings with members of an organization with the purpose of introducing myself and getting to know as many new people as possible in hopes that a true connection would be formed. Experiencing recruitment as both a potential new member and an active member gave me practice with conversation starters, sharpening my listening skills, and how to put people at ease when talking to them. Beyond networking with fellow students, the opportunities to connect with alumnae who serve as chapter advisors are extremely helpful. I often advise college students to connect with these women and mentors. You never know what you can learn from someone in those positions or when they might be able to assist you as a college grad entering the workforce. If you are a student reading this, I urge you to utilize LinkedIn and connect with the alumnae and people in national leadership you have met during your time in college.
The fruits of my sorority experience have proved invaluable in my personal growth and development. Your life after college might look different than mine, but no matter your chosen path, possessing strong leadership skills, building a solid network, and having a philanthropic heart will serve you well.
The fruits of my sorority experience have proved invaluable in my personal growth and development. Your life after college might look different than mine, but no matter your chosen path, possessing strong leadership skills, building a solid network, and having a philanthropic heart will serve you well.
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