Coming into TCNJ as a sophomore transfer student, I knew I would have to work a little bit harder than everyone else in order to make friends. I felt as though everyone had already found their friend-group freshman year, becoming close with their freshman floor during welcome week, an experience I never got to have. After months of feeling isolated and hearing stories about what I missed out on, I decided to go out for spring recruitment. I was determined: I was going to make this place my home.
During rounds, girls would repeatedly ask that staple question- “why do you want to go out for recruitment?” For me, wanting to join Greek Life was something so much more than taking cute pictures, getting a lot of Instagram likes and going to social events. For me, the main reason I joined Greek Life was that I truly and genuinely wanted to find my home at TCNJ, and the more I repeated myself in each room during rounds, the more passionate and emotional I felt about this process.
Following the most stressful and nerve-wracking week, on the last day during “Pref Round,” I walked into the room where some of the sisters were singing “Home,” by Phillip Phillips. The song resonated with me instantly, since “home” was what I’d been looking for. It all sounds super cheesy and over-dramatic, but I physically felt that I was home.
After jumping off stage into all the girls on Bid Night, one of the sisters hugged me and whispered, “welcome home.” Tears poured down my face as I walked through the group of my future sisters. I had become a part of them, and soon this organization will become a part of me.