Rushing as a sophomore was an easy, no brainer. After being offered a scholarship, I began my freshman year of college playing volleyball at a local junior college. I always knew that I would end up at SFA one day and no matter my age, I would go through recruitment. As an only child, sisters and an enormous family was something I had always wanted. Although being an only child was something my parents and I were unable to help, having brothers and sisters was something I always envied my friends, family, and even my mom and dad for having. Going through recruitment, I kept this in mind when finding my home and for that I am forever grateful to Tri Delta for giving me the sisters and family I have always wanted!

I believe that going through recruitment as a sophomore could be beneficial to girls looking for the home that best fits themselves. Even though I didn’t attend SFA my freshman year, through visits to Nacogdoches, I was still able to meet girls from every chapter. Going into recruitment, it was a sigh of relief to see familiar faces in each of the homes and knowing ahead of time what each chapter stood for. I feel as though having a year on the majority of the other girls going through recruitment was a blessing in disguise for myself. Within that one year, I grew immensely and I was able to become more aware of what I was looking for in a sisterhood and to see my morals and values be matched was what helped me find my home.

Here are things to remember to those of you who are sophomores and older going through recruitment! ALL girls are nervous, probably the freshman more so than you since they’ve never been to college before. It’s much more stressful to be new to campus, scared of making a mistake, away from home for the very first time, etc.… As an older girl, at least you have some collegiate experience under your belt. You should feel much more grounded and more at ease than the freshmen! Tips that I consistently reminded myself of each day: Emphasize your maturity and stability, share your college experiences with the girl you are talking to, even talk about your previous institution if you’re a transfer student! Share your passions and what you could bring to the chapter, be ready to answer questions about why you’re choosing to rush older and keep it positive! Staying confident in yourself is so important, don’t ever feel “lesser than” in any way just because you’re older!

Becoming a Tri Delta has been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, even if I was a sophomore. In all honesty, regardless of your classification, when bid day arrives and you are sitting amongst others waiting to open the envelope that holds your future home’s name within it – you are all equals. Every chapter in the Greek community hopes that you are able to fill a missing half in your life with one of our wonderful chapters! For me, my missing half was Tri Delta, and by finding my home in Tri Delta, I have gained amazing sisters and lifelong friendships that I will forever be thankful for!

If you feel as though you’ve missed your chance, you certainly haven’t. Freshman or not, you’re never too late to give recruitment a try! It was the best decision I could have ever made, and it has made such an amazing impact on my life. So remember, it’s never too late to go through recruitment and find these bonds of your own. I promise you won’t regret it!!

Much love,

Tori Hare