Hey there! My name is Ashlyn Funston and I'm a sophomore here at WSU. I'm excited to say this is my first year being a Rho Gamma! I'm so glad to have the opportunity to be a part of the recruitment process and to help PNMs find their letters.
I went through recruitment just a year ago, in the fall of 2012. Going Greek was the best decision I've ever made and it has benefited me in numerous ways. Being a legacy (a woman who has a mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister initiated into a chapter), I was eager, nervous, and excited to go through recruitment. My older sister, who was in a chapter, had encouraged me to go Greek. Hearing her perspective of what it meant to be Greek made me realize that it wasn't what most people believed it was. Even I made the mistake of believing all of the stereotypical myths about Greek life. It's about getting involved in an organization, reaching out to the community and making a difference, philanthropies and volunteering, building relationships within the Greek community, representing Greek life positively and proudly wearing your letters, and best of all, bonding with your sisters and making a difference in your own chapter!
Being involved in Greek life has helped me become more outgoing, independent, self-confident, and it has definitely helped me manage my time wisely. It's a change of pace coming to college and learning how to use your time management skills. Many people also think that if you get involved, your grades will suffer. I thought this too, before I became a part of Greek life, but I've learned that it has actually helped me improve in many areas. I'm an Elementary Education major and I've found that there are women in my chapter that share the same major! I've found it to be so helpful to have older members to look up to and give me advice through my journey to become a teacher.
Having an older sister who had three years of experience being a part of Greek life is really what helped me make my decision to go Greek. I felt as if I had nothing to lose by giving it a try, and it was well worth it! I couldn't imagine my life without being Greek. It's such an awesome and humbling experience and it has definitely opened my eyes to help me through my college journey. I've made many wonderful relationships and have found some of my best friends already in just my first year as a sorority woman.
I was full of emotions during the first night of recruitment; excited, nervous, happy, and scared of what the women in each chapter might think of me. Once I had the chance to visit each chapter, my nerves were put to ease because I knew that I just needed to be myself. My Rho Gamma encouraged me to be confident and to choose the chapter that I felt most comfortable with. I had an awesome Rho Gamma who helped me find my letters, so that's what I'm here to do for my PNM's!
Best of luck,
Ashlyn Funston
