Parties and procrastination may be a center-piece for the college life, but to be able to build a future to aspire to in this crucial time also needs to be taken into account. Building resumes do not just come from jobs outside of school or school internships. One of the best ways to start off future careers can be from one of the most popular activities of campus life: joining a club, sorority, or fraternity. With Greek Life recruiting, it can be a step forward in a world of employers trying to find college students with skills like networking and leadership.
Saint Leo University has a variety of different sororities and fraternities to join, even with it being a smaller campus. There are several cultural organizations, two historically African-American fraternities, one historically African-American sorority, one multi-cultural sorority, one multi-cultural fraternity, and the fraternities/sororities that are under the National Interfraternity/Panhellenic Council. The campus itself has two local fraternities and one local sorority, and overall, Saint Leo has six sororities and five fraternities officially integrated in the university. The sororities are Alpha Sigma Tau, Gamma Upsilon, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sigma Lambda Gamma, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and Theta Phi Alpha. The fraternities are Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Kappa Theta, Sigma Lambda, and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
Greek Life has a long-standing history, some even forming back in the 1800-1900s. Their purpose began in humble roots of having a family away from family when students went off to college and could not make their way back home of the holidays. Creations of these brother and sisterhoods is now a way for students to create lasting relationships, where common grounds and experiences are established. Each of the sororities and fraternities have their own rituals and rites of passage, secret and sacred to those who are within the Greek family. By becoming a part of these families, opportunities are opened for skills and looking for jobs and progressing career choices.
Campus events and Greek Life go hand-in-hand with one another, with each Greek Life organization taking on fundraising and other activities across campus and outside of campus. Theta Phi Alpha does events such as Kisses for the Troops, Habitat for Humanity, and Saint Jude Up till Dawn. Tri Sigma holds conferences and community events like ‘I Am That Girl’ and MediKin Teaching Dolls (educating children about medical practices). Gamma Epsilon contributes to the fantasy vacation, helping give children with deathly illnesses a joyful experience.
“I think having officer positions bring in leadership skills, and there’s also a lot of options for them to learn about their people and leadership styles through workshops and the offices of Greek Life,” said Thomas Martin, assistant director of Greek Life and Community Engagement
Opportunities and benefits of joining these fraternities and sororities range from gaining leadership skills by going to workshops and becoming an officer of Greek Life, and having the ability to travel across the nation as consultants. In the business and marketing world, these skills allow students to have a boost in their experience before even leaving college to pursue careers. Those who are able to get officer positions, going into student affairs, and starting off directing chapters, have the best chances of networking in their futures. By having all of these additional opportunities, impressing future employers with outstanding resumes will be a simple task.
