If someone asked me during high school if i would ever join a fraternity, I would of looked them in the eye, laughed and told them it was not for me. During high school, I never thought of joining a fraternity. I refereed to a fraternity as a bunch of drunk college student who like to get their rocks off on hazing students. I was wrong.

I never thought of rushing until Mike Ward, a high school soccer teammate, approached me and asked me to rush. My first reaction was no it’s not for me. However, he kept bugging me and took me out to a free dinner. This is where my perception of a fraternity started to change.

Over the summer, I learned that fraternity men were huge into philanthropy events, campus involvement, socializing, athletics and so much more.  I learned that hazing did not exist on Oklahoma State’s campus along with Greeks constantly make better grads than those not in Greek organizations. My mind quickly changed about fraternities; however, my parents were against me rushing and signing a house.

My parents hated the idea of me joining a fraternity. They only allowed the negative stereotypes of Greek houses to influence their minds.  I blame this due to media. The only time you ever see a fraternity on the news is due to hazing or alcohol abuse. You never hear the stories of how XYZ fraternity raised over $500,000 for Habitat for Humanity. However, with my effort, I convinced my parents to allow me to join a fraternity.

Today, I give all credit to my successful college career to my fraternity.  The fraternity has help mold me into the leader I am today. Since my freshmen year, I have not only been a leader in my fraternity but also on the Oklahoma State’s campus.  I have served in major leadership roles such as Interfraternity Vice President, Camp Cowboy Executive Director, Rush-chairman, Mortar Board Member and Executive House Homecoming Director.  All of my activities and academic success has led me into become a top 20 national member of my fraternity.

A fraternity can play a negative or positive effect on man. It is up to that person to either make their experience a great one or negative one.  I have seen upcoming college students run with their Greek organizations and become great leaders and college students. On the other hand, I have seen students who have allowed fraternities to make them fall off the face of the earth. Instead of making school a priority, they made drinking a every day thing. Slowly, their grades drop and soon they are no longer in college.

Like anything in life, a fraternity is what you make of it.  You can allow it to become one of the greatest positive influences in your life or it can be one of the most negative. For me, it has been one of the greatest and smartest decisions I have ever made.