The Way Home to AOII: A Journey of Belonging, Growth & Giving Back

Becky Gamble, Gamma Sigma (Georgia State U), International Vice President

As a longtime AOII volunteer and one of the newest members of our Executive Board (and Properties Board), I’m often asked why I still do so much with my sorority, and I often ask myself, “how did I get here?”

The truth is that my journey to finding AOII wasn’t easy all those years ago, and the fact that I have volunteered in the positions I have is quite ironic.

I grew up at a time without cell phones and social media. You really had to work to grow and maintain friendships, which I did—I always had a lot of friends and felt a sense of belonging.

Then I went to college… alone. My friends went away to school while I stayed at home and went to a local university. My university was considered more of a commuter school, so my freshman year was very lonely. On top of that, my mom had some significant health issues.  As you can imagine, while I navigated these challenges, my grades also suffered that first year.

I was a first-generation college student. I had no real exposure to sorority life other than what I saw in the movies. I decided to go through recruitment my second year because I was desperate to find friends and a place I belonged. I instantly fell in love with the idea of sorority and AOII after my first day of rush. Unfortunately, I did not get invited back by AOII, and I didn’t feel a connection to the other sororities, so I left the recruitment process.

That’s right: One of your International Vice Presidents was dropped out of recruitment!

Luckily, my recruitment counselor was an AOII and reached out immediately to let me know that there may still be an opportunity to join AOII after all. So, I took a chance and put myself out there again. I found my home in AOII.

I had an amazing collegiate experience and really discovered the value of the sorority experience. I attribute so much of who I am as a person to my involvement with AOII during college, but especially after it. After graduation, I volunteered to help with my chapter’s recruitment which turned into advising. Over the past 18 or so years, I have served our Fraternity and Foundation in a variety of volunteer positions at the local collegiate and alumnae chapter, network, standing committee, special appointments, and now board levels. I’m still around and serving because, while the value of the sorority experience has adapted over time, our core values are still the same. We provide a safe space for women to learn important life and leadership skills while maintaining our foundational offering of sisterhood and friendship.

I share all of this to remind us that not everyone’s story and path is the same. The women who come through our doors all have something to offer. All have a past and a future. Our job is to help them find their place and get the most out of their experience. AOII is there to meet us where we are at any point in our lives. That’s the true beauty and value of our sisterhood.