128. What You Join Matters: Expect the Unexpected

So you want to join a sorority? Have you thought about the impact your sisterhood might have on you BEYOND instant friends on campus?Taylor Coco, Phi Sigma Rho Vice President of Strategic Growth and founding president of the Arizona State University chapter in 2015, joins Cassie to talk about how the values of her organization made her the leader she is proud to be today! Tune in to learn how you can align your values with the chapters you meet throughout recruitment and allow yourself room to GROW in your future sisterhood, too :)

Kicking off a new season with a new perspective for our future sisters: what you join does matter but maybe not for the reasons you think. I know looking back that joining the chapter that I did has changed the trajectory of my life - it's influenced my relationships, my career, my personal development, and confidence in myself. But what surprised me is that the lessons sorority taught me that have made me who I am were not the factors I considered going through recruitment. So my hope is that this series gives you a bigger picture of what to expect throughout your sorority journey to help you navigate your process of joining it.This week, we are starting by unpacking one of the hardest but most valuable things sorority prepared me for: change is inevitable so start expecting the unexpected.

No matter what role you may be playing in this year's recruitment, there's one common theme we can all keep in mind; recruitment requires respect.No matter what situations you run into throughout recruitment, how you successfully resolve those issues is rooted in the respect you show your sisters, your leadership team, the PNM's, and everyone in between.In our final episode of Recruitment Takeover 2025, Cassie shares her tips for cultivating an environment of respect and validation throughout recruitment. Today's episode gives a great opportunity to reflect on the mindset we're taking into this year's recruitment, and how to continue lifting up your sisters and leaders even in hard times.

With all the advice thrown at PNMs throughout recruitment, many women just want to ask — "What can I do to be the best person I can be for recruitment?"Today, we're going to break down this idea of being the "perfect PNM" with advisors Molleigh Pompilio and Alison Burke. After advising multiple university recruitments, handling almost every possible PNM situation, and watching thousands of women run home on bid day, they have ample experience to share and help you prepare for recruitment as a PNM.Being the perfect PNM doesn't have to do with what you wear or what you look like — it's all about being open to the recruitment process, building relationships with your support systems and new friends, and making sure you ask questions that will help you find the chapter perfect for you. If you're looking to prepare for recruitment this semester, this episode is for you.

During recruitment, most PNM's may only see the effort the recruiters and chapter leaders are putting into the process, but who else keeps recruitment running behind the scenes?This week's Recruitment Takeover episode focuses on the unsung heroes of recruitment — the Panhellenic roles, backroom girls, logistics coordinators, advisors, and so many more who are vital in the recruitment process. Today, we learn the importance of these roles with Bonnie Sherwood, the Panhellenic Vice President of Recruitment at her university. Bonnie's recruitment story is a testament to the hard work of those behind the scenes during recruitment, and was a core reason she was interested in running recruitment on the Panhellenic side.This episode dives deep into how we can ensure the hard work of these unseen Panhellenic women continues to be recognized throughout the recruitment process, and how can we best support them.

Welcome to our 2025 Recruitment Takeover series! Over the next four weeks, we'll be covering recruitment topics for PNMs, recruiters, and everyone in between; from community development to social media, this series will provide you the resources you need to make a difference this recruitment season regardless of your role.Today we're learning all about chapter's social media platforms with our intern, Brooke England. As the PR chairwoman of her chapter, Brooke handles all the brand collaborations, content creation, and marketing for her chapter. Brooke has learned to create valuable content that showcases her chapter's sisterhood and values, while still sticking to her chapter's brand and social trends.Outside of the dance videos and cute summer photos, how can we create content that truly showcases our chapter experience to PNM's? If you're looking for ways to grow your chapter's social media presence in an authentic way that also grows your sisterhood, today's episode is for you!

You may know your university's Panhellenic council as the people running recruitment, but what other role do they play in your sorority experience?Today, we sat down with Hanna Mouhsin to talk all things Panhellenic; who makes up the council, what their role is year-round, and how they can support each and every Panhellenic sorority chapter on campus. As the Vice President of Recruitment Counselors for her Panhellenic council, Hanna has loved helping women through their sorority journey regardless of which chapter they call home on bid day. Hanna talks about the sisterhood she has with women in other chapters, and how crucial it is to have those friendships with women you may not share letters with.Panhellenic is the glue holding the sorority community together, and today's episode reminds us all of the sisterhood we share with all the members of our sorority community regardless of the chapter we call home.

Today we're talking about one of the biggest questions potential new members have prior to recruitment:What are the expectations of chapter membership? The time commitment, financial aspects, housing experience, behavioral expectations, and so much more that contributes to a meaningful commitment to your organization. Today, Cassie breaks down these expectations, both the myths and reality of them to give potential new members a better idea of what their chapter membership experience may look like.Whether your a potential new member or a current member looking to prepare your chapter for recruitment, today's episode offers guidance, clarity, and a fresh perspective on the expectations of membership.

So what's the difference between joining a sorority or joining another campus organization?We're led to believe that joining a sorority prohibits us from joining any other campus organizations, but in reality, being a part of a chapter only empowers us further to be leaders in all kinds of communities on our campuses. What a sorority does is give us lifelong friendships, leadership experiences, and a sisterhood built on values we share rather than interests. Today's episode features a perfect example of the blend between both types of involvement with our guest, Ashley Beers.Throughout Ashley's time in college, she served as the vice president of recruitment and later chapter president, while also being a leader in ROTC, mock trial, and multiple other campus organizations. Ashley tells the story of her sorority journey and how valuable it's been not only in her chapter president role, but in her involvement all across campus. Ashley helps us understand the importance of being involved with both values-based sorority chapters and interest-based campus organizations.

So you think you want to join a sorority? This month, we're exploring all the Greek life topics that may have you on the fence about registering for recruitment this fall. This week we're diving into the stereotypes surrounding Greek life, and helping you understand what a sorority is and what it's not. Today we talk myth vs. fact with Alyssa Ciango, the Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Miami University of Ohio. Alyssa shares her wealth of knowledge on the recruitment experience, the myths she's seen, and how to approach the sorority experience well before the first day of recruitment. Alyssa also has advice for current members and chapter leaders to know as we head into the season of recruitment.Whether you're on the fence about registering for recruitment, or even a current chapter leader looking to redefine what the sorority experience looks like for PNMs, today's episode is for you.