On a warm Tuesday afternoon at Texas A&M, Kendal Layne beams in her brand-new Zeta Tau Alpha letters. Her family snaps photos as she introduces them to her sorority sisters, who are just as excited to welcome her into their sisterhood.
Two hours away at Texas State, fraternities begin to set up tents in the parking lot to get ready for the opening game weekend. Soon, music will be spilling into the parking lot, alumni stopping by to greet younger members, and the smell of barbecue will be circulating in the air.
For many students, moments like these aren’t just about school spirt they’re about belonging to something bigger than themselves.
Greek life at Texas State and Texas A&M is more than a social club. For some, it’s a launching pad for leadership and networking. For others, it is home base in the often overwhelming world of college. Nationally, Greek life is under scrutiny, criticized for scandals, exclusivity, and cost but students continue to join in large numbers. This raises a bigger question: What does Greek life really mean to the students and alumni who love it?
At Texas State, The Inter-fraternity Council’s executive board oversees 14 fraternities and represents hundreds of students. Council members say their mission is to promote scholarship, service, leadership, and brotherhood, while ensuring chapters meet university and national organization standards. According to the university data, roughly 10% of undergraduates at Texas State take part in Greek life. At Texas A&M, that number is higher, nearly 13% making it one of the largest Greek systems in the state. Both councils highlight philanthropy events and leadership development as major benefits, pointing to the millions of dollars raised nationally each year for charities.
Still, the “official” perspective only tells part of the story. For students on the ground, fraternity and sorority membership is about daily experiences. Finding friends, balancing academics, and carving out an identity within a campus community.
At Texas A&M, Sophomore Kendal Layne joined Zeta Tau Alpha this fall after initially questioning whether Greek life was for her.
“Coming to A&M as a freshman I knew I wanted to get plugged into an organization,” Layne said, explaining how her first year involvement in a Freshman Leadership Organization introduced her to friends already in sororities. “The friends I made sold me on joining a sorority the following year.”
Her early impressions quickly challenged common stereotypes.
“A lot of people say that these ‘types of girls’ are lacking personality or originality, but this could not be further from the truth,” Layne said.
In her first month, she met women “with different goals, interests, and who come from all walks of life.” Sorority life, Layne explained, has already shaped her routines and priorities. Members must log six weekly study hours, participate in at least one outside organization, and attend social events to remain in good standing.
“Zeta has so far only boosted my academic and social life,” she said.
Greek life is also influences graduated long after college. Josh White, a 2025 graduate of Texas State and a member of the Mu Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, attributes his positive college experience to his fraternity.
“All of the skills and tools I gained during my undergrad years have serve me well in life after graduation,” White said.
He explained that holding leadership roles, such as organizing community service projects and working with faculty advisors, taught him how to manage people and responsibilities. Greek life didn’t directly influence his career path White explained he has always planned to pursue Business education, but the relationships he made within the fraternity helped him get off to a good start after college. Today, he remains involved with Mu Nu by continuing to follow his fraternity’s principles, giving financial help, and mentoring the new classes.
A similar, but generationally different, perspective comes from Michelle Andrus, a Delta Zeta alum from Texas A&M’s Class of 2002.
During her time at A&M, Aggie traditions like midnight yell and the university’s annual Big Event community service day shaped her sorority years. Recruitment events and weekly chapter meetings also gave her organizational experience.
What has stayed constant, she says, is the heart of sisterhood.
“If I can get 300 college girls to show up at the same place at the same time in same outfit, I can do anything,” Andrus said with a smile, reflecting on the organizational challenges that prepared her for her career.
Even now, she celebrates milestones with her sisters, and contributes her time and resources to Delta Zeta’s endeavors.
White and Andrus both show how Greek culture can extended beyond college. For them it became not just a social outlet but a network of lasting relationships and a reminder that Greek letters represent ideals that should be upheld after graduation.
Still, Greek life remains controversial. Nationally, Fraternities and sororities have been criticized for issues like large fees, exclusivity, and hazing. Including initiation fees and annual dues that can reach thousands of dollars. Critics argue these barriers exclude students without financial means or certain social connections.
But according to students and alumni, the benefits often outweigh the challenges. Many described the community, academic support, and leaderships development as the main reasons they joined and stay active.
For Layne, joining Zeta Tau Alpha was more about forming a sisterhood than it was about reputation.
“I knew that I loved all these people and if being in a sorority reflected anything about them then that was something I wanted to be apart of it,” she said.
Andrus expressed the same feeling in a different way, describing sorority life as “discovering a sisterhood that inspires, empowers, and uplifts you,” a connection that continues off campus.
And for these reasons, Greek life remains worth revisiting. Beyond the headlines, expenses, or clichés about parties and stereotypes, the real-life experiences of students and alumni show a community build on leaderships, tradition, and connection.
