By lwilliamsArticle by Melissa PopeBefore you know it, graduation will be here. All your hard work, late nights, and study group sessions are about to pay off. It will no doubt be sad to leave the chapter house, and you may find yourself with a lot more free time without philanthropy events and rush week filling up your calendar. But, hey – you made it! Congratulations! Now what… Unfortunately, I can’t help you on the job-front. You’re on your own there. But, in terms of Greek life, I can tell you this: you’re still a Greek!Just because you graduate does not mean your membership ends. If you stick it out for the long haul, and stay a member for your entire collegiate experience, you become a Greek for life! You’ve just reached #alumstatus. Congrats, again! This is just one of the many great things about the Greek system. Years after graduation, fraternity men and sorority women get together with their Greek brothers and sisters all the time! Weddings, children’s birthdays, dinner parties, BBQs, golf tournaments, football tailgates, or simple coffee dates will happen in the company of your brothers or sisters for the rest of your life. And, that’s not all! There are other reasons why Greek alumni get together, too. For example, my chapter of Alpha Chi Omega is just about to celebrate its 100th year on the Oregon State campus. We’re calling it the Centennial. A huge party will be thrown in honor of Chi chapter in Corvallis, OR and every member who still proudly wears her pledge pin will get together to celebrate AXO. Pretty cool, huh? What’s more, sometimes you might even meet a total stranger and later find out that they, too, are an A Chi O, Sigma Kappa, SAE, Sig Ep, AO Pi, or a member of whatever other sorority or fraternity you are also a member of. One day a few years ago, I was wearing one of my sorority’s philanthropy T-shirts in the mall, and someone came up to me asking what school I went to. It caught me off guard because it was totally random, and I wasn’t expecting it. After taking a minute to focus my brain back on the conversation, I told her I went to OSU. She smiled and said she was an AXO at another school (I can’t remember which one anymore). We ended up chatting for a few minutes about being sorority sisters. It’s amazing how small the world actually is; and once you become a member of Greek life, it gets even smaller. So, don’t think that once you leave college that Greek life is just over. Trust me, it’s not! The close friendships you make with your brothers or sisters will stay with you for years, and it’s possible that new friendships may grow years later. Remember: once a Greek, always a Greek. If you have a story about meeting a stranger who ended up having a connection with you, please share in the comment section below! I’d love to hear it.