Megan Cook is a former member of the sorority Alpha Gamma Delta. Cook says her Greek life background has helped with her current job at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity HQ.
Megan Cook’s day begins like many other office employees.
She leaves her house in Millington at 7:30 each morning.
After commuting for an hour to work, she sets down her things, makes a bowl of oatmeal and checks her email.
Cook greets her fellow coworkers in the communications and marketing department at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity (“Pikeâ€) national headquarters in Collierville.
Unlike her colleagues, Cook is one of the youngest at Pi Kappa Alpha, and she just so happens to be a Greek alumna herself.
“It’s not your boring 9 to 5 job,†Cook said. “It’s a relaxed atmosphere with a really nice staff.†However, Cook said when she tells people she works for a fraternity, the response is not always respectful.
“When my friends and family find out I work for Pike, they think I just play beer pong all day,†Cook said. “It’s disheartening, but I just try to explain that I’m using my degree, just like I would at any other job.â€
The dirty looks and lack of interest are only a part of the stereotyping that Cook receives.
“Being in a fraternity or sorority in general is tough,†Cook said. “People assume that you’re living off daddy’s money and that all you do is party. They think that what I do for Pike is a joke.â€
Cook began her journey with Pike in January, finishing her undergraduate career just a month before.
Her title of communications coordinator includes writing articles about the fraternity, recaps of Pike university leadership conferences and updating its social media platforms.
Cook argues that none of this would be possible without her college Greek affiliation.
“A huge part of being Greek is being provided with valuable skills for post grad,†Cook said. “It has taught me how to work well with others, to time manage and to keep conversation going. I wouldn’t be able to understand the terminology presented to me if I weren’t already Greek, such as recruitment processes, chapter expansion and leadership consultants.â€
But Cook wasn’t always into the whole Greek lifestyle.
“It was just kind of something I signed up for at first,†Cook said. “It was great, but by the end of it, I was ready to get out. It’s not an easy thing to stay involved in, especially when you get older and get ready to graduate.â€
Nevertheless, being at Pi Kappa Alpha has given Cook a new appreciation for Greek life.
“I enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would,†Cook said. “I never thought I’d be working for a Greek organization after being a part of one for three and a half years. But I guess Greek life really is more than just your college."
