Finding Sisterhood in Service: Phi Beta Phi's Trek

When students return to campus each fall, sororities and fraternities are busy with recruitment and planning the year ahead, as well as catching up with their fellow sisters and brothers after a few months apart. This year, a group of Phi Beta Phi sisters from the University of Arizona are returning to campus with unique and inspiring stories. Instead of relaxing at home, they traveled with buildOn on a Trek to Malawi, living with host families, working alongside community members, and helping build a school.

Their experience was about more than service. It was about sisterhood, perspective, and the true meaning of empathy.

Stepping Outside the College Bubble

Greek life often emphasizes philanthropy, but it can be hard to look beyond the pressures of being in college. “College culture can often be competitive, superficial, and overwhelming,” Phi Beta Phi sister Alyssa Dabbs shares. “Trek strips that all away. It grounds you in empathy, connection, and perspective.”

For Alyssa and six of her sorority sisters, the Trek experience broke down barriers that often exist within large chapters. Coming from a chapter of more than 450 women, it’s nearly impossible to know everyone personally. Trek changed that.

“The group included freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, many of whom I barely knew beforehand,” Alyssa, who previously went on Trek to Guatemala in high school, says. “After sharing this experience, these women have become like family to me.”

“College culture can often be competitive, superficial, and overwhelming. Trek strips that all away. It grounds you in empathy, connection, and perspective.” —Alyssa Dabbs

Discovering Superpowers Through Service

On Trek, every participant brings something unique to the table. For Alyssa, one lesson stood out: empathy is everyone’s “superpower.”

“To witness that firsthand, to live it alongside your peers, is transformative,” she explains. “For sororities and fraternities, where priorities can sometimes lean more toward social life than service, this kind of experience reminds us of what truly matters.”

Together, the Phi Beta Phi sisters mixed concrete, carried water, and helped lay the foundation for a new school in Chiponde, Malawi. Beyond the physical work, they immersed themselves in the daily life of their host families, getting to know the adults, playing games with the children, and learning the traditions of their community.

Lessons to Last a Lifetime

Alyssa’s host father in Malawi told her, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” Those words stayed with her long after the trip ended, reminding her to choose hope and gratitude in every season of life.

“Looking back, the most meaningful lesson I’ve carried is the importance of being present, of truly cherishing the people around you in the moment,” she says. “For me, the greatest takeaway from my Treks has been the warmth, love, and generosity of the people and cultures I was welcomed into. Their spirit has shown me what it means to live fully, to see beauty even in simplicity, and to treasure the connections that make life meaningful.”

For Alyssa, Trek didn’t just strengthen her sorority bonds—it reaffirmed her lifelong commitment to service. “No matter where my career takes me, I know I want to keep service close to my heart,” she adds.

Why Greek Life and Trek Fit Together

For the Panhellenic community, Trek is more than just another philanthropy project. It’s a chance to deepen relationships, build leadership skills, and gain perspective beyond campus life. Sorority and fraternity members who travel on Trek return with stronger bonds and a renewed sense of purpose they bring back to their chapters.

Alyssa recommends Trek to anyone in Greek life looking for an authentic way to give back:

“Instead of ‘helping from the outside,’ you live with host families, work hand-in-hand with the community, and learn directly from the people themselves. That kind of experience is incredibly humbling and transformative.”

Whether you’re part of a sorority, fraternity, or another student group, a Trek with buildOn is an opportunity to unite around something bigger than yourself. Start your journey today!