Gianna Failla walked onto Elmhurst’s campus her freshman year with one goal in mind: find her people. She came from a tight-knit high school friend group and craved the same sense of belonging. Gianna considered joining a sorority, but unfortunately, Primary Recruitment was not an option. Between her work schedule and financial concerns, the traditional path to Greek life seemed over before it even began.
Then, at a summer choir concert, everything changed. Gianna met another student at Elmhurst who mentioned the process called “COB.” These three letters didn’t mean much to Gianna, but she was going to discover they would reshape her entire college experience.
A Different Kind of Beginning
When her new friend explained what Continuous Open Bidding was — a more relaxed and informal recruitment process — Gianna thought, “Wait, this is so much easier and less stressful. I was like, ‘OK, I’ll try it.’”
Walking into her Kappa COB meeting, Gianna expected pressure. She expected to have to perform, to fit a mold, to prove herself worthy. Instead, she found something entirely different.
“It felt like there was no pressure at all,” she says. “The girls just wanted to find out who I was and not try to fit me in any stereotype.”
In that single meeting with Kappa, Gianna felt something click. The chapter’s values resonated. The philanthropic causes mattered to her. And most importantly, for someone who describes herself as “always stressed out,” she felt calm.
“I knew it was a good sign right from the beginning.”
That night, the chapter reached out. Gianna was accepted. And what followed wasn’t just membership — it was sisterhood.
For Gianna, sisterhood became more than a concept; it became her constant. “I see my Kappa sisters all the time in our lounge or walking around campus … and I don’t feel alone,” she says. “I feel comforted because I’m like, oh, those are my people.”
From New Member to President
As New Member Director, Gianna welcomed one of the chapter’s largest new member classes. “I wanted to be the person that the girls could rely on for anything. Even though I’d only had one year of Kappa experience, I had not gone through Primary Recruitment. I was like, I want to try. Let me try and see for President.”
When the Nominating Committee selected her, she stepped into the role of chapter President with determination — and discovered just how much deeper her relationships and connection to Kappa could become.
A Message for Anyone Hesitant
Today, when Gianna thinks about what would have happened if she’d let her original concerns stop her from trying COB, she sees a completely different version of herself.
“I think my best parts of college were about joining the sorority and going through the COB experience. And if I didn’t, I think I would drastically be different.”
Her advice to anyone considering COB is simple: “Just give it a shot. You’re not going to lose anything by going. You might waste a couple minutes of your life if you don’t end up following through it. But you might end up gaining so many more experiences and moments that you wouldn’t have if you didn’t join.”
Gianna walked into a single COB meeting not knowing what to expect. She walked out with a family, a support system, lifelong friends, and leadership experiences that shaped who she is today. She found her people. She found her purpose. She found herself.
And it all started with three little letters: COB.
