What a wonderful story, congrat's on a dream come true!
You had asked what it was like for other AIs. Well..... as you may have read, I had pledged ZTA in college, but transferred colleges, and never got initiated in college. I never depledged either, so you could say my "pledge" period was more than two decades long!
I think I hold the record.
Not sure if that was what you wanted to know?