This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Benjamin Kershner

Before award-winning actress Ashley Judd starred in films like Divergent, she was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma at the University of Kentucky.

In a conversation with Associate Dean of Students Tim Miller on the Lisner Auditorium stage, Judd shared memories of her time in college in front of about 100 students on Tuesday night. The event was part of the Greek community’s annual Grand Chapter event.

If you didn’t make it or aren’t Greek, here are the top takeaways of the night:

1. She lived in a closet for a semester

Judd joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority during her first semester at college in 1986. But after living in a dorm for about four months, she longed to be even closer to other members of her sorority.

Since there were no open beds in the sorority house, she chose to live in a cramped janitor’s closet. She remembered sleeping in the closet, with her clothes piled up in a nearby linen closet.

“I put up with the lack of space though because I absolutely loved it,” she said.

2. She spoke out against sexual assault

Judd is a three-time rape survivor as a child and called for increased focus on sexual assault, which experts say is severely under-reported on college campuses.

“There is a spectrum of harassment and assault from wolf-whistling to rape, but they are all problems that we need to deal with,” she said. “It cannot be left up to each university independently to deal with sexual assaults on their campuses.”

3. She found a community within Greek life

Judd said she lacked close friends and solid role models before attending college. But once she joined her sorority, she said other members motivated her to work hard in her classes and focus on school.

That sense of community is the piece of her college experience that she remembers most now, she said.

“Greek life is a metaphor for the need of people to belong to a group or a community. Being a member of Greek life means being a part of something bigger than yourself,” she said.

4. She still struggles to deal with grief

After a student asked her to explain the biggest challenge she has faced, Judd said she has struggled to deal with grief.

She advised students to help guide their friends through tough times by reaching out and offering support or words of encouragement.

“Everybody deals with grief and different ways but it is important that we are there for one another during the grieving process even if it means holding someones hand or sitting with them while they are going through a tough time,” she said. “Remembering to ask someone how they are feeling means more than many people will ever understand.”

5. She crafted an inspiring career, away from acting

Thousands of miles away from the glamor of Hollywood, Judd has built a reputation as a humanitarian and philanthropist.

As a global ambassador for the advocacy group YouthAIDS, Judd has traveled to remote places in countries like Cambodia, Kenya and Rwanda to educating villagers and teaching sex workers about proper condom use.