Chi Omega - Oklahoma State University

Χ Ω 2 The Tau Beta Hoot of which never lived in the Chapter House at the same time as me. Those friendships are truly special to me and I like sharing my Chi O stories with my girls. My 10-year-old, Ella, has been attending Little Hootie Night at Tau Beta for the past four years and absolutely loves it, and all the kids adore Homecoming," Erin proclaims. "I hope that in the future, I will able to become more involved." Life for Erin and Shane was already lively with three biological children, Parker, Ella, and Walker, but one day, life provided them with another mission. "We were on a long car trip with some friends and I turned to my husband and said, 'I want a gut reaction; what do you think about adopting a child?' Shane: 'When I was mowing the lawn I was thinking about adopting.' 'Wait, are you being serious?' Shane: 'I'm totally serious, let's do it.' That is how the idea of adopting a child from Haiti first entered their lives. Erin and Shane agreed to pray about it for a full week, and revisited the decision together after much research and reflection. "We are safe people; some might even say we are not much of the risk-taker type, but God landed on our hearts and told us that we need to be willing to go out of our comfort zone and we needed to think about adopting." After another discussion, Erin and Shane found an adoption agency that worked with families in Haiti. With each step in the process they found themselves on the same page at every checkpoint, including Haiti. "We decided to adopt from Haiti because dating back to 2010, when so much of the country was destroyed by the earthquake, we remembered the coverage of the tragedy being immensely vivid. That had always stuck with us." It would be great if adopting a child from a devastated country were simple, but despite Erin and Shane's desire to ease and expedite the adoption process, it proved to be exhaustive—even frustrating at times. "It was definitely trying but we both felt so strongly about seeing it completed. We are fortunate to have our faith, family, and friends," Erin shared. "That's what got us through. Those three will get you through just about anything." In April 2017, Erin and Shane adopted Eusie (4). "We started out on this journey thinking about adding to the family through adoption, but God revealed that he intended for us to do much more than that," Erin acknowledged. "You take a little step forward and God can open it to something you never thought." Erin and Shane notice that there is much to be done in Haiti. "Our dream is that someday, there won't be places where moms like Eusie's have to give their babies up for adoption." This summer, Erin and some of her Chi O friends are planning a trip to Waco, Texas, to visit the Magnolia Markets. "Honestly, if you've even heard of HGTV, it's worth a gal's weekend," Erin stressed. She also shared that another Chi O sister is in the process of adopting a child and she looks forward to being the supportive friend that she's been grateful to have. Erin reminds young Chi O members to "find your really, really good friends and keep them close to you. They will stay with you for the rest of your life." Erin, Shane, and the rest of the Robinson clan live in Stillwater, Okla. You can connect with Erin at eerobinson76@gmail.com. Faith. Family.Friends. (Continued from page 1) A s an undergraduate member, Virginia Highleyman Foster-Zelnner '54 quickly made friends with the women of Chi Omega. She gained valuable leadership experience serving as the pledge captain, VP of the chapter, and chairman. "Chi O, along with other opportunities that presented themselves to me in college, gave me confidence in my work after college," Virginia recalls. "I knew exactly what I wanted to do after college. I wanted to work with nonprofits, and I wanted to work for the Girl Scouts." Virginia went on to achieve that dream. She worked with the Girls Scouts of Chicago, Ill., and Fort Wayne, Ind. Her career has also been filled by an impressive list of other nonprofit organizations. Some highlights of her outstanding career include serving as the chairman and president of Special Olympics of Virginia for nearly 20 years. She served as a board member for the Virginia Amateur Sports organization, and director for the Fluvanna Historical Society. After her husband, Carl, passed away in 2014, Virginia started volunteering for the American Red Cross as part of the disaster services action team. She covers a five county radius that helps those who have suffered great tragedies, such as a house fire, get back on their feet. After Hurricane Matthew, she helped assess the damages around Norfolk, Va. In 2004, Virginia met up with her initiation class in Stillwater to receive their 50-year pins. Marianne Linxwiler Word '54 was among the crowd that brought many great memories back to her. "Follow your heart and look for something rewarding. Get involved in volunteer work and gain experience," Virginia advises young members. "There are jobs out there that haven't been invented yet, so face your career with an open mind and a tenacious drive. You will find success." Virginia lives in Palmyra, Va., and still gives her time to causes she believes in such as the Heritage Trail Foundation. You can connect with her at consumer72@comcast.net. going on her 65Th year aS a Chi o Virginia Highleyman Foster-Zellner '54 Is Still Giving Back Abbie Hoehner '15 smiling big during recruitment with her little, Hadley Rueter '16. Hannah Burris '15 and Devry Newby '16 after winning Sigma Phi Epsilon's flag football charity tournament.

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