Alpha Chi Omega - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

page 2 The lyre letter Why did you join Alpha Chi Omega, and what was your experience as an undergraduate? I am so thankful for my Alpha Chi Omega experience at Purdue University. I grew up in California and was excited to go across the country to school at Indiana. I landed on campus knowing one person, so I knew joining a sorority was going to be a good move to connect with other like-minded young women and create a network for academic and personal reasons at school. Knowing someone I looked up to who had found her home-away-from-home at Alpha Chi was a big reason why I wanted to join Alpha Chi Omega. Over my four years, I also found my home, my best college friends, bridesmaids, and lifelong sisters. What degree did you earn? What is your current position and what do you do specifically? I have a bachelor of science degree in agricultural economics. I am the senior director of talent and member programs for the Global Cold Chain Alliance, a trade association representing 1,500 companies in 72 countries in the temperature- controlled logistics industry. We help companies that store and transport food, pharmaceuticals, and floral throughout the supply chain. Our headquarters are in Washington, D.C., where I lived for the last six years before moving to Nebraska for my husband's career. I now work out of our home in Gretna and travel back to D.C. frequently. What made you take on the role of chapter advisor for the Xi Chapter? In college, I worked for the National FFA organization as a trainer and team leader, traveling across the country to conduct training programs for high school students. Now that I'm working, I miss that connection to developing and mentoring young leaders. I don't get that interaction in my full-time job, so that was something I looked forward to when I took on this role, specifically helping Emma Sheridan '15 as chapter president succeed in her role and gain life skills. What are the most rewarding and challenging parts of being an advisor? This fall, Emma and I facilitated an executive board and advisory board retreat, and it was an incredibly rewarding day. The executive board was enthusiastic and optimistic about the upcoming semester. Seeing young people come together for the common good, advancing the values of Alpha Chi Omega, and ultimately learning life skills is the most rewarding part of advising. I'd say the most challenging part, and this is not new to me because it is true in non-profit organizations too, is managing expectations of various stakeholders. Stakeholder input is incredibly important, and I appreciate the conversations I've had with Alpha Chi Headquarters, Xi alumnae, and university Greek life staff. Now the work begins—to manage expectations and put time and effort behind activities that will provide the greatest positive impact. There are good things on the horizon and I'm excited to be a part of that. What is your impression of the Xi Chapter? It's special to be involved in a chapter that is not my chapter of initiation; you see the greater scope and impact of Alpha Chi Omega. As I've mentioned, we have a hard-working, diverse, and enthusiastic executive board who wants to see positive change. A focus this fall is conducting chapter elections that yield an equally diverse, positive, and effective executive board. The advisory board is at capacity, so each executive board member has a specific coach and mentor for their role who checks in with them weekly. We have a great group of alumnae in Nebraska and beyond who care deeply about the future of the chapter. Tell us about your family. My husband, Kyle, graduated from UNL in 2009. We have a 9-month yellow lab puppy named Harper; chasing her around takes up most of my spare time! I also like to read, play volleyball, and cheer on the Huskers (unless they're playing Purdue). Kyle earned his private pilot license this fall so I have a feeling flying will soon become a more prominent hobby of ours as well. Is there anything else you would like to add about your time with Alpha Chi Omega or Xi Chapter? If you're interested in getting involved in the chapter, in any capacity, there are ways to do so depending upon the time you have available to commit to the chapter. Reach out to me and I'd love to have a conversation with you if you've been thinking about how to give back to Xi: (559) 392-2980 or cmkuber@gmail.com. Catharine Kuber Perry, Alpha Beta '06, Shares Her Passion for Alpha Chi Omega by Guiding Xi Chapter Collegians Welcome, Fall 2018 New Members Halla Ahovissi Sadie Andrews Ava Bebler Lydia Bellows Lilly Blecha Amanda Christiansen Taylor Conelley Sydney Daniels Sierra Davenport-Feeney Audrey Denny Samantha Derterding Raven Diers Molly Faris Emily Fehr Kaley Gates Annie Gregg Peyton Hall Mia Hamilton Erica Hansen Katy Hansen Brooke Herron Jadyn Huenink Ashley Jakubowski Natalie Janssen Kenzie Kapperman Jamison Karas Kennedy Kilgore Julia Kobler Melaina Kroft Bella Lopresti Sophie Malone Samantha McGargill Colby Miller Riley Moritz Riley Newton Hannah Niemeyer Allison Pachunka Kori Palmer Hayley Pingel Olivia Putnam Natalie Ramirez Jayla Reid McKenna Robertson Alexa Rouw Nikki Shaw Rachel Sheridan Payton Shirley Angela Skarp Felicity Slavicek Emily Smith Megan Sutera Hannah Swallow Katie Trout Skyler Uher Monroe Walker Cassandra Weishahn Bailey Wewel Grace Wickham Brooke Wojtalewicz Jozlyn Zandt

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