Alpha Chi Omega - University of Missouri

page 3 | University of Missouri A fter graduating from Christian College in Columbia, Betty Adams Crouch '57 went on to attend the University of Missouri, where she decided to go through sorority recruitment to meet new people. Betty had heard through her cousin that Alpha Chi Omega was a sisterhood where she would truly fit in. "After joining Alpha Nu Chapter I found my home away from home," Betty said. As an active member, Betty enjoyed studying, hanging out and going to events with her sisters. She was a merchandising major and served on the Stix Bear & Fuller College Board. "I thought I wanted to be a buyer," Betty said. "Today I am a retired funeral director and enjoy helping others through difficult times." Needless to say, her career ended up going a different direction than she initially intended. Betty's favorite memory from her college days came from a simple coffee get-together after study hall one day. "One of my sorority sisters and a FarmHouse fraternity brother would get together for coffee and bring a friend," Betty said. "I'm glad I was invited because that's how I met my husband, Bill Crouch." Even after her time at Mizzou, Betty has remained engaged and involved in the sisterhood. She stays in touch with a group of her sisters and is very involved with Sigma Sigma, the St. Louis Alpha Chi Omega Alumnae Chapter. "A number of sisters from the alumnae group even attended my 80th birthday party," Betty said. She also returned to Columbia last fall for a football game and dropped by the chapter house for a visit. "The house is looking very nice and clean," Betty said. "I'm happy to see the undergraduate sisters taking good care of the house." Betty wants others to have the same opportunities that she has had over the years thanks to Alpha Chi Omega. This was her main reason for supporting the Honoring Our Past, Empowering Our Future capital campaign that provided needed chapter house renovations. "I had made new friends with similar interests in sustaining the sisterhood," Betty said. "This is when I decided it was time to give back so future generations of Alpha Nu sisters can have similar positive experiences to the ones we had. We need to support the sisterhood so it will continue for the up-and-coming youth." Betty lives in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and can be reached at bcrouch1@charter.net. Together Let Us Seek the Heights Betty Adams Crouch '57 Reflects on Her Experiences with Alpha Chi Omega as an Undergraduate and Alumna Betty and other members of Sigma Sigma St. Louis Alumnae chapter T he top three things Deirdre Hirner '72 learned from Alpha Chi Omega are (1) you can do anything you want to do, (2) you can be anything you want to be and (3) there is more to college, and to life, than book learning. Her Alpha Chi experience provided her with friends who've become family and prepared her for her career in public administration and later, law. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO Deirdre was active in university-wide activities, including serving as co-chair of Greek Week and as the University's Spirit chair, which meant she was in charge of selecting the cheerleading squad and the Mizzou Tiger mascots. "Had it not been for Alpha Chi, I probably never would have had those experiences and met so many different people," Deirdre said. YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE After earning a B.S. and an M.S. from Mizzou, she obtained a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University, where she received a fellowship that covered her tuition. The last leg of her formal educational journey led her to earn a law degree from St. Louis University. She used every opportunity she received to reach the next level of her career. Deirdre went from being a "run-of-the-mill" local government and state employee to being one of the highest-ranked state employees—deputy chief of staff for a governor of Missouri and chief of staff for a lieutenant governor of Illinois. "Alpha Chi taught me never to be afraid to accept the next challenge," she said. As a state employee and as the director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the largest conservation organization in the state, Deirdre admitted that she "probably came dangerously close to practicing law without a license." However, her Ph.D. program at Texas Tech was interdisciplinary, with law being one of the disciplines. That experience later led her down the next path in her education and provided her with more opportunities in her career. "I loved doing that type of work," she added. "So, mid-career, I went back to law school." Now, she is a principal at Hirner Law Associates in Jefferson City, Missouri, where she practices in the areas of ethics, administrative law, contract law and regulatory compliance. Wisdom, Devotion and Achievement Deirdre Hirner '72 Stays True to Alpha Chi's Life-Shaping Values (Continued on page 4)

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