Pi Beta Phi - University of Mississippi

University of Mississippi PAGE 3 F rom accounting to teaching, Mary Virginia Wilson Merithew '83 gained life skills from Pi Beta Phi — a bond she now shares with her daughter, Ann Curran Merithew '19. Through her experience as Treasurer for Mississippi Beta coupled with earning a degree in marketing, Mary Virginia developed confidence and time management, which have served her well in her marketing career and subsequently as an assistant preschool teacher. Her family ties to Pi Beta Phi have kept her further connected to the sisterhood and ultimately inspired her to support the future of Mississippi Beta. "Being the treasurer was a huge undertaking with vast financial responsibilities. This position gave me confidence — confidence in myself to do a good job and the knowledge that others had confidence in me to take on these responsibilities and be accountable," Mary Virginia shared. "From overseeing the assistant treasurers to paying monthly bills, mortgage, payroll and taxes, it was an enormously eye-opening experience, especially for a 20-year-old. Remember, this was the mid-1980s, so no computers for any of this!" As for her family life, she's blessed and grateful that her husband's job afforded her the opportunity to have stayed home with their three children, two of whom have gone on to join Greek organizations at their respective colleges. Having Ann Curran join Mississippi Beta gave Mary Virginia a great sense of pride and has strengthened their relationship as mother and daughter. "Naturally, I wanted Ann Curran to join a sorority where she felt at home, and I told her that. Secretly though, I hoped she would be a Pi Phi, and I am so happy it worked out the way it did," she said. "One thing that is very special is a connection between legacies. I have remained good friends with Cheryl Caffey Hayward '85 all these years and her daughter, Mary Clark Hayward '19, pledged Pi Phi with Ann Curran and is one of her best friends and roommates. I think that is a really cool bond between us as sisters and as mothers/daughters." In 2015, her son began his freshman year at Ole Miss, which gave her an opportunity to return and see the growth that has taken place. Seeing the renovations and new builds for other sorority houses there, and shortly thereafter sharing the Pi Beta Phi bond with her daughter, motivated her to support the Always True to the Wine and Blue capital campaign. "I knew their respective alumnae were being proactive to make sure they could accommodate their collegiate sisters as the chapters continue to grow. Between that and knowing our chapter has outgrown our house, I feel it is imperative to increase the size of our house," she stated. "This is not only our sorority house, but a home away from home for these young ladies and there should be a sense of pride in that home. It's important to give back, and I hope that every one of our Mississippi Beta sisters will do what they can to support this worthwhile project." After moving to Virginia, it never occurred to Mary Virginia that any of her children would later attend Ole Miss, and two of her three children have carried on that legacy. While at Ole Miss, Mary Virginia was a Beta Theta Pi little sister, which just so happened to be the fraternity her son, Gardner, joined. Her daughter, Evelyn, is a graduate of West Virginia University. Mary Virginia and her husband, Scott, reside in Richmond. You can connect with her at scmv2@comcast.net. SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF MISSISSIPPI BETA Family Ties to Pi Beta Phi Motivate Mary Virginia Wilson Merithew '83 to Give Back Mary Virginia Wilson Merithew '83 and Ann Curran Merithew '19. L ast semester was extremely different than what we imagined. After spring break, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Ole Miss students to return home and complete the semester's classes online. We didn't get to host our spring philanthropy event, celebrate Founders' Day as we intended or send off our seniors in person. Although our sisters are spread out across the nation, we've been doing our best to keep morale high and stay connected. SINCERE FRIENDSHIP FROM AFAR I created a weekly newsletter to keep our chapter informed, a Facebook® group where we spotlight our chapter leadership team and other members and hosted a Netflix® party where our chapter was able to watch a movie all together. We also had a virtual Founders' Day celebration where the executive team gave out senior superlatives and awards as a send-off for our graduating members. Additionally, we've been trying our best to make a difference from home and have raised more than $2,500 through an Instagram® fundraiser using Venmo® for donations and a t-shirt sale for Oxford LeapFrog, a local tutoring company which focuses on reading. PHILANTHROPIC HIGHLIGHTS On the bright side of this all, before we left campus, Mississippi Beta was having an incredible semester. We kicked off the year participating in RebelTHON, a 12-hour dance marathon that raises money for our local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. Seventy members participated, and we raised more than $20,000. We also won the competition and brought home the Miracle Cup for the first time ever. One of my main goals as Chapter President is getting our name out on campus. Winning RebelTHON was such an outstanding accomplishment for our chapter. MISSISSIPPI BETA REACHES PHI LEVEL Next, our annual chapter evaluation came back from headquarters, and we were named a Phi Level chapter. Only the top Pi Phi chapters are named Phi Level, so we are thrilled to be recognized this year. This is also the first time in history that Mississippi Beta was named a Phi Level chapter! SISTERS STAY FOCUSED ON SISTERHOOD Find New Ways to Stay Connected to Pi Beta Phi During Pandemic (Continued on page 4)

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