Pi Beta Phi - University of Southern California

3 on the FaceTime with Sydney while she was in her room and Kristin went to her office to do her Zoom meeting. Susan baked bread as she FaceTimed with Sydney and this happened on multiple occasions. It will go down as one of the silver linings during this time. "How awesome is it that Susan could engage and care for Sydney from Laguna Beach while Sydney and I were in Northern California –– that epitomizes true friendship. She was right there with no complaint when I needed her most," Kristin said. Again, while Kristin's life has been filled with adversity and challenges, she loves her family and is grateful to her California Gamma sisters for their unwavering support as sincere friends. "All of my family teaches me new things every day. Sydney taught me patience, love, and humility," Kristin said. "My life is rich in family and friendships." One of her biggest core values is laughter (and humor) despite the adversity. Kristin worked hard for everything to support herself and her two ex-husbands. She stands as a voice of inspiration to her coworkers, family, friends, and Pi Beta Phi sisters alike. "This too shall pass," Kristin said. "Anytime things get tough, like with the COVID-19 pandemic, it's important to have a positive outlook and look forward." With what little free time she gets, Kristin still enjoys skiing with her family and spends time in Tahoe. "It's a home away from home," Kristin said. "It's like a little piece of heaven." If you would like to learn more about Kristin's life journey, you can email her at khebert@caldwellpartners.com. Kristin with her daughter Halle Potterton, a junior KKΓ at the University of Colorado at Boulder. O perations at California Gamma looked different this past year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these changes, we are still so proud of everything the chapter accomplished throughout 2020 and the spring 2021 semester! Formal Recruitment Cal Gamma had an incredible virtual recruitment this spring thanks to the efforts of outgoing Vice President Recruitment Lauren Hebroni '18, incoming Vice President Recruitment Anne Elizabeth Blackburn '19, Director Recruitment Events Hannah Keenan '19, and Director Membership Selection Claire O'Connor '19. Recruitment took place entirely over Zoom, and the recruitment team utilized breakout rooms to facilitate one-on-one conversations between members and Potential New Members (PNMs), as well as a number of main room presentations to share what life in the chapter is like. Despite the virtual format, both our collegians and the PNMs brought so much positive energy to the process and reported that the connections they found over Zoom were as genuine and meaningful as those created during in-person recruitment. We are so proud to welcome 72 new women to our sisterhood! Incoming Vice President Member Experience Ashley Hayter '20 and incoming Director New Member Experience Abigail Gaughan '20 have been hard at work welcoming our amazing New Members. We are all so proud of these women and the qualities they bring to the chapter. Sisterhood While the COVID-19 pandemic has kept us physically apart, our sisterhood is stronger than ever. Since the onset of the pandemic, we have stayed connected through virtual yoga classes, movie nights, cooking classes, Cookie Shines, and so much more! We look forward to many more activities this spring. Philanthropy Although the pandemic has prevented us from being able to hold our traditional, in-person philanthropy events, our chapter has still found ways to incorporate our philanthropic efforts amid the pandemic. This past fall, we participated in a USC Panhellenic-wide fundraiser for the Loveland Foundation where we raised over $5,000. To kick off our spring 2021 semester, our Vice President Community Relations, Skyler Savage '20, and Director Service and Philanthropy, Isabel Anderson '20, organized a campus-wide Valentine's Day philanthropy where we sold Valentine's Day grams that were delivered to the surrounding University Park community on February 14 through contactless, COVID-19 safe delivery. The proceeds were donated to The Literacy Fund at Pi Beta Phi Foundation. In addition to raising money for Pi Beta Phi Foundation, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) board members, Nicole Falk '20, Skyler Savage '20, and Tessa Taylor '20, partnered with the USC chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon for a DEI-focused fundraiser. So far, we've raised over $6,000 for the NAACP, the Midnight Mission, and the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition. It is so important for our chapter to incorporate our DEI initiatives into our philanthropic efforts. While the world is in a time of unknown right now, the Cal Gamma Chapter of Pi Beta Phi is so excited to safely plan for and execute our remaining philanthropy events for this year! Academics Pi Phi stands out as a special organization because our members excel in all different fields, majors, and interests, ranging from engineering to entrepreneurship to cinematic arts. While we all miss using the chapter house as our favorite study spot, we continue to come together PERSEVERING THROUGH ADVERSITY Sisters Remain Optimistic Amid Ongoing Pandemic Congratulations to all our seniors who graduated in 2020! (Continued on page 4) "Kristin is like a soldier on the front lines. Knowing her since she was 19, she always says she can do anything. She had Sydney at 25 and her lust for life never stopped. It was just a speed bump. She is selfless, though she beat to her own drum in college. In my opinion, Kristin does life so much better than anyone, and she is so humble about it. We are all here to support Kristin and she is here to support us." – Susan Brownfield Beall '85

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