Alpha Chi Omega - University of Missouri

L eah Albietz '16 is on the fast track, both in and out of her race car. Leah graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, minoring in aerospace engineering. After graduation, she joined the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, in July 2020. This was not her first involvement in the automobile industry. "My dad owns a racing engine shop in St. Louis, and he has always been around the drag racing scene there," Leah said. "I grew up going to the racetrack and helped him build engines whenever I could." At age 13, she started drag racing and joined the National Hot Rod Association. When she was 16, she and her dad built a 1993 Corvette, which she still races (pictured above). "I'm a Chevy gal, so starting my career at GM was really a dream that became a reality!" She is part of the Technical Rotation and Career Knowledge (TRACK) program. It allows entry-level engineers to switch jobs every six months within the company for up to two years, providing career flexibility. In her current position, Leah is an engine validation engineer, meaning she runs various tests on engines in development to ensure they are validated. Leah fondly remembers walking through the doors of the Alpha Nu chapter house for the first time during recruitment and immediately feeling calm and at home. This was a nice change of pace from the anxious feeling she experienced speaking to women in the other houses. "I loved talking to all of the engineers at Alpha Chi Omega," Leah said. "It was cool that women in STEM were represented in the chapter. It became a community as we all helped each other with the hard classes!" As an active member of Alpha Nu, Leah met her best friends while living in the chapter house. "We would stay up so late and just laugh nonstop together almost every night," Leah said. "I found friends who held similar values to me and always had a positive attitude. That made me want to be a better person." Her most valued engineering mentor also came from Alpha Nu: her big sister Kimberly Woods '15. "She always reassured me that I was on the right career path when classes got hard and we would study together all the time," Leah said. "She was also one of the first people I told about my job offer from General Motors!" Beyond her friendships, Leah also loved the events that sorority life had to offer, including crush parties, Mom's Weekend and Homecoming. During Leah's senior year, she served as Homecoming float liaison. "Homecoming at Mizzou is a big deal and our floats have to have at least four moving parts, so it's pretty intense," Leah said. "My senior year we ended up getting third place and I had a blast working on that float." Leah regularly checks in with her pledge family and even managed to visit last year. "We have so many girls' trips planned for next year and I can't wait," Leah said. "I talk to my roommates from the chapter house every single day. Although we live in different areas, we still find time to Facetime each other!" In her free time, she loves doing yoga and going to the gym, though much of that time is taken up racing or working on her car. Leah lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, and can be reached at lagz8@mail.missouri.edu. Leah Albietz '16 Discusses Her Time with Alpha Nu, Her Racing Career and Her New Role with General Motors page 5 | University of Missouri Reaching the Checkered Flag Beverly Bates Luttrell '71 Susan Ingold Martin '71 Kathy Jefferson Massey '71 Karen McNeill '71 Sue Holmberg Meinders '71 Gwen Erickson Mersky '71 Kim Hisserich Ojile '71 Judith Pauck '71 Marilyn Hawkes Prosise '71 Nancy Ziegler Rosenhauer '71 Barbara Ballance Schnelle '71 Becky Upchurch Shamess '71 Ileene Frank Simon '71 Ginger Cunningham Smith '71 Sara Thomas '71 Elaine Tripolitis '71 Susan Veidt '71 Nancy Maute Waggener '71 Colleen Saathoff Walpert '71 Lisa Cooper Warren '71 Barbara White '71 Leah's Dream Car: 1963 split window Chevrolet Corvette

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