Pi Beta Phi - University of Mississippi

Construction to Finish Late Summer Come Celebrate 60 Years of Mississippi Beta! Always True to the Always True to the Wine and Blue Wine and Blue Our 2022 Chapter Leadership Team. Mississippi Beta sisters celebrating Bid Day. K ara Rawls Cook '88 knew joining fraternity and sorority life would be a great way to meet new people, and since joining Pi Beta Phi, she has proudly represented the Fraternity. "Our freshman year, I was really excited to collect as many Pi Phi T-shirts as possible! Wearing a Pi Phi shirt made you identifiable on campus to other chapter members who would say 'hi' and who may not have known you otherwise," she said. "Wearing those shirts also made you a representative of a larger group, and we all understood there were expectations that came with that." Kara was also proud to become involved as a leader. She kicked off her service to Mississippi Beta as New Member Coordinator and then served as Chapter President, which was a challenging yet invaluable experience. With the guidance of local, regional and international advisors, Kara learned a great deal about facing adversity and navigating different personalities — lessons she took with her in her career. Kara earned her bachelor's in accountancy and worked in telecommunications, starting as a budget analyst and ending as a project manager. She worked with major markets responsible for building coast-to-coast routes for customers such as Walmart, Cisco and Microsoft. "The biggest thing Pi Phi taught me that helped in my career was how to set expectations for myself and to not ask others to do things that I wasn't willing to do myself. I always tried to lead by example," Kara said. Kara lives by Pi Phi's tagline, "Friends and Leaders for Life." "If a chapter member takes advantage of leadership opportunities made available to them while they are in the chapter, then I believe they have a lot to gain from that experience," Kara said. "I believe if you start pursuing leadership positions at an early age, then you'll be likely to continue that trend into your adult life, whether it's serving a company or serving your community." Kara takes this message to heart, and when the opportunity came along to support the Always True to the Wine and Blue – 60 Years of Mississippi Beta Tradition capital campaign, she knew what she had to do. With many sisters and not enough space, Kara believes the renovated house is essential to provide the space the chapter members need. "I'm motivated to support the campaign because I want to see our chapter survive and thrive. As New Members join, I want them to have the same opportunities and the same great experience I had," she shared. Kara remains active with Mississippi Beta today. "I've always enjoyed working with these young ladies," she said. "A new officer's enthusiasm is always contagious. They come into office ready to conquer the world!" Kara is extremely proud of her career and family. She stopped working when her second daughter was born. She and her husband moved back to Oxford in 2008 and have enjoyed their life there. She has also recently reconnected with many of her member class sisters. Her friendships are invaluable, and since many of her friends don't live close by, they've all made an effort to reconnect. When they do, it's like no time has passed at all! You can connect with Kara at bkmcook@att.net. H appy 2022, Pi Phi sisters! As the world continues to take things day by day, Mississippi Beta remains focused on the future. We are thrilled to report that construction on the chapter house is still on schedule with an expected completion date of August 2022. That means those visiting for our 60 th anniversary celebration in the spring of 2023 will get to see our newly renovated home in its full splendor! Once again, I extend my gratitude to the 181 alumnae and friends (and our amazing collegians, of course!) who have invested more than $1.37 million in our success. This project is taking a village — and we wouldn't want it any other way. The improved facility at 642 Rebel Drive will be a constant haven at Ole Miss for women to learn, serve and thrive together as Pi Phi sisters. As our celebration draws near, I ask you to help us commemorate the milestone by making a commitment to our Always True to the Wine and Blue: 60 Years of Mississippi Beta Tradition campaign today. The pandemic has increased construction costs, and it is vital that we reach our $1.75 million goal to reduce the burden of debt on our chapter and future sisters. If you have already given, you can further support the effort by making a pledge update or additional donation or by spreading the word to your fellow alumnae and asking them to give what they can. We are also still accepting art donations to display in the house if you'd like to submit your work as a gift-in-kind to the campaign! You'll receive more details on our anniversary event as soon as they are set. Thank you for your support, and we can't wait to celebrate Mississippi Beta with you! In Pi Phi, Beth Williston Webb '68 Chapter House Corporation President bethpiphi@gmail.com (901) 826-6186 Leading by Example Kara Rawls Cook Leads the Way in Supporting Mississippi Beta

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