Pi Beta Phi - Texas A&M University

I t was a foregone conclusion that Vanessa Redman '90 would grow up to be a Pi Phi. Her mother, Lu Ann Browning Redman, Texas Beta '59, and her many great sisters showed Vanessa the meaning of Lifelong Commitment. "When I walked through the doors of 1601 Munson, my little-girl dream of being a Pi Phi was transformed into a new reality: the opportunity of joining an exceptional group of campus leaders, scholastic achievers and ladies with whom I wanted to share my collegiate years and beyond," she said. Those exceptional Texas Eta women not only helped inspire Vanessa's career path, but they also made her time at Texas A&M a success. As a freshman, Vanessa dove deep into the "other education," as a professor described the social side of college. "To my mother's horror, I was a holdover pledge due to my grades." Back then, New Members were initiated in January upon returning for classes; Vanessa had to get her grades up and wait until August for her own Initiation. "It was a humbling experience, but one from which I learned a great deal," she recalls. "Texas Eta held me accountable and pulled me through. I am proud to have graduated with a cumulative GPA of about double my fall freshman GPA!" A New Adventure In the summer between her junior and senior years, Vanessa traveled to Europe with the school of business and several Pi Phi sisters. The shared experiences in a new part of the world helped her envision a career outside the typical post-graduation paths for business majors. Vanessa completed her business degree at A&M and soon began a new bachelor's degree in fine arts from the University of North Texas, inspired to pursue her dream of interior design. Vanessa started as an intern at Wilson & Associates, a hospitality interior design firm with offices worldwide, and accepted a full-time job upon graduation. One of her first projects was the award-winning Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Cabo San Lucas. "During my 28-year career, I've worked everywhere from Bermuda to Zambia and have been selected both as a Gold Key Finalist and D Magazine Best Designers in Dallas multiple times," Vanessa said. "My favorite highlight is that my daddy was the very first guest to check into the Royal Livingstone Hotel at Victoria Falls in Zambia, a project later featured in Architectural Digest." Her advice to sisters: "No one knows you like you do. Back up your dreams with good research and go for it!" Lifetime Sisterhood At her mother's encouragement, Vanessa always made sure to connect with local alumnae clubs after college. She had little time for meetings in her early career, but as a young professional, she loved meeting fellow businesswomen in the sisterhood. "In my late 30s, I accepted a position on the Alumnae Advisory Committee at SMU; that's when my involvement kicked back into gear." Vanessa served there and at TCU as her sisters' daughters joined Pi Phi, sharing the many ways things had changed, yet stayed the same, through the years. "I keep in touch with many of my Texas Eta sisters and love how we always just pick up where we left off!" Vanessa lives in Dallas, Texas, where she is in the early stages of her home renovation. She also loves needlepointing, entertaining and spending time with her "impossibly adorable" West Highland White Terriers, Lilibet (11) and Margaret (almost 1). Find her at ringchingredman@gmail.com or on Instagram at @vanessa1971redman. Aggie Arrow PAGE 2 Sisterhood Strengthens Us Vanessa Redman '90 Shares How Pi Phi Exceeded Her Expectations I keep in touch with many of my Texas Eta sisters and love how we always just pick up where we left off! A favorite memory from my collegiate years: As a member of Student Government's Traditions Council, I loved sharing at our chapter meetings a "Don't Be a T-Sip, Tip of the Week," where I would research and present known facts about some of the great traditions of Texas A&M. Of course, this was way before Google, and it was fun to answer odd questions like, what is the "E" in E. King Gill, Texas A&M's first 12 th Man! (… it's Earl.)

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