Alpha Chi Omega - Purdue University

Lyre Letter 2 M y first encounter with Alpha Chi Omega was in high school when I listened to stories of fun events and supportive sisterhood from a friend's older sister. During recruitment at Purdue, I was thrilled to be invited to join Alpha Beta Chapter! As a member, I viewed our sorority as a great group of all-American girls who strove to be their very best academically and socially. We always participated in all campus competitions, and I loved every experience from the Grand Prix Bed Races to U-Sing! The sisterhood love stays with you forever, and my closest friends are still my Alpha Chi sisters. A few years ago, Debbie Manich Law '73, Jean Wille Oliver '72 and I rented a VRBO in Charleston for a long weekend and had a wonderful time. Kay Weiler Vanasco '72 was the glue that kept us together during COVID-19 by coordinating Zoom meetings. While I didn't hold any executive offices as a member, I did take all my jobs within the house seriously and enjoyed them all, from phone duty to wake-up duty. I particularly loved celebrating my pledge daughter, Nancy Holmes Pakel '73, who was elected Homecoming queen one year! After earning a bachelor's degree in speech pathology and audiology, I worked as a speech pathologist in public schools for the first four years. I then pursued a master's degree in learning disabilities and behavior disorders at Georgia College and, later, a Specialist Degree in Administration. I taught students with learning disabilities in public schools for the next 14 years and worked as a program manager for the exceptional child department for 12 years. After overseeing services for students with disabilities in 13 schools, I retired from the classroom in my 31st year of teaching. I am now responsible for all programs and support for at-risk students as a part-time Title I interventionist. Working directly with students at the end of my long career has been such a blessing. The students make my day every day! Alpha Beta Chapter's values greatly influenced my career goals, as I was immersed in an environment that encouraged selfless values and a good work ethic. Next year will be my 50th year in public education and I plan to fully retire in the spring. It's going to be bittersweet, but I know it will open the door for me to spend more time with my family. My husband, Smokey, and I live in his hometown of Cordele, Georgia, which is perfect for our years of retirement. We loved every minute of living in Savannah, but we are now enjoying the conveniences of a small town. We have two dogs, Molly and Daisy, and two children, Kelly and Jeff, who are married and each have two children of their own. I remain so proud of Alpha Beta Chapter! The members continue to thrive and focus on academics, philanthropy, leadership, talents and making lifelong friends. I visited the chapter house two years ago with two of my sorority sisters and was impressed by how mature and gracious the girls were who greeted us! They could not have made us feel more welcome. Loyally, Debbie Childers Keeney '72 Inspiring the Sisters of Tomorrow Inspiring the Sisters of Tomorrow Debbie Childers Keeney '72 Shares Her Experience as an Educator Debbie loves supporting her students' interests and passions. Chapter President Taylor Sutherland '21 axopupresident@gmail.com VP Chapter Relations and Standards Anjali Natarajan '21 VP Risk Management Abby Huddleston '21 VP Finance Lexi Rigg '21 VP Philanthropy Kaia Ocampo '21 VP Recruitment Ella Harman '21 purdue.axo.recruitment@gmail.com VP Recruitment Information Lara Lubinsky '21 VP New Member Education Caelynn Kohut '21 VP Ritual and Fraternity Appreciation Leanne DiCiaula '21 VP Facility Operations Isabel Davis '21 VP Membership Programming Hayley Gates '21 VP Intellectual Development Aislinn Davis '21 VP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Emily Widdis '21 Panhellenic Delegate Emerson Soder '21 VP PR and Marketing Ellie Noel '20 Chapter Chapter Officers Officers

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