As a freshman,
I didn't know
much about Greek life at OSU.
I remember looking out the window of my dorm
room and seeing girls walking south toward
the houses. I asked my neighbor why they were
so dressed up and she told me about formal
dinners. I decided right then I wanted to check
this out. (Especially since the dorm menu that
night included mystery meat!)
I quickly
fe in love
with
everything the sisterhood stood for.
We were always top-notch in academic
excellence, and I was proud to let others know I
was a Kappa. To this day, when I learn someone
is a sister, I immediately feel a bond.
Believe it or not,
I loved living in a five-girl room!
There was always someone willing to play a
game of backgammon or join me in studying.
On certain sunny days I wished I could join the
girls on "Kappa Beach," but instead I went to
work in the Alumni Development office, which
ended up being a stepping stone to my career as
a lifelong fundraiser.
Kappa Kappa Gamma was instrumental
in building my leadership ski s.
I graduated in 1979 with so much more than
just a degree in communication. Shortly after, I
encountered an opportunity to put the values I
had learned to work. My young couples' class
at Westminster Presbyterian Church decided we
needed to do more than pick weeds and paint the
church doors each spring as our service project.
We wanted to
make a difference
in our community.
After speaking to the executive director of
Emergency Infant Services in Tulsa, we elected
to do something similar. Six months later, we
opened our doors in a 100-year-old church, five
ladies took on various leadership roles, and
Infant Crisis Services was born.
Forty years later,
we have
helped over 370,000 babies and
toddlers in central Oklahoma.
We have stuck close to our mission of providing
life-sustaining formula, food, and diapers
in times of crisis because no baby should
go hungry. We now serve 27 counties, and
we're adding to our fleet of BabyMobiles so
we can serve even more of Oklahoma's most
vulnerable. In 2023, we provided formula, food,
diapers, and other necessities to over 24,000
little ones in need. At our current rate of growth,
we expect to serve 40,000 per year by 2030.
I owe much of who I am
to my three years in the Kappa house.
I am blessed that the house I loved the most
loved me back! If you'd like to reconnect or hear
more about my work with Infant Crisis Inc., send
me an email at mikifarris@infantcrisis.org.
In Kappa love,
Miki McKee Farris '77
Miki has been married to her husband, Jim
Farris, for 29 years. The two have a blended
family of four with seven grandchildren. (One
of her daughters was a Kappa at OU!) In
Miki's spare time, she enjoys spending time
with family in the house she and Jim moved
into on their wedding day.
page 3
I
n January, our Delta Sigma actives published
a newsletter of their own, recapping the
2023 calendar year in excellent detail with
lovely pics. Missed it? If so, here are some of
the biggest highlights:
• Our two new philanthropy events, Kappa
Karnival and Kappa Kocoa, each raised $6,000!
One event supported Active Minds and the
other went to The American Heart Association.
• Kappa welcomed 56 new members this fall, and
we celebrated their initiation with a delicious
brunch at the Wesley Foundation.
• Last semester we placed 3rd in grades with a
3.6 GPA. We had more than 50 actives make
the President's Honor Roll with a 4.0 GPA and
more than 50 make the Deans Honor Roll with
3.5 GPA. That's truly something to be proud of!
• A successful Homecoming with our AGR
partners! Our team took first in Harvest
Carnival, second in Sweepstakes, and second in
House Decoration.
• Kappas keep making their mark at OSU! Delta
Sigma is home to a Top 10 Freshman, OSU
Senior of Significance, and more.
In Case You Missed It…
2 0 2 3 Y E A R I N R E V I E W
SCAN ME
WANT TO READ
THE WHOLE THING?
"Non-profit work doesn't make
you rich, but the reward is
in knowing you are making a
lifelong difference in the lives
of so many."
Putting Kappa Values to Work
M I K I M C K E E F A R R I S ' 7 7 S H A R E S H E R S T O R Y A S F O U N D E R O F I N F A N T C R I S I S I N C .
