Delta Delta Delta - Cornell University

PAGE 2 Alpha Beta Chapter T ara Benedict '01 didn't think about joining a sorority when she arrived at Cornell but signed up for recruitment out of curiosity, as she was looking for her "people" on the large campus. "Turns out, 'my people' were 100-plus amazing ladies with a ton of different interests and talents from all corners of the world and all walks of life," she shared. Tara met some of her best friends through Alpha Beta Chapter. She enjoyed wonderful moments with them, including living in a house in Collegetown with nine sisters for a summer and participating in formals. "I loved the energy in the house as 30-plus of us were all getting ready, piling onto a bus that took us to some off-campus venue, tearing up the dance floor in our fancy dresses—way better than my high school prom!" As a collegian, Tara served as the Panhellenic representative and house manager for the annex, which gave her experience that has helped her in her professional life. She also learned about nurturing relationships and all that came with them. As an alumna, Tara has always enjoyed visiting the house with her sisters during Cornell reunions, but she wasn't all that involved with Alpha Beta until 2020 when she had more time on her hands during the COVID-19 shutdown. Wanting to get more involved with Cornell led her to serve on the Alpha Beta House Corporation and then the Delta Links Steering Committee. "I've loved having an opportunity to interact with the on-campus sisters and other alumnae in a variety of ways. Through the Pansy Pals program, I've gotten to know some amazing young ladies." Tara has enjoyed reconnecting with and building new relationships with Tri Delta sisters, and she has even brought along a few other people who have since gotten more involved. When she's not volunteering with Tri Delta, Tara volunteers with the Cornell Club of Boston and the grants committee at her church. In her career, she has been working at Harvard University for nearly 20 years. "Aside from the identity crisis I experience every year when Cornell and Harvard play each other in hockey, I actually really love working at 'that school in Cambridge.'" Tara has held five roles during her time at Harvard and has worked with and met some amazing people. For over ten years, she worked in the Office of the University Marshal. Part of her role was to facilitate the visits to campus of visiting dignitaries and foreign delegations as well as celebrities. "One highlight was when Rihanna was on campus to receive an award," Tara recalled. "Her schedule for the day included a private meeting with my boss and a few others. Something got messed up, though, and somehow, she showed up early and my boss was not yet back from another meeting. So yours truly sat in a room and chatted with Rihanna and her manager for 15 to 20 minutes before the schedule got back on track." "We are also dog people, even though our beloved dachshund pass away recently. After our upcoming wedding and honeymoon we plan to adopt a rescue and be dog parents again." Two of Tara's Tri Delta sisters will be bridesmaids in her wedding and another ten will be in attendance. You can connect with her at tbenedict242001@yahoo.com. Alumnae Spotlight: Tara Benedict '01 "It's never too late to connect with old friends! We love having new people reengage with Tri Delta through our Delta Links activities, so please be in touch if you'd like to get more involved." Delta Links remains busy this year, with plans to hold monthly informal "happy hours" over Zoom for alumnae to stay connected. Pansy Pals will continue, and the committee will continue to encourage regional meetups throughout the year. "We are also organizing a few virtual events featuring Tri Deltas who are doing cool things in the world. We're always looking for suggestions so please be in touch if you have any ideas!" Collegiate Chapter President (CCP) Allison Schwartz '26 Vice President Operations (VPO) Alexa Sheldon '26 Vice President Membership Experience (VPME) Emi Labbe '26 Vice President Community Relations (VPCR) Jana Mildner '26 Vice President Chapter Programming and Development (VPCPD) Danielle Koutsainis '25 EXECUTIVE TEAM OFFICERS Alpha Beta's 2024-25 executive team.

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