Delta Gamma - University of Iowa

Ties to Tau page 4 Sisterhood Empowers Alumna to Lead Alyssa Billmeyer '08 Stays Involved at University of Iowa A s a local Iowan, Alyssa Billmeyer '08 sought out sorority recruitment to branch out from her high school classmates and meet new people going into college. "It was a really good way to reach out and experience something different, by joining a sorority," she said. "The women I met from Delta Gamma stood out to me from the first day of recruitment. I knew they were the one I would stick with because of the personalities of the members. The women had everything I wanted; they were fun, easy-going, and driven." Tau Chapter instilled Alyssa with a sense of pride and security. "Whenever I was having a hard time during my freshman year of college, the people who really helped me were the women of Delta Gamma." Alyssa feels that she can irrevocably say, "DG made me who I am today." Empowered as a leader, Alyssa has been "Doing Good" while continuing her education at the University of Iowa. She has held a number of leadership roles in pharmacy school, including president-elect of the College of Pharmacy's Student Leadership Council during the 2013-14 academic year, as well as the Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) delegate for the college, and she is president this year. One of the main functions of the GPSG is to provide grants for travel, research or service. "Our over-arching goal is to ensure students are getting quality education at an affordable price and their experience on campus is worthwhile through grants and other programs," Alyssa said. Officer positions held in the Chapter and the support of her sisters enabled Alyssa to realize her potential as a leader. "Delta Gamma is one of the most important factors in making me the person I am today and really pushed me to believe that I could hold a position like the one I now hold," she said. DG sisters are still a large part of Alyssa's life, as both her roommate and neighbor are Tau Chapter members. She also maintains close friendships with several sisters in the area. Alyssa feels that the effort of staying in touch with sisters is well worth it and encourages alumnae to reach out. "I could talk to one of my friends from my pledge class once a year, but that one time a year, it's like we never left each other's side. It's really worth those twenty minutes to make a call or send a note," she said. Alyssa earned a bachelor degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in health science. She is pursuing a combined doctor of pharmacy and master's of public health with plans to graduate in 2016 and pursue a career in the areas of pharmacy administration or pharmacy association work. She lives in Iowa City, Iowa, and can be reached at alyssa-billmeyer@uiowa.edu. Get Involved with Your Local Alumnae Association W e are excited to announce the reconvening of the Southeast Iowa Alumnae Association for Delta Gamma. We are planning our kickoff event for the winter of 2015 and are very excited to start meeting with our sisters on a regular basis! For more information contact Stephanie Michalicek, Alpha Zeta '06 at stephanie.michalicek@gmail.com. Alumnae News CHAPTER ETERNAL Rosalie Jackson Powers '30 entered Chapter Eternal on August 21, 2014. She was very proud of her Delta Gamma ties and looked forward to receiving The Anchor and reading about DG's activities. She is survived by her daughters, Kalah and Kathleen. ALUMNAE NEWS Marion Heath Dudley '41 has been active in her parish church and some civic and political projects for the past 63 years. She lives in Hobart, Ind. Jane Scheerer Pilcher '44 sold her family home and moved to a retirement community across the river from her old home. "I love it here and go to all DG alumnae meetings in Ann Arbor, Mich. My five children, 17 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren live all over the U.S., and we get together once a year, usually in Hawaii where one of my sons lives." Jaclyn Fitch Phinney '47 lives in an independent retirement community in Bettendorf, Iowa, near her son, Rick, and his wife. "My health is good and I am slowing down. I spent Thanksgiving in Chicago with my grandson, Andrew, and Christmas in San Francisco with my granddaughter, Liz." Sue Birks Ackley '49 and her husband, Bob, moved to Cupertino, Calif., to be closer to her children after he retired. They still spend four months at their Okojobi, Iowa, home. Gay Nelson Fahrner '50 sold her home and moved to a senior community. She keeps in touch with Tau DGs, as well as her alumnae group from Marin County. Gay is active in PEO and plays golf. She lives in Santa Rosa, Calif., and has three sons: John, Richard, and David, and six grandchildren. E-mail: gaybelle@ sbcglobal.net Marcia Jenkins Pitkin '53 lives in La Quinta, Calif., at Rancho la Quinta. She play tennis, swims, and walks to keep her 80-year-old body working. Marcia and her husband, Roy, have four children: Barbara, Robert, Kathryn, and William, and nine grandchildren. "Our health is good and we plan to keep it that way!" E-mail: mjpitkin@earthlink.net Joan Barlow Pierce '55 keeps fit by going to the YMCA, playing tennis, swimming, sailing, and skiing. She participated in the Senior Games and received a silver medal in tennis and gold in swimming. Joan and her husband, Robert, live in Houlton, Wis., and have three children: R. Bradley, Sarah, and Ann. E-mail: rjpierce@pressenter.com Sandra Miller '57 has three daughters: Teresa, Pamela, and Debora, 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. She has crossed visiting London and Paris off of her bucket list. Sandra lives in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Continued on page 6)

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