Sigma Kappa - University of Florida

2 Beta Tau ConnSKtion Keeping Sigma Kappa Close Beckie Reidling Preston '72 Reminisces on Her Beta Tau Years S earching for a home away from home, Beckie Reidling Preston '72 decided to go through sorority recruitment her freshman year. While she met women from many chapters, it was the sisters of Beta Tau that made her feel most comfortable. In a few short days, Beckie had found the home she longed for. Sororities can be great support systems for women during those hectic college years, and Sigma Kappa certainly was a support for Beckie. "Being a member taught me the value of friendship, leadership, and working together to benefit the community," Beckie said. "It gave me the courage to serve on the house corporation board after college." Beckie's Beta Tau sisters taught her she could do anything she set her mind to and were always willing to lend a hand wherever they were needed. "I remember spending part of my freshman year sleeping on a mattress in my big sister's room waiting for a room to open up," Beckie said. She remembers late nights playing cards and study sessions with her sisters; memories she won't soon forget. During her undergraduate years, Beckie studied early childhood education and later pursued her master's degree in educational leadership. Beckie's career has taken her in many different directions, as she's worked as a preschool teacher, office manager of a mental health practice, and assistant vice president of a bank. Eventually, she found her way back to the University of Florida, where she now works as a registrar. Being on campus allows Beckie to stay close to Sigma Kappa, and she is extremely excited to see the new chapter house take shape. Beckie and her husband, Cliff, live in Gainesville, Florida. They have one son, Daniel, and three grandsons. In her free time, Beckie loves to sing, and is a member of a women's barbershop chorus, Gainesville Harmony Show Chorus, and a quartet, On the Edge. You can contact Beckie at bpbass226@yahoo.com. ONE HEART, ONE WAY Dale Miller '01 Shares Her Upcoming Novel and Beta Tau Involvement "F rom day one I was proud to wear my letters," Dale Miller '01 said. During recruitment, Dale said Sigma Kappa did not appear to be like the other sororities on the University of Florida campus, sculpting their members into a sorority stereotype. Beta Tau accepted its sisters, embracing their similarities and celebrating their differences. This was true sisterhood to Dale. In her undergraduate years, Dale stayed very involved in the chapter, serving as continuing membership chairwoman, vice president of membership, t-shirt chairwoman, and chapter president. The chapter house was the central focus of sisterhood, and the memories of movie marathons in the TV room and all-night cram sessions in the dining room remind Dale of those years spent living with her sisters. Though they no longer live in the same house, Dale has remained close to her Beta Tau sisters and thankful for their continuous support in each new step of her career. After graduating with a degree in environmental science with a concentration in toxicology, Dale pursued medical school in the field of psychiatry. "Medical school and residency are famously unpleasant, and there were days and nights of tears and sleep deprivation, but my sisters were always there for me," Dale said. "When I took night calls from home in my third year of residency, there was a small group of Beta Tau alumnae who would come over to my condo and watch movies with me all night long." It wasn't only in her career that Dale's sisters showed encouragement, but her passions. On April 14, Dale's debut novel, Karma Patrol, will be released on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble under her pen name, Kate Miller. "I've always liked to write, and for the past nine years I've participated in National Novel Writing Month," Dale said. "After a few years, I started to think about trying to get published, and several of my sisters volunteered to critique the novel. About two years ago, I took the plunge and started querying literary agents. Once I found my agent, it was a short hop from there to finding a publisher, and now I just have to survive the anticipation until the book comes out." For the years of encouragement and support Beta Tau has given her, Dale stays involved with the undergraduate chapter to aid new generations of sisters. "The women who are active in the chapter today are all women we would have happily welcomed as sisters 15 years ago," Dale said. "The kindness and warmth of Sigma Kappa lives on in them, and the spirit of the chapter remains the same." Dale serves as the recruitment supervisor for Beta Tau, hoping to be a mentor like Stephanie Sigman '93 was for her. Dale lives in Jacksonville with her cat, Faraday, and spends her days working in child/adolescent psychiatry, writing, and volunteering for the Humane Society. Sigma Kappa stays with her every day as she continues to live "One Heart, One Way." You can contact Dale at dkmillermd@gmail.com

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