Alpha Chi Omega - University of Missouri

2 Lyre Notes W hen Jessica Meredith Caldera '03 arrived at Mizzou her freshman year, she knew she wanted to join a Greek organization. During recruitment, Alpha Chi Omega was both the first and the last chapter that she visited, and she felt comfortable and at home there. To say that joining Alpha Chi Omega influenced Jessica's life would be an understatement. On a personal level, the friendships she formed were foundational relationships that have continued to impact her daily life. "I made my best friends in the chapter and don't want to imagine my life without them. Those friends have always pushed me to recognize and utilize my strengths, while still making time for fun," she said. Additionally, her time serving as chapter president was especially meaningful. "To this day, that is still one of the hardest things I've ever done. In addition to improving my public speaking and time management skills, I learned that no matter how busy or stressed I am, I'll never know exactly what other challenges people are going through. I am still super focused on getting things done effectively and efficiently, but my leadership experience helped me empathize with others and maintain humility through every high and low," she shared. These experiences were what led Jessica to remain dedicated to giving back to Alpha Chi Omega after she graduated. After serving for about five years as the Alpha Nu chapter advisor, she now serves as the Province Collegiate Chairman for the Missouri and Iowa chapters. "I absolutely loved my college experience and I want to pay it forward to ensure that we can provide that same experience—or better—to future Alpha Chi Omegas," she said. But volunteering as an alumna isn't just a duty, it's also a fun way to connect with the collegians. Jessica described it as "a refreshing way to get to know the collegiate members and recognize that we share common values, goals and senses of humor." Jessica graduated from Mizzou with a bachelor's degree in journalism and a minor in business before going on to earn a juris doctorate at Indiana University. She works as an assistant prosecuting attorney handling domestic and sexual assault cases for Boone County, Mo. She typically handles more than 350 cases at a time, all the way from the charging decision to a jury trial. In this, too, she is guided by the values of Alpha Chi Omega. "My job is to seek justice, which means fairness, equity and a genuine respect for people. I have a copy of the AΧΩ Symphony posted in my office, with the emphasized line, 'see and appreciate all that is noble in another.' I believe success lies not just in being confident in my own abilities and achievements, but to recognize that most things are not about me, or any individual person, but our organization or community as a whole," she said. Luckily for Jessica, her husband, Jose, is very supportive of her lifelong commitment to Alpha Chi Omega. They live in Columbia, Mo., with their dog, Harpo. In her free time, Jessica is involved in politics on the state and local level. She and Jose also "take Mizzou tailgating pretty seriously, and are on our way to visiting every SEC school for a Mizzou football game." You can connect with Jessica at jessicapcaldera@gmail.com. See and Appreciate All That Is Noble in Another How AΧΩ Shaped Jessica Meredith Caldera Personally and Professionally M erry Lucas Schmitt '07 arrived at Mizzou as an out-of-state student and was looking for a place to call home on campus. Through recruitment, she found the women of Alpha Chi Omega. But looking back on it now, for Merry, the question isn't why she initially joined the sisterhood; it's why she chose to be involved as an alumna. "Membership was such a great opportunity for personal growth and leadership, and I made such lifelong friends that it's inspired me to stay involved beyond college and give back," she said. She graduated from Mizzou with a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences. But it was during her sophomore and junior years when she served as the vice president of education for Alpha Nu that she realized she wanted to do something different with her career after graduation. "My position as vice president of education was really focused on our new member education program and in helping them get adjusted to the chapter and college life more broadly. I realized that I wanted to work full time on creating those kinds of experiences for others in higher education," she recalled. So she went on get a master's degree in college student affairs at Eastern Illinois University and now works at Minneapolis Community and Technical College as an academic advisor. Merry credits the chapter membership, the chapter executive team when she served as vice president of education and the alumnae advisors with shaping her collegiate experience and guiding her toward her career path. "The alumnae advisors especially encouraged us to be great leaders and cheered for us while we pursued our personal and professional goals," she said. Because she saw firsthand what the volunteer leadership offered to the chapter, Merry has spent time giving back to Alpha Chi Omega both on the local and national levels across several states. Specifically, she has served on several alumnae advisory boards, including those at the University of Illinois, Indiana State University, and currently at the University of Minnesota. Nationally, she has served on the national risk management specialist team, as a chapter advancement specialist, as an alcohol skills training program facilitator and as part of the University of Kentucky colonization team. She encourages other alumnae to give back to Alpha Nu and Alpha Chi Omega as they are able. "There are so many great skills that alumnae have, and being able to share those with collegians is really meaningful. It's so wonderful to see the potential that these women have and to help them grow," she said. Merry and her husband, Geoff, live in Minneapolis where she is also very involved with the Junior League of Minneapolis. In her free time, she enjoys running, spending time outside when the Minnesota weather cooperates, spending time with her friends and family and traveling. You can connect with Merry at mklucas11@gmail.com. Finding Her Calling How Serving on Alpha Nu's Executive Board Changed Merry Lucas Schmitt's Future

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