Sigma Kappa - University of Florida

2 Sigma Kappa The women of East Tennessee State University came to Beta Tau to help with recruitment and it resonated well with Lauren. "It was amazing to see that these women, although from a different chapter, still shared the same ideals and values," she says. "It really laid the foundation for my idea of sisterhood." Lauren treasured her time in Sigma Kappa and encourages undergraduates to enjoy every moment of their time in the chapter. "You're a part of something bigger than yourself and it can really prepare you for success in life," she says. Sigma Kappa has a way of bringing women together. For Lauren, it reunited her with her best friend since first grade who she is still very close with today. Skylar Smith McDonald '03 went through recruitment the same year as Lauren, but they did it at separate times. When Lauren found out Skylar would be joining her in Sigma Kappa, everything seemed to fit into place. Skylar lives in Atlanta, Ga., now but they try and get together as much as their lives will allow. "She is like a sister to me," Lauren says. Lauren lives in Southern California and has not had the opportunity to visit the new chapter house, but she follows Beta Tau on social media and loves seeing how involved the women are—both on campus and in the community. As someone who frequently visited the "character house," Lauren knows the new home for Beta Tau is well-deserved for the women of this chapter. Social media also makes it easy for Lauren to keep in touch with sisters. Whitney Smith '05 has been a reunion companion for several years and they try to plan trips together when they both can. As an alumna of Sigma Kappa, Lauren says, "You never lose that pride." She says she wouldn't be where she is today without Beta Tau. "Greek life is so good for you all around," she says. "I think it's import- ant, especially today, that women have this kind of support system. Knowing you have women who have your back can really build confidence." Lauren works as a sales manager in the Marina del Rey area of California. She and her hus- band, Michael, love spending time with their rescue dog, Sailor, who keeps them both busy. They also enjoy traveling, running, biking, and trying out new foods. Lauren can be reached at llostetter@yahoo.com. Continued from page 1 Lauren "LoLo" Lostetter Gleason '03 Recalls Importance of Sigma Kappa Support Alumna Says New Chapter House Is "Well-Deserved" T his fall, Beta Tau hosted our first alumnae-led career workshop on November 5, 2017. We welcomed alumnae from all different career paths to come in, speak to sisters, and share their wisdom and tips for success in future career pursuits. We had three stellar Beta Tau alumnae come in to join us and present to our collegiate sisters: Courtney Parrott '05, Kelly Crandall '87, and Missy Loudy '96. They created presentations detailing different aspects of the journey of searching for, applying, and interviewing for jobs. They discussed proper resume structure, techniques for behavioral interviews, and email and interview etiquette. These are all integral elements in the successful pursuit of internships and jobs after graduation. This event had a powerful impact in the lives of our collegiate women. It is important that we continue to host events like these so that we foster the lifelong commitment to Sigma Kappa, espe- cially at the Beta Tau Chapter at the University of Florida. This event was wildly successful, and the women of Beta Tau are deeply grateful to our incredible alumnae for donating their time to come in and teach us from their own personal experiences. We hope to grow this event in the future and we are requesting that any alumnae interested in participating next fall, please reach out to our VP of alumnae relations, Gabriella Manuszak ̓16 at betatau.alum@gmail.com. First Career Workshop Event a Success Beta Tau Looking for More Alumnae to Participate Next Fall

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