Alpha Chi Omega - University of Missouri

3 Alpha Chi Omega I nspired by exotic postcards sent to the Al- pha Nu house by Elaine Prusak Smith '67, a Pan Am stewardess, Lynn Welch Hancock '67 followed her heart, crossed her fingers and luckily convinced Pan Am to hire her too. One week after graduation, Lynn was training in Mi- ami and five weeks later was sitting on a beach in Rio de Janeiro. Over the next 22 years, she flew to more than 60 countries, met her hus- band, John, and had two sons. "As anyone who worked for Pan Am back in the day will tell you, it was a privilege, truly allowing you to be a citizen of the world," she said. "I experienced revolutions, wars, embassy parties, celebrity en- counters, long layovers on African beaches…it was a great education." Lynn retired in 1991, just months before Pan Am's collapse. Shortly after, John's work took the family from Los Angeles to Sacramento. Lynn was happily a stay-at-home mom for the next nine years, before beginning her second career as a real estate agent. Ten years later, ca- reer path number three came as a gift. After tak- ing an oil painting class, Lynn decided to paint a Pan Am roommate a unique hostess gift—a picture of a vintage 1969 Pan Am stewardess wearing the iconic bowler hat —and turned the painting into notecards. Other women saw the cards and asked for more cards featuring dif- ferent uniforms, and with that, StewardessStyle was born. "I made some more cards, put them on a website, and to date, over 4,000 cards have been sold," she said. A Seattle airport sells the cards and they are also available at www.stewardessstyle.com. Lynn has no plans to make new cards, and instead en- joys other painting styles at this point. Although she does not consider herself an artist—more a hobbyist—when she's painting, it's both all- consuming, yet relaxing. "I would like to think that one day there will be one of my paintings hanging on the wall of a great-great-grandchild's home," she said. "That would be the best." Alpha Chi Omega helped prepare Lynn for life after college, and she says working as a flight at- tendant and interacting with fellow crew mem- bers was a lot like living in a sorority house. Since Lynn went through recruitment as a soph- omore, she was able to move into the chapter house as a new member and can't imagine her college experience without those special years in ACW. Her Greek connection has continued into her alumnae years, and even when she's on the other side of the world, Lynn has found an Alpha Nu connection. "Recently, I accompa- Lynn Welch Hancock '67 Reflects on Her Career, ACW Experience I f you take a peek at Nina Elder's Instagram feed, you're sure to find pho- tos of food and numerous #gusgrams (pictures of her 3-and-a-half-year-old son, Gus). Aside from spend- ing time with her family, Nina '94 spends most of her day writing and thinking about food. As the executive food editor of Rachael Ray Every Day, Nina is committed to getting readers into the kitchen by offering fun, accessible recipes. "I love writing and editing and have been lucky to have been able to do both my entire career," she said. "I love the mission of getting people to cook more. It's a great skill, helps you eat more healthfully and is a ton of fun." Not to mention, attending recipe tastings is also part of the job—something she had no idea could fall under editorial duties. Before land- ing her current position, Nina worked for sev- eral magazines throughout the U.S. Starting with Better Homes & Garden upon graduation, leading to Texas, New Mexico and Washington Journey magazines and Bon Appétit, Nina has worked her way from travel articles to entertain- ing and food. While at Mizzou, Nina was a journalism major with an emphasis in magazines. Growing up in the small town of Gainesville, Mo., when she arrived in Columbia, Nina was looking to find a place that could help make the university feel a bit smaller, and did so by joining Alpha Chi Omega. "My Alpha Chi experience really helped me learn how to work well with a wide group of people, whether that be my sisters or people in the Greek system as a whole," she said. "Com- promise, team building, negotiating and relation- ship building; all of those skills have served me well in my post-college life." Nina can still remember late-night parade pomp- ing sessions for Homecoming, evening and weekend chats with her roommates and all the tight bonds that made her sorority experience amazing. She advices current undergraduates to say "yes!" to new opportunities and experience, but also to say "no" if something doesn't feel right. "If a club, class or leadership role in Alpha Chi sounds interesting, go for it," she said. "Ul- timately, it's all about balance and it's important not to forget to put yourself on your priority list. And finally, trust your gut." Nina, her husband, Matt, and their son, Gus, live in Yonkers, N.Y. Nina can be reached at ninaelder22@gmail.com or on Instagram at @ninaelder. nied my husband on a business trip to Shanghai, but I made sure to arrange to meet up with Winnie Kuhn Partridge '69," she said. "She also worked for Pan Am and now works for United. She bid a Shanghai trip to rendezvous with me in China— that is sisterhood forever!" Lynn and John have been married for 41 years and travel remains a passion for the family. Commut- ing between their homes in Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, Lynn spends her time in California gar- dening, and in Nevada hiking or skiing. She also recently took up kayaking on the lake and has a painting studio set up in both homes. Lynn can be reached at lynnhancock08@yahoo.com. Food for Thought Nina Elder '94 Spends Career as Writer, Editor Lynn Welch Hancock '67 in front of her oil painting, "The Coming Storm." Lynn's artwork can be found on www.stewardessstyle.com.

• Cover