When I participated in recruitment back in 2014 at Boston University, I sought to join a Greek organization that would be committed to scholarship and leadership, but also an organization that would outlast my four years at university. When I joined Kappa Alpha Theta, I knew I was joining a fraternity of women who were the role models of tomorrow. After graduating in 2017, I immediately looked for ways to stay involved and give back to Kappa Alpha Theta, and so I became education advisor for my chapter of initiation, Eta Chi, which I continue to serve today. However, I felt that with both this advisor position and in my professional career, I was always procrastinating when it came to reflecting on my experiences and thus, struggled to further strengthen my leadership skills. Then, the Young Alumnae Leadership Program application arrived in my inbox for the 2020-2021 cohort.
I was immediately drawn to the idea of the Young Alumnae Leadership Program because I saw it as an opportunity to network with fellow Theta advisors from across the country while learning about different areas of leadership development. Each month, the program gave us the tools and resources to learn about things like personality types and how that impacts leadership styles; the importance of understanding and committing to diversity, equity, & inclusion in Theta (and beyond); and how to drive change management in a year filled with so much uncertainty and change. The program also split us into smaller regional groups which allowed us as program members to distil and reflect on these topics in a more personal setting. In turn, it allowed us to discuss on a wider program level with guest speakers from the Theta network. While the program is geared toward how we can be more impactful advisors, it also really transformed how I see these areas in my professional career.
Overall, this program was a great space for me to reflect on what I needed to focus on in my leadership and development journey, and I believe it has already made me a better advisor.
Being an advisor has been an enriching experience and has allowed me to give back to Kappa Alpha Theta. The Young Alumnae Leadership program showed me that Theta is giving back to their network of alumnae and volunteers by continuing to invest in the development of their membership.
To be considered for the Young Alumnae Leadership Program, a member must be a college chapter advisor who graduated within the last five years. Members who meet these criteria will be contacted by email in late summer with more details and an invitation to participate. Email advisortraining@kappaalphatheta.org with questions about the program.