Letter from the President

I hope this letter finds you in good health and ready to finish up another amazing semester. For those of you that are finishing up your last, I hope that you are taking it all in and wish you luck in your future endeavors. Each year we are tasked with taking a look at how we can connect our Kappa Life with our Real Life. Knowing that you can take the skills that you have learned or fostered over the years from Greek life and apply them to real life is just a piece of the puzzle. One piece is mentorship. What does it mean to be a mentor and what does it mean to be a mentee? For me, it comes down to the idea that you are willing to take what your mentor has to give you and turn that into workable information for yourself. Over the years, I have had many mentors, whether it is a fellow teacher as I embark at a new school, or a fellow board member as I take on a new position. I often think back to the ten years that I have spent on the board, ten years of finding my place, learning a skill and then challenging myself to learn another new skill and move forward from there. When I first joined this board, we did not have a true mentorship program—it was more of an unspoken guideline. If you saw something in someone that you wanted to foster, you helped them find their way. I am still not really quite sure what the National Board saw in me at the time, but I am thankful that they saw something. With the help and guidance of Elizabeth Jason and other board members, I became the board member I am today. Countless conversations talking about where I fit, how I fit and what I brought to the table helped me to learn and grow, as our organization learned and grew. At times, Liz had to give me hard truths about my abilities and ask me to dig deep, of course, but that’s what a good leader/mentor does. They challenge you, they push you, they drive the boat for a little while and then let you take over. Were there times when I wanted to scream back and say, “I just can’t do this. I am not cut out for this”?—of course. What we have to remember about being mentored is that the goal is to produce a better you, a more refined you, that will keep moving forward. Be coachable, listen and take it all in, even if you don’t take the full direction your mentor wants you to, listen. What they say may be more important than what you do. We all have skills that help us in our everyday life, we all have a comfort zone we love to live in. Don’t be afraid to push yourself out of that comfort zone and listen to those around you when you are struggling. We as Greek Life leaders learn skills that help us to be Real Life leaders. Take the skills you have learned at your chapter, and allow others to help you foster them. “Uncoachable kids become unemployable adults. Let your kids get used to somebody being tough on them! That’s life, get over it!” —Patrick Murphy, Alabama Softball In Kappa, Andrea McKevitt, National President

Mission Statement The purpose of Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority, Inc. shall be to promote academic achievement, to encourage community involvement through philanthropy, and to cultivate the everlasting bonds of sisterhood. We shall fortify the values of leadership, generosity, charity, and integrity within our sisters through guidance at both the chapter and national level.

National Founders Laurie Beckwith Nancee Brearly Bridgett Burtchell Sue Caron Eileen Coombs Tricia Crosby Kathi Gleason Bonnie Griener Karen Kulikowski Kathy Luciano Joanne Lobozzo Mimi McBride Renie Mountain Pat Ouellette Angie Parker Barbie Richard Becky Ritter Sharon Soles Jan Spaulding Debbie Therriauly Dee Tzovarras Leslie Vartabedian Joyce Welch

Media & Materials Committee Designer: Christina Rose Social Media: Robyn Sarette Webmaster: Brittany Baldwin Amanda Roberge Liz Jason Amanda Cronin Lindsey Morrissey Emma Wenig Jennifer Jackson Marysa Mitrano Lacy Cyr