eartland H
Serving the counties of
Buchanan, Platte,
and Clay Missouri
H
P E A R L S O F
eartland
Interest Group Officers
Charter Members
Jamie Allen
Stephanie Byers
Tamara Clark Sykes
Jamie Davis
Yvonne Dorsey
Tonja Gardner
Kiva Gates
Donna Houpe
Toya Keller
Nina Kimbrough-Johnson
LaShonda Lee
Marquita Miller Joshua
Teaira Miller
Teyana Miller
Kim Newton
Yolanda Waldon
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Mid-Western Regional Director Colorado • Iowa
A Salute to the Pearls of Heartland Interest Group
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
With sincere admiration and sisterly pride, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the Pearls of Heartland Interest Group for your unwavering dedication, service, and commitment to the ideals of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.
Wyoming
Your journey represents more than the formation of an interest group it reflects the timeless mission of our beloved sisterhood: to cultivate high scholastic and ethical standards, promote unity and friendship among college women, and serve mankind through tangible acts of love and leadership. The Pearls of Heartland have embraced this mission with both purpose and poise, laying a strong foundation for the work that is yet to come.
As you continue your path toward establishing a permanent presence, may you remain steadfast in the principles that guide us sisterhood, scholarship, and service. Each initiative you undertake, every life you touch, and each connection you foster serves as a testament to your vision and resolve.
It is often said that true leadership is not found in titles or positions but in the ability to inspire others and create meaningful change. The Pearls of Heartland Interest Group is already making a remarkable imprint upon the Mid-Western Region, and your efforts will undoubtedly blossom into a legacy that future generations of Alpha Kappa Alpha women will cherish.
May this moment serve as both a celebration of your accomplishments and a charge to continue striving for excellence in all endeavors. On behalf of the sisterhood, I applaud your resilience, your service, and your unwavering pursuit of the standards we hold dear.
In sisterly love, Mrs. Anika Wilson Starling
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Mid-Western Regional Director
eartland H
Greetings,
What a joyous and historic occasion we have the honor of celebrating! It is with immense pride, gratitude, and sisterly love that I welcome you to the Chartering Celebration of the Pearls of Heartland Interest Group of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.
This moment is the culmination of prayer, perseverance, and purpose. Our journey has been one of vision, unity, and unwavering faith fortified by the collective strength of 16 dynamic women who believed in the beauty of sisterhood and the power of service.
As President, I have had the distinct privilege of witnessing the evolution of this group from hopeful beginnings to this defining milestone. What began with a committed few has flourished into a thriving group of 21 Pearls of Heartland members, standing strong in purpose, passion, and sisterhood.
Together, we ’ ve laughed, planned, served, and soared. And today, we stand ready to continue the legacy of excellence, scholarship, and service that Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® represents.
Thank you to our family, friends, community supporters, and the many Sorors who have uplifted us along the way Your encouragement has carried us through To our future chapter, may we continue to rise with grace, lead with love, and serve with purpose.
With a heart full of joy and a vision set on impact
Sisterly, Ms. Teaira Miller
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® President, Pearls of Heartland Interest Group
Pearls of Heartland Chartering
This day has finally come.
Some may call it the Chartering Day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®— Pearls of Heartland Interest Group—and that would be true. Yet today is more than a charter. It is a day of realization. A moment that brings together the countless hours, days, months, and years of our journey
It began with a group of sisters uniting around a need, unsure of what the road ahead would hold. Would the journey be long? Would we have what we needed? Would every sister remain? Would help come—or would opposition rise? Despite every uncertainty, we made a choice: we would commit to the journey
We leaned on what we knew for sure. First, that prayer is powerful and effective it both prepares and sustains us. We believed in the mission of our beloved sisterhood. We trusted that every resource we needed would come through a sister near or far.
We had Sister Pals in Atlanta. Beta Omega ensured our very first voter registration was tight and absolutely right. Xi Tau Omega supported us by hosting an Ivy Beyond the Wall for one of members family member. Mu Omega made sure we were ready for this day with both supplies and guidance. Upsilon Rho Omega extended leadership kindness that helped show us the way And our Cluster Coordinator made sure we knew that we are a part of Cluster B.
We trusted the process. We honored our leadership. And we remembered: this was not something new, but an expansion of a proven and tested organization since 1908. And we would put our hearts into it.
Along the way, we learned each other’s gifts, passions, and sacrifices. Our amazing leadership challenged us not just to do the work but to truly know one another. And oh, did we learn each other.
We learned who loves to fish, who can still do the splits at her current age, who’s the most competitive, who could raise some serious money, who was best at hosting a meetup, who would make sure meetings stayed to one or two hours, and who didn’t like the brownies at Grand Street Café. We even learned who wanted to watch the entire parade at Disney.
We also knew who was caring for parents, who was grieving the loss of a loved one, who was sending children off to college, who was navigating promotions, relocations, or long commutes just to be present. We watched some sisters start, others finish, and more join along the way Through it all, we remained. And we stayed connected to the heart of the matter. And as we remained, we worked.
We served Clay, Buchanan, and Platte Counties just as our beautiful sisters serve in Grandview, Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; Overland Park, Kansas; across the region and across the world.
We planted trees in neighborhoods, naming them Pearl, Emerald, and Pinky, and they are still thriving today. We stood with women in shelters, facing some of their hardest days. We equipped students to step into greater success. We registered voters. We helped our community access health care, books, and employment resources.
We became part of the community, always ensuring we carried out our service with excellence so we could make our sisterhood proud. Because Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® is a serious matter.
And yes, we laughed, we danced, and of course, we strolled along the way.
But most importantly, our faith allowed us to see this very day long before we arrived here. And now, we stand in it. We see it. And it was worth the journey
Thank you for being part of this historic moment today.
Marquita Miller-Joshua
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
First Vice-President, Pearls of Heartland Interest Group
Sisterhood Service & Impact
Pearls
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED NOTABLE NORTH ATLANTIC REGION
CONGRATULATES
ANIKA WILSON STARLING, MID-WESTERN
REGIONAL DIRECTOR AND THE PEARLS OF HEARTLAND INTEREST GROUP ON CHARTERING THE NEWEST CHAPTER IN THE MAGNIFICENT MID-WESTERN REGION
NORTH ATLANTIC REGIONAL DIRECTOR Elicia Pegues Spearman, Esq.
HAPPY CHARTER DAY!
Dr. Donna Houpe
Dr. Donna Houpe
Founder and CEO
Congratulations, Pearls of Heartland!
We joyfully celebrate the historic chartering of the Pearls of Heartland Interest Group as part of the legacy of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®.
Your commitment to sisterhood, scholarship, and service shines as a beacon of excellence in the community. With pride and support, we honor this milestone achievement.
With Love & Support,
Charlene Lemons, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Dante Lemons, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated®
AN EVENING SUPPORTING PLANNED PARENTHOOD WITH STACEY ABRAMS FEATURING AMANDA ZURAWSKI
Monday, October 20 | 7:00 P.M.
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Congratulations MomT on your SECOND charter! I am so proud to call you my MomT and give thanks every day that I was blessed with you in my life.Thank you for being my inspiration and for shaping me into the person I am today. Congrats again, I can’t wait to celebrate this achievement with you. Love, Muffin
Pearls of Heartland
Congratulations to my good friend
Congratulations to my good friend
Toya Keller and Pearls of Heartland on her second charter chapter. Jeffrey Barrett
Toya Keller and Pearls of Heartland on her second charter chapter. Jeffrey Barrett
Educational
Personal
Yolanda Waldon Yolanda Waldon Founder & CEO
The Pearls of Heartland would like to thank:
Anika Wilson Starling, Mid-Western Regional Director
Dorothy McClendon, Mid-Western Region Chief of Staff
Meredyth Vick, Mu Omega Chapter
LaTanya Patton, Beta Omega Chapter
Dr. Mary McConnell, Mu Omega Chapter
Shelia Jones, Xi Tau Omega Chapter
Rhonda Harris, Xi Tau Omega Chapter
Ryana Parks Shaw, Mayor Pro tem
Our sister Chapters
Beta Omega
Mu Omega
Xi Tau Omega
Upsilon Rho Omega
Vendors
KC Picture Me Photo Booth
St. Paradise Steel Drums
HS Interiors Designs
ShiftED Consultant & Design Studio
The POH Chartering Committee Chairmen
Marquita Miller, Chartering Celebration Chairman
LaShonda Lee, Chartering Celebration Co-Chairman
Jamie Allen, Rituals
Yolanda Waldon, Protocol
Dr. Kiva Gates, Catering
Dr Donna Houpe, Courtesies
Kim Newton, Social Event
Yvonne Dorsey, Vendors
Shelia Marshall & Tamara Clark Sykes, Decorations
Dr.Tonja Gardner & Yolanda Waldon, Souvenir Journal
