Founders’ Highlight

In 1978, five young women—Amy Mathews, Jennifer McMillan, Marilyn Burns, Ann Huling, and Cindie Davis—created a long-lasting legacy by founding Sigma Alpha. Recently, there was a chance to catch up with now Amy Mathews Viets and Jennifer McMillan Rubin about their lives since Sigma Alpha.

Viets remembers the five getting together to work on the Sigma Alpha structure and the constitution. “There were no sororities for females in ag, so we focused on what we wanted to do and what we wanted it to be,” Viets said. “We had no idea it would turn out this way.” After Viets finished her degree in horticulture, she reconnected with the group after Purdue wanted to start the Beta chapter. “We needed a national organization if this is going to grow,” she thought. They formed the idea of the national board and the criteria for new chapters.

Amy (Matthews) Viet with Son, Aaron

In 1980, Viets married her husband, Alan, whom she met while working in the horticultural industry. As his career offered opportunities in different places, she would find work with her degree doing landscape design or research such as at Louisiana State University for a few years. Once Viets had her two children, Aaron and Mary, she decided it was time to stay at home with them. “It gave me the opportunity to influence my children as they grew up and experience what they were doing,” she said. Along the way, Viets attended the 40th anniversary convention in Columbus, Ohio. She remembers how powerful it was to see so many young women there and the bonds created. “Girls came up to me in tears because Sigma Alpha had made such a difference in their lives,” Viets said. “It has given them encouragement in their studies and personal lives too.” She further explained that she is “amazed at the friendship and careers” Sigma Alpha has offered to young women in agriculture. “This has turned out to be what we wanted it to be. It’s something that has served women that want to pursue interests in agriculture.” When asked for advice for current sisters, Viets said, “Don’t feel like there are any limits to what you can do.”

As for Jennifer McMillan Rubin, she also wanted to help create something that would support women in agriculture–specifically in academic pursuits and professional settings. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would be where we are today,” Rubin said. “It’s really rewarding to be connected to the sorority.” After obtaining her degrees in agricultural business and agricultural communication, Rubin began working for the Agri Broadcasting Network, which was a radio station built around agriculture, markets, farmers, and technology. Afterwards, she began working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Later, she took a trip down to North Carolina to visit her college roommate and fellow co-founder, Marilyn Burns, and fell in love with the state. Soon after, she began working for a pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline, in North Carolina doing communication, public relations, writing, and media relations work. Rubin helped start one of the first in the industry advocacy functions working with patient groups and patient organizations doing work in the HIV field during the early part of the epidemic. It was in this career that she met her husband, Marc, while he was a physician working in AIDS research.

The duo married in 1994 and together had one child, Bryan, plus two stepchildren, Sara and Matthew. In 2001, they moved to New Jersey for Marc’s work and Rubin began doing consulting work on her own along with some writing projects. However, once there was an “empty nest” at home, she couldn’t resist going back to North Carolina.

Jennifer (McMillan) Rubin

One of Rubin’s favorite memories is that of the time spent creating the sorority. “We all sat around the kitchen table and started brainstorming how it would look and how it would operate,” she said. Her advice to current sisters: “Hold fast to your friends.” She appreciates how women have connected and made lifelong friendships through Sigma Alpha. “Your friends and family are important. Those relationships deserve work, attention, and maintenance as much as you can give them because they can last a lifetime.”