Q: What do you do as Panhellenic president?
A: Panhellenic presidency is a little weird because it’s not project based like a lot of the other council positions. It’s very much a support role and an open-ended kind of position. A lot of it is up to me, but mostly what my role consists of is leading council meetings and delegate meetings, and then holding one-on-one meetings with the executive council members periodically. Basically, just helping them with projects and connecting with any campus or community partners that would help them accomplish the projects they’re looking to finish. Beyond that, we’re always looking to better help the Panhellenic community, and a lot of our focus this year is in diversity, equity and inclusion implementation. A big thing I help with is primary recruitment for the university which mostly happens in the summer, but it’s a lot of administrative work on my end.
Q: What kind of projects does Panhellenic work on?
A: A lot of the work we do isn’t on an individual house basis, but each member of the council has projects they focus on. For example, Megan Dobson, the vice president of community engagement, will hold trainings and programs throughout the year on a range of different topics. I help her coordinate those, and I reach out to offices that she wants to go through and set up a meeting. I could also just be there to support her in any way she needs. There’s a lot of small projects throughout the year that the council does that I just provide support for.
Q: Since people who aren’t part of the Panhellenic community may not understand it, can you talk about the impact it has on campus?
A: The Panhellenic community, in its entirety, has a major impact on campus because there are over 700 women involved in the Panhellenic community. We have the highest GPA of any student group on campus, and we do participate in a lot of events but there are also a lot of Panhellenic events the Executive Council will help facilitate. We’re kind of a liaison between greater university projects and the Panhellenic community. There will be a lot of university offices that reach out to us and talk to us about events or resources, and we can then spread the word to the Panhellenic community.
Q: What has been the most fulfilling part about this role for you?
A: Honestly, just getting to see the rest of the council. Starting on different projects for their positions and getting to know them better, since they’re all from different chapters. It’s nice to connect with new women, and another rewarding thing has been meeting with the chapter presidents and building connections with all of them and trying to continue to build up the Panhellenic community even though I haven’t been in the position for very long. I’ve already been told people are seeing positive change, which makes me feel proud of myself and the other women on the council.
Q: What kind of positive changes are you wanting to see and be a part of implementing?
A: We do want to support a lot of chapter as they bring diversity, equity and inclusion into their officer structure within the chapter. I want to reach out to relevant offices around campus to build partnerships with different campus groups like the Women’s Center, Center for Disability Access and Resources, LGBTQA office and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. In the coming weeks, I’m looking to reach out to them,start building mutual partnerships and then pass that along to diversity, equity and inclusion chairs.
Q: Are there aspects of this position that empower you?
A: Definitely. I feel really grateful for my role, because it’s a role that challenges me and the other women on the council. I look up to my advisor and the other six women who I work with, so it’s just fun to be surrounded by them. I feel really empowered when we’re in meetings and we’re just bouncing ideas off each other and there’s a good flow of conversation. All the changes we talk about making are centered towards increasing the opportunities for women within the community and continuing to make the community a safter and more empowering place for all the other women here.
Q: What legacy would you want to leave on the Panhellenic community?
A: At the end of my term as Panhellenic president, I want to leave the council as a resource that every woman in the community feels comfortable coming to. Beyond that, I want to leave the community feeling like it’s a safer space for all women regardless of their gender identity, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity. I feel like my Panhellenic membership over the last three years has been really valuable for me, it’s a space where I’ve gained a lot of confidence, where I’ve grown into who I am, and I really want to make sure we’re in a space where any woman can do that as well, not just somebody with the privileges I have in my life.