Tri Delta’s Women of Achievement: A Story We All Need To Hear

tri delta women of achievement story

Have you heard of Tri Delta’s women of achievement? Each year Tri Delta spotlights women of achievement. This year, their women of 2021 were incredibly exceptional women that absolutely deserved the spotlight. 

Tri Delta put a spotlight on Kara Barnett, Duke, Carol Hallett, Oregon, and Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne, Pennsylvania. Each woman came from a predominantly male background in fields of study but is paving the way to show women power. 

Kara Barnett is an arts leader, innovator, and producer. Tri Delta made this statement about her-

“Kara Medoff Barnett was appointed Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre, America’s National Ballet Company, in February 2016 following nearly nine years as a senior executive at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. At ABT, Barnett has advanced innovation and inclusion, supporting a robust slate of new productions and increasing diversity in the training pipeline. Since 2016, the Company has performed in Paris, Muscat, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Singapore and Hong Kong, bringing extraordinary art to audiences worldwide.”

Tri Delta Organization

Carol Hallett is an aviation industry leader, trusted advisor, and elected official. Tri Delta commented this on Carol: 

“Carol serves as counselor to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She served for eight years as president and CEO of the Air Transport Association of America (now Airlines for America or “A4A”), which represents the chief executive officers of U.S. and foreign flag airline and cargo carriers. Following 9/11, Carol helped craft and pass legislation to save the domestic aviation industry from bankruptcy and took the lead in the redesign of airline security policies and practices. She was twice named to “The Business Travel Industry’s 25 Most Influential Executives.” Her areas of expertise include international trade and commercial aviation issues.”

Tri Delta Organization

Gayle Jennings-O’Byrne is noted as a changemaker, investor, and champion. Tri Delta states,

“With more than 30 years of Wall Street, technology, philanthropy, training and professional speaking experience, she is unique in her global experience and knowledge and one among few African American women to start a venture capital firm. Gayle is a highly sought-out content expert in matters of innovation, tech trends, finance, investing and entrepreneurship. She also works with groups to demystify how to invest wisely and with impact.”

Tri Delta Organization

You can read Tri Delta’s full story on their 2021 women of achievement here. 

Making Kindergarten Decisions

kindergarten decisions

Late last winter I wrote a post about when I should send my late summer birthday daughter to Kindergarten and how hard the decision was for us. From what I’ve gathered, it’s a fairly common debate parents have when their children are late-summer birthdays. One of the hardest parts is that there are so many pros and cons that go into the two different options, and you never will be able to know what the better decision is because you can’t choose them both and compare and contrast the situations. You just have to dive right in with what you feel is best and go with it! 

It was one day after my daughter came home from preschool with a few extra letter activities from the days she missed school that my husband and I really started talking about it. We had participated in plenty of discussions up until that point, but watching her sit there and carry out what she was excited to call “homework” as she wrote her letters to the best of her ability, really made us dig deep to discuss it. 

I had always been leaning towards holding her back and instead of sending her to kindergarten, filling her days with other enriching activities like preschool and tumbling classes during that year instead. However, after seeing her excitement and love for learning, it helped me feel better about placing her in a classroom a little sooner. My husband had always leaned towards the same as I, but I think his perspective was changed as well at that moment. 

Another hard part of the decision-making process was that she is our first child, and we have other children with late summer birthdays in our family to consider as well. If we sent her next year to kindergarten but ended up holding our son back a year from school, it would make them 3 grades apart in school, but only 2 years apart in age! There are just way too many factors to take into consideration! It’s stressful! 

And my last biggest worry was…. Will she be ready for kindergarten next year? 

Both Mary and I have written multiple articles on kindergarten prep and why we need to stop buying into the idea that our kids aren’t ready because they aren’t ready academically. I’ll link a few. 

How Kindergarten Prep Frenzy Changed My Teaching Perspective

10 Signs That Your Child Is More Ready for Kindergarten Than You Might Think Spoiler alert: none of these have to do with letters, numbers, or writing their name! 

Reading Before Kindergarten- Is It Really Necessary?

However, even though I know this information is out there and the research behind it stands strong about how our children should be learning and growing at this age, I still have that parent guilt that I’ve bought into. The second the possibility of my child attending kindergarten near year came up, my first thoughts turned to letters. She can name the majority of the letters, but not all. And as far as what sounds they make… yeesh. Not sure about that! Also, she has a LONG name and she can only write the first half of her name unassisted! And what about numbers? I actually don’t even know if she can identify her numbers… Is she even going to be ready?! 

Okay, deep breaths. 

First, it is currently November, meaning the school year is not even halfway over yet. She still has so much time to continue learning and growing in preschool. And on top of that, she can still go into kindergarten with the knowledge she currently has academically, because her social/emotional skills are there. Her ability to play with others and independently is where it needs to be. She knows how to pick up a book and turn the pages the correct way, even if she can’t read it yet. She can get her shoes on and off by herself, use the bathroom on her own, take care of her own jacket and backpack, and more. She’s more ready than I will EVER give her credit for. 

I’ve said from the day she was born, “If there’s any child that’s going to walk early, it will be her.” and when she took her first steps at 9 months old, walking independently by 10 months old, she proved me right. 

“If there’s any child that is going to ride her bike early, it’s going to be her.” and just a few weeks shy of her 4th birthday, she was taking off on her two-wheeler! 

“If there’s any kid that is going to excel and do great at kindergarten, regardless of her age, it’s going to be her.” and I absolutely know that to be true. So at last, we have come to a decision. Our daughter will be starting her journey to school in the 2022-23 school year, and she’s going to do amazing. I can already tell. Even if she doesn’t know all of her letters and numbers yet. 

Teaching The History of Thanksgiving: Are We Doing It Right?

Growing up I was taught the history of Thanksgiving in school, just like many of you. The stories were about cornucopias, planting corn, peaceful dinners, and interactions of the Native Americans (referenced as Indians at the time) and the Americans. It was a great story that left us all feeling satisfied and happy with the ending, understanding why we all sit around the table every Thanksgiving Day with our families and eat food. 

And then one day I learned more about the true history behind Thanksgiving, as I’m sure most of you did too. If you haven’t yet, just do a quick Google search and it’ll give you a deep dive of information. I distinctly remember that day in my college class when I learned the true, brutal history of Thanksgiving and how betrayed I felt learning that I had been withheld from the truth. It made me think of the reason behind the misinformation given. Here were the few I came up with. 

  1. Because my teachers were genuinely misinformed. They hadn’t taken the time to research it themselves, they just trusted the curriculum placed before them and went with it. And we can’t blame them for that! Have you ever thought about researching long division and questioning if it really works or the history behind it? No! 
  2. Our schools teach American Exceptionalism in their curriculum. They want students growing up thinking we as a country are the most exceptional and incredible at everything we do. So this means hiding history. 
  3. I think in a way it’s also their mindset that they are “protecting” students by shielding them from the violence and bad things of the world. That if we teach only good things, that’s how our society will continue to act. 

But is this the right way? Information is incredible for teachers, it would be beneficial to research the history before teaching it. And it’s okay to admit that our country isn’t the best at everything! For example, if you Google search “Which country has the most advanced health care?”, you’ll get multiple lists all with various answers, but it’s important to note that The United States is not even in the top 5 of the majority of these lists. It’s okay to admit that we aren’t the best in health care (or education, or transportation, or anything else!), because it’s a good learning opportunity for our country to receive information from those that are better at it than we are. 

And is it really doing our students any good to protect them from the truth? I know for me, it didn’t “protect” me from anything, it just made me feel betrayed and lied to once I did learn the truth. There’s power in learning about our harsh pasts of the country because we as a society can recognize the mistakes and learn from them so they aren’t repeated again. 

This video does a great job of giving a quick (real) history of Thanksgiving:

What are your thoughts on teaching the true history of Thanksgiving in classrooms? 

#GoGreek Interview: Mariah Woodford

#gogreek interview: Mariah Woodford

Welcome to our #GoGreek series! This blog series focuses on interviewing past and present members of sororities and fraternities. We are able to learn more about their experiences and ask them questions to help others learn more about the Greek world, bust stigmas, and find out if Greek life is right for you. Check out all of our #GoGreek interviews here.

Today we are interviewing Mariah Woodford, alumni of Delta Delta Delta at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyoming. 

Mariah wanted to be a part of Tri Delta specifically because she felt connected to the women in this organization and also felt drawn to their philanthropy. She originally joined because she saw posters for recruitment her Freshman year and decided to give it a shot just to try to make more friends and be involved with events on campus, even if she didn’t end up joining. She and her roommate both ended up joining two different sororities! 


What was your philanthropy and what effect did serving this philanthropy have on your life?

“Our philanthropy was St. Jude. It was such a fun and fulfilling philanthropy to be a part of. I truly felt and believed we were helping such a great cause and made a difference. The hospital actually has a building next to it called “Tri Delta Place” where families of St. Jude have a place to stay so that they don’t have to move or relocate while they are going through such a tough thing that childhood cancer brings. Being a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, service is something we always try to focus on. Being able to raise money for St. Jude was a great way to serve people and in this case, children who absolutely need all of the love and service they can get. Even though I have graduated and my sorority days are long behind me, I never miss the opportunity when presented to me to give to St. Jude.”

What was your favorite part about being in a fraternity or sorority?

“My favorite part was being able to grow amazing friendships and truly just have so much fun. It definitely made my college experience so much better. I also really appreciated that as a house, we stressed the importance of our academics. Living in the house, there was always someone that was either in your class, had taken your class, knew someone in your class, etc. that could help you when you needed it.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to or is about to enter a sorority or fraternity?

“Joining a sorority is a big decision, but it was one of the best decisions I made when I went to college. There are so many amazing things within Greek life that from the outside you would never see or know until you join. Be true to yourself and who you are, and you will find the house that best fits you.”


Mariah also comments that her time in her sorority also helped boost her resume by the ability to network and add in leadership positions in multiple ways. 

A Spotlight on Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta)

a spotlight on delta delta delta sorority

Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) was created by two women at Boston University who saw a need for a different form of a sorority, even though there were already three women’s groups on campus. They set out to start an organization that was more inclusive of everyone and looks at a person more on what’s inside than their physical appearance. 

Their founders are Sarah Ida Shaw, Eleanor Dorcas Pond, Florence Isabelle Stewart, and Isabel Morgan Breed. Photos from tridelta.org

Tri Delta’s purpose is “to promote and develop mutually beneficial relationships between the Fraternity and the colleges and universities where the Fraternity has established chapters, to develop qualities of unselfish leadership among its members, and to encourage them to assume, with integrity and devotion to moral and democratic principles, the highest responsibilities of college women.” (tridelta.org)

Their philanthropy is to treat and defeat childhood cancer. They’ve partnered with St. Jude and over the years have raised more than $75 million in support of them! Tri Delta also has a scholarship program in place for both undergrad and graduate school students. 

Review Games For Every Age and Subject

review games for every age and every subject

Points: This one is simple. It’s easy and can be done on a whim. Divide the class into groups or just in half. Start asking questions on the topic you want to review and give points to teams that answer correctly. It’s a bonus if you ask probing questions that require a discussion among the team! 

Kahoot!: I believe this game is well-known among most teachers, but if not, you can see their website here. It’s free! And a great way to study as a whole group or individually. 

Jeopardy: A classic! You can find free templates online to use from your computer, or go with the old-fashioned paper taped to the whiteboard way. This can be fun to switch it up from not using technology all of the time, and it’s an easy one to store and use again the next year. 

Beach Ball Toss: Write or tape review questions onto a beach ball and toss it around the room. Whoever catches the beach ball, answer the question that their left thumb lands on. 

Hedbanz: If you own this popular game, you can easily change out the cards to reflect the information you are reviewing. 

Whiteboards: Need a review game but haven’t planned ahead? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Have your students grab their personal whiteboards and write or draw answers to questions. If you want to promote collaboration, break into groups and have each group answer on one whiteboard. 

Be The Teacher: This role reversal can be so fun for students! It can be done as a bigger project that lasts a few weeks with plenty of preparation, or just on a whim if you feel like you have students that can easily get up and teach specific subject matter. 

Why Learning Geography Is Important (Pt. 2)

teaching geography

Back in 2013, we published an article on “3 Reasons Why Learning Geography is Important.”

The three reasons outlined in the article are: 


Increasing Worldviews: This is what opens doors for students to realize that there are unlimited options for the “right” ways to live your life. Learning about other cultures (and where they’re located) is a huge step in increasing tolerance of all different lifestyles. It shows the differences, which we all expect to see, but can also shed light on unchanging factions of human nature that we all share.

Creating Contributing Citizens: Knowing about geography, the resources located in each country, and the effect those have on the economy can educate students on the reasons for certain current events. Learning about the governments in each country can also contribute to growth in other areas involving world events.

It’s Impressive: Not that we should learn solely to impress others, but there is something to be said for a person who can talk about Azerbaijan and Andorra. Plus, if you ever want to work for the CIA or be the next Lara Croft or James Bond, knowing your geography is a must! Haven’t you ever noticed how all the really awesome adventure stars in movies randomly know all sorts of things about the most random places? Geography.”


While this article still stands and is relevant today, there are more points that I feel like we can add about learning geography. 

Studying Geography is a gateway into studying History. So we know the pyramids are in Egypt and the Eiffel Tower is in Paris, but what’s the history behind it? What can we learn about why these icons are there, where they came from, and who built them? There is so much of our world’s geography to learn, along with the history and background of the location. 

Globalization: Some of our oldest community members do not fully grasp the concept of globalization, because the idea of leaving your state, let alone your own community, was not as attainable as it is in today’s world. Right now we can have conference calls while sitting at our home in Minnesota with someone else sitting in their home in India and another person at their home in Japan. And even beyond that, it’s a simple airplane ride away to visit these various places for work, recreation, education, and more. Navigating our entire world is easier than ever, and it’s important to know where you’re going while doing it. 

And more. There are so many reasons to learn geography! It is not a lost subject, it should be a growing one. What other reasons would you add to this list?