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Scholarship Interview: Our Top Winner- Kayla Klurman

This is part of a series of interviews with our scholarship recipients for our 2021 Build A Better Future scholarship sponsored by Honors Graduation. We hope you will find their stories as inspiring as we do! For information on our 2022 program, click here. 

Our top 2021 scholarship winner was Kayla Klurman, who also received a $5,000 grant for her project, Kayla’s Care Bags. She graduated from Miami Palmetto Senior High School in Miami, Florida. Kayla sat down next to a girl named Rosy during lunch at school and listened to her story about foster care and how hard it was for them to obtain the proper clothes, shoes, basic toiletries, and school supplies. This moment is what sparked Kayla’s interest in starting up Kayla’s Care Bags. 

These are care bags made specifically for foster kids in Kayla’s community. They are put together by donations from others in her community, picked up personally by her, and then placed in bags organized for specific ages and genders. Take a quick look at the process here: 

Kayla primarily used social media to spread the word on the needs of Kayla’s care bags and would drive to various places within her community to pick up supplies and put the bags together. One problem Kayla felt like she was running into and wanted to troubleshoot was that she was only able to know the ages and genders of those entering the foster care system so she could not put together personalized bags. In order to work through this, she’s brainstormed closets made specifically for foster kids to enter, shop around for what they need, and take free of charge. Kayla is also focusing on stocking the closets with maternity clothes and items for those in foster care that are pregnant. She would have to work hard to keep these closets stocked with items, but with help from the $5,000 grant, it will be possible. 

Kayla is an inspiration to us all! She heard a story from a friend that encouraged her to make a change in her community. She saw the problem and found a solution.

Kayla will be attending Davidson College in North Carolina studying political science. 

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#GoGreek Interview: Emma Movick

alpha chi omega interview

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. 

Today we are interviewing Emma Movick from Alpha Chi Omega at the University of Colorado. 

Emma chose Greek life because she wanted to meet new friends and feel connected at a new school. She also had the chance to meet a lot of great girls during recruitment and wanted to stay connected with them. She transferred to the University of Colorado her sophomore year and felt like she had missed a vital year there as a freshman to interact with the school and get to know peers, so joining a sorority was the perfect answer for her. 

Alpha Chi Omega’s philanthropy is centered around domestic violence awareness. Emma felt like this was a great philanthropy to support because she knows personally sisters and classmates affected by this. 

How has your experience helped or shaped your life beyond college?

“I was on the executive board, so I had to deal with conflicts while being in a role of power. I learned a lot about how to manage work conflicts and pick my battles on things I am not pleased with.

Going through recruitment (both when I was rushing and when I was recruiting new members) helped me to communicate with many different people, which has helped me with school and job interviews as I feel comfortable speaking with others.”

In what ways do you feel like being in a sorority or fraternity boosted your resume?

“It helped to make my resume well rounded and separate me from others. Also, connections are great. I had a job at lululemon, and during the hiring process, I spoke with employers who were also alumni of the same sorority which helped to make me memorable. I can also demonstrate my multitasking as I was on the executive board, working, and taking classes – showing that I can succeed while working on multiple tasks.”

When asked what advice Emma would give someone who wants to or is about to enter a sorority or fraternity, her recommendation is to be yourself, because you want to attract people with similar hobbies and interests. Be open-minded as well and don’t take it too seriously. Emma also added that being in a sorority was a great decision for her and she met some lifelong friends through it, as well as came away with great, life-changing experiences. 

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Spotlight On Alpha Chi Omega

spotlight on alpha chi omega sorority

Alpha Chi Omega was founded in 1885 in Indiana when female students were in the beginnings of being allowed in college classrooms. Seven women came together to create an organization within their school of music, thus creating the 10th women’s fraternity in the country. 

The founders were Anna Allen Smith, Olive Burnett Clark, Bertha Deniston Cunningham, Amy DuBois Rieth, Nellie Gamble Childe, Bessie Grooms Keenan, and Estelle Leonard. Although they originally created the organization in their music school, it is not exclusive to music students today, and now serves more than 230,000 members nationwide, with chapters in foreign countries as well! 

Photo from http://www.alphachisu.org/history_foundingmembers.asp

Alpha Chi Omega’s individual philanthropies focus on the effects of domestic violence and the effects of it. They accomplish this through many hands-on activities and service projects. 

One of our past scholarship winners, Liz Hansen, is a part of Alpha Chi Omega. This is what she says about the organization: 

“What drove me to join my sorority was really and truly how amazing and supportive the women are in it. Regarding our philanthropy, it’s something I’m truly passionate about; I feel that my calling is to help others. Domestic violence and abuse are a lot more prevalent than people realize because it doesn’t need to be just physical. There’s a huge gap in education on the subject and teaching others, especially college students, about what a healthy relationship looks like is so important. The women we help at the shelter are in need of support and resources, and our donations of time and money are so impactful on them.”

Alpha Chi Omega’s motto is “Together, let us seek the heights.” They also live by the saying “Real. Strong. Women.” You can see more about this here: 

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The Reasons Behind the Substitute Teacher Shortage & How to Support Them

substitute teacher shortage and how to support substitute teachers

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on my internal conflict of becoming a substitute teacher this next school year because of the substitute teacher shortage. After a lot of debate and back and forth, I ultimately decided it wasn’t in the cards for me this year, but I will continue to always keep it in the back of my mind. 

But let’s talk about this substitute teacher shortage! Why is there such a lack of subs right now (and let’s be honest, always!) Here were a few reasons I could think of: 

Concerns about sickness, in general, and specifically during a pandemic. Schools are breeding grounds for germs! 

It doesn’t typically come with the benefit of guaranteed hours. 

Oftentimes, it doesn’t even come with benefits! 

A lack of knowledge that our schools need subs. 

The lack of childcare for parents to sub while they still have kids not school-aged yet. 

It’s sad that we are dealing with a shortage in an area that could be one of the most important. If a teacher cannot find a sub for their class, it could mean coming into the classroom to teach while incredibly sick, causing more spread of sickness. It could mean overcrowded classrooms while other teachers take on the responsibility of the class. Ultimately, it means scrambling to find a way to keep the kids occupied and safe while the teacher is out, instead of focusing on academics and social skills, like a classroom should be. 

Here are a few ways we can support substitute teachers, teachers, and schools in general: 

Keep our classrooms and schools as clean and germ-free as possible. 

Appreciate our subs! They do not make much money, typically, and do not have benefits from their job. 

Spread the word about our lack of substitute teachers that may need extra income or have time to step in and help sub. 

Offer childcare for those that have the time to sub, but maybe cannot find proper childcare. 

How do you support substitute teachers in your community? 

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Conclusion to The Child Whisperer

the child whisperer in education

This post is part of a series on The Child Whisperer and using it in the classroom. To see more, head here.

I’ve now written about all four Child Whisperer types and how to use them in the classroom. I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again, it truly can be incredibly helpful to learn more about your student’s personality types when you are spending so much time in a room together. It can ease frustrations and give you more clarity in some of their behaviors and actions. Whether you use enneagram, Myers-Briggs, The Child Whisperer, or another personality type test, it can give you a better idea of each of your students. 

Personally, I think The Child Whisperer is one of the easier personality types to use in the classroom setting, because it’s geared toward children, and there are only four types. It focuses on the energy of the child and how they utilize said energy. 

If you haven’t yet, check out all four types of The Child Whisperer on our blog and let us know if it’s helpful for you to use in your classroom! 

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How To Support Our Teachers This Year

supporting teachers

During the 2019-20 school year, all of our eyes were opened a little wider to the school system and how teachers are treated once the buildings shut down and parents were left to fend for their child’s education at home. 

Parents were singing praises to teachers all over the nation when they realized how much they needed educators in their daily lives. But not even one year later when the 2020-21 school year started up, those praises quickly turned into backlash in some areas, because schools would still be virtual. It seemed as if the world was in limbo fall of 2020 when the pandemic was still spreading, but everything was partially opening back up again with extra safety precautions. 

The struggle came when parents had to go back to work instead of working from home, but some schools were still virtual. They ran into problems where they needed to find someone to stay home with their kids in order for them to be watched over and attend virtual school, but they had to leave for work. Daycares were overrun and babysitters/ nannies were in high demand. 

It left us with one big question- Are schools viewed as a daycare for some parents? Is it somewhere moms and dads drop off their kids in the morning, leave for work, and then rely on the bus or the neighborhood carpool to bring them home? Were they that quick to forget how hard homeschooling was during the worldwide shutdown in the spring of 2020? 

So how do we as parents get through this 2021-22 school year and still show appreciation for our teachers instead of treating them as a daycare? 

  • Recognize the value in their work and voice this recognition to them.
  • Ask how you can support them as a teacher and if there are any supplies you can donate to their classrooms. 
  • Regularly check in to see if they need any supplies or help in their classroom throughout the entire year, not just at the beginning.
  • Volunteer in their classrooms if you have the time. 
  • Show appreciation to them throughout the entire year, not just during teacher appreciation week. 
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Rush Week Overview and Tips

rush week tips

If you’re planning on #GoingGreek this fall when school starts, it’s time to start researching Rush Week! This week will most likely look a little different at each school, but the overview is the same- a week where new recruits for Greek sororities and fraternities check out the different houses, meet the members of the organizations, learn about their philanthropies, and try to match up with which one they would like to be a part of for their college career. Here’s what a sample rush week could look like: 

Monday: Meet the members of the houses and get to know one another

Tuesday: Tours of the houses

Wednesday: Philanthropy night to learn more about each house’s philanthropy. 

Thursday: Preference day*

Saturday: Bid day

*Preference day is a day where each house looks at each potential pick of who they want in their house, and the guys and girls rushing also pick which houses they want to be a part of. If you end up matching, you’re invited to a preference night for the houses you match with. This doesn’t mean you’re in the sorority or fraternity yet! This is your “interview” of sorts. 

After preference day is bid day, the day the sororities and fraternities invite those they ended up choosing to join them. Each University and house will have a different number of people they take in, some schools have around a 95% rate of getting in if you rush, other schools can be lower and more competitive to get in. 

Tips for Rush Week

  • Ask a lot of questions. Usually you’re assigned a leader to help guide you through the week, ask the questions and become familiar with the houses and process! 
  • Try not to stress. There’s a lot of commotion and things to think or worry about. But it’s also great to live in the moment and take it all in. 
  • Research the houses before. It can be easier going into Rush Week with a knowledge of what your options are and what these houses mean and stand for. For example, research Alpha Chi Omega, what they stand for, what their philanthropy is, how they started, what their motto is, etc. This will help you decide if this house is right for you, even before rush week begins. 
  • Dress to impress! How you dress says a lot about who you are, this is why we dress up for job interviews. Look at rush week as one week-long job interview, so dress in a way you are comfortable and feel like you, but is also your nicer, more professional clothing. 
  • Keep your purse or bag stocked with essentials. Chapstick, mints, extra clothes, snacks, and maybe comfy shoes to change into. At some Universities, the houses won’t be all right next to each other, so consider the walking time and distance. High heels don’t make the best shoes to walk a few blocks in! 
  • When choosing your final houses on preference day, be honest with yourself. It can be so easy to fall into the trap that you need to be included in every house or that you would be completely fine getting into whichever house offers you their preference or bid. However, it’s best to be honest with yourself and really consider if choosing a specific house would be the right decision for you. 

Good luck with rush week this fall! We are rooting for you!