VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
Epsilon Alumni Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 2006
Supporting your chapter Dear Epsilon Alumni, Inside This Issue So many can attribute wonderful times to the Epsilon chapter 1 In touch and the experiences we had at Utah State University. 1 Xi Kappa GAP Chapter The chapter continues on with struggles and triumphs, still facing similar battles, and still achieving wonderful success. 2 National News An excellent way to help the chapter now, no matter what your 3 Alumni Spotlight distance from the actually chapter location is to make in kind 4 Birthdays and Anniversaries donations. 4 Upcoming Events As many know, the chapter continually needs funds to support scholarship, recruitment, and the annual step show. If you are wiling to make any amount in the way of a donation please send checks payable to: Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc Epsilon Chapter. USU Box 1502 Logan UT 84322-1502
We will feature you as a donor in upcoming newsletters.
XI Kappa Alumni Chapter News
President: Edith Rodriguez Have you joined the V.P: Jennifer Indo Epsilon Alumni Treasure: Allison Van Vooren yahoogroup? Service Chair: Allison Van Vooren If not, do it today and Dean of Intake: Stacy Santos stay in touch! Secretary: Nakita Swanigan.
This year we want to do a reach out to our Undergrad Chapters. We hope to have a retreat in September for Epsilon and Iota. We hope that the Undergrad Chapters will utilize our help.
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National News
Dear Epsilon Alumnae, Hello! I hope that all of you are doing well. Mandy Donavan let me know about your chapter alumnae newsletter and I am really glad that you are all keeping in touch. I love to hear updates from all of our sisters including those of you which I have the privilege of knowing personally. I recently was thinking back over all our past conventions including our 2000 Convention – Spreading Our Wings. That “ I would like to convention was our first one to reach chapters beyond North Carolina challenge you to keep and was the first time many of our North Carolina sisters met anyone from a Utah chapter. It was probably a little overwhelming for Michelle, that involvement and Mandy and Sharon, but we were thrilled to meet Epsilon sisters for the influence going first time. That convention T-shirt (the first “official” convention shirt) through Graduate, had a map of the United States with Utah and North Carolina colored in Alumnae, and Theta Nu Xi colors and was supposed to represent the first reaching Professional chapters out of Theta Nu Xi past North Carolina on a national level. The point of my reminiscing is to mention that Epsilon has had a history of being or through your important and influential to Theta Nu Xi on a national level. Your individual activities.” members have been involved in committees, have been National Board members, and have been influential in legislation and policies that the sorority created in our early days. I would like to challenge you to keep that involvement and influence going through Graduate, Alumnae, and Professional chapters or through your individual activities. It is important that the sorority keep active dedicated sisters involved as advisors, committee members, intake or colonizing team members, National Board members, etc. Just as we all know of the value of diversity in the real world, having diversity in our memberships involvement is important. The experience and perspective that you can offer the organization, sisters, and local chapters is very valuable and hopefully will be rewarding to you in return. Although I had a great undergraduate experience and am very proud of everything that my chapter achieved while I was there, I have had a second great experience as a GAP and National Board member. I have met a lot of sisters from all over the US and have continued to have a very rewarding experience as a member of Theta Nu Xi that wouldn’t have been nearly as complete if it was only an undergraduate activity. I hope that you all will choose to continue to be active in the sorority as time goes by. If the Board or I can ever be of help to you or if you have ideas, questions, or concerns about anything, please let me know. My phone is always on and my email box is always open! Hope to see some of you at convention or sometime soon!
ONE Love,
Jerri Kallam Theta Nu Xi National President
EPSILON ALUMNI NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: MICHELLE BAEZA Michelle (Menninger) Baeza is an Epsilon Chapter Founder, catch up with her now and she explains what she is up to:
“After being very involved with Theta Nu Xi in Utah, I decided to take a break from it when I moved to Flagstaff, Arizona to complete my studies in Asian Studies, and then graduated in December of 2002. I met my husband, Jose, playing pool one night with some friends at a local bar called Charly's (still my favorite place here). We moved to Reno with his job in Sept of 2003 and I worked at the University of Nevada, Reno as a Program Coordinator/Admin Asst. In Sept 15, 2005 I gave birth to our son, Elijah Gabriel Baeza and we moved back to Flagstaff for Jose to finish school and hopefully get onto the Border Patrol. I am a stay-at-home mom and LOVE IT! I didn't think that I'd be good at staying home, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My favorite part about it is watching my son learn every little thing in life that we take for granted (putting food in his mouth by himself, climbing the stairs, crawling, walking in his walker, etc..) I love watching him get excited and laugh, watching him learn to swim, and everything that comes with being his mother! We are hoping to move after
Jose gets accepted into a program and start our lives in a new Michelle and her family home, a new town, etc....I will continue being a mom and my plan is to study for my masters while I am home. (Perhaps we will try for another little Baeza soon after). And after that....well, we shall see :) What I see of my future right now is feeding Elijah his oatmeal for dinner and giving him a bath :)
Enjoy your life, it goes by so fast. Especially when you have children and your dreams and goals change to fit your childs....so choose your battles well, make loyal friends, tell your family you love them everyday, and always stop to smell the roses!!! “
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Birthdays and Anniversaries
Upcoming Events
Homecoming Parade Sat October 7 10:00 am
Homecoming Alumni Tailgate Party Sat October 7 2:00 pm
Homecoming Game Sat October 7 6:00 pm
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2
Epsilon Alumni Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2006
Alumni: Alive and well
Inside This Issue Time and distance have been our greatest challenges in keeping alumni 1 Alumni: Alive and well involved with each other for professional and social gain, as well as with the 1 Xi Kappa GAP Chapter current chapter and supporting their needs. Through the incredible benefits of modern technology and online 2 National News communication, we have begun to shorten the distance we all fill as alumni 2 Epsilon chapter News and taking our separate courses in life.
3 Alumni Spotlight However, this communication seems to fail when you speak face to face 4 Birthdays and Anniversaries with alumni who truly long for that personal connection we once felt as face to face chapter members. 4 Upcoming Events It is the hope that with this newsletter, email, cell phones, etc that we will all begin to engage ourselves, even in the slightest with one another and with our former chapter.
As alumni, we know the importance of outside support and how a small chapter struggles, be involved, let them know you care.
As for your fellow alumni, please stay in touch. Everyone wants to hear from you!
Xi Kappa Alumni Chapter News
Xi Kappa wants to encourage the alumni of the Epsilon chapter to ΘΝΞ consider joining this GAP chapter. For further information, contact Edith Rodriguez [email protected]
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National News
No news this month, check back in November!
Epsilon Chapter News
The Epsilon chapter is making great strides in living up to the tenets of Theta Nu Xi. The chapter has selected a local philanthropy, The Child and Family Support Center that they all volunteer at together once a week.
EPSILON ALUMNI NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SANDY DURTSCHI
After graduation I stopped participating in the Epsilon chapter and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. In Salt Lake City I worked as a research associate at EmerGen, a human genomics company, and served as chapter advisor for the Iota chapter. I moved back to Logan to pursue a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and worked at Utah State University as a research technician in a molecular genetics lab. While in Logan I participated in the Xi Eta G.A.P. chapter and the Arizona State University Colonizing Team as Colonizing Team Leader a.k.a. Dean of Intake. While attending school I learned web design and volunteered to create the Epsilon, Xi Eta, and Tau chapter websites.
In 2004 I decided to take a break from the sorority and from school. During my hiatus I started dating my husband Mike. Mike and I have known each other since grade school but were reacquainted during the previous summer. In the fall we started hanging out, then dating and next thing I knew Mike proposed to me. It was wonderful. I joined the LDS church April 9, 2005. Mike and I were married on August 6, 2005. I finished my M.S. the following summer and Mike is still pursuing his degree in civil engineering
I currently work at Utah State University as an Instructional Designer/Developer creating online courses. I do web design as a side job for va r ious businesses. I am learning foot zone therapy and plan to be licensed next year. With my free time I am pursuing a new hobby which is designing healing jewelry. I love being a wife and enjoy snowboarding, hiking, camping and biking with Mike. My future aspirations are getting sealed to Mike in the Logan temple, starting a family and buying a home.
Don’t dwell in the past or live in the future just enjoy where you are now and appreciate the people you love and the opportunities you have in life because they may not be here tomorrow. Never underestimate the power of prayer. You are capable of doing anything you put your mind to. Gratitude is one of the many keys to a happy life.
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Birthdays and Anniversaries
November 11 Mina Nau
November 17 Martine Celestin
Upcoming Events
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 3
Epsilon Alumni Newsletter
DECEMBER 2006
A message from the President Dear Epsilon Alumnae, Hello! I hope that all of you are doing well and looking forward to a great holiday season. In this letter I am writing to formally ask you to consider giving your help to your local chapters. Although Utah has been a key stepping stone in the history of Theta Nu Xi, unfortunately many of our Epsilon and Iota alumnae are not active. Out of 49 members who have joined out of a Utah chapter, approximately 34 are still living in the state. However out of this number, there are only 13 active sisters, 8 of who are undergraduate members. We currently have only 5 active alumnae sisters living in Utah. I know that many of you have lots of demands on your time – including families, children, and jobs. However, the chapters in Utah really need your support. The Iota chapter is facing a crisis in recruiting members and there is a real chance that if they are not successful in recruiting members this year that they will go dormant. I believe that it would be a shame if we had such an available resource of sisters and did not use them effectively to help stabilize the chapter. I hope that you will remember that when you joined Theta Nu Xi that each of you were making a commitment to each other and to the organization that did not end when you graduated. Just a few hours of your time could make a significant difference to our chapters, who are in need of manpower and visibility on their campus. I challenge you to support each other and each others activities and re- Congratulations to develop the strength that Utah has historically had in our organization. If you are willing to assist with any activities please contact myself at Telenia and her [email protected] or 336-558-4492 or Amanda Tomchak family on the birth of at [email protected] or 801-864-9791. her second son on December 1, 2006! ΘΝΞ Love,
Jerri Kallam Theta Nu Xi National President
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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: SHARON PEWTRESS
As many sisters do, after graduating from Utah State in December 2002, I took a break from Theta Nu Xi. The following summer, Ian and I moved to Medford, Oregon where I began working as an Admissions Counselor for Minority Outreach at Southern Oregon University while attending graduate school full-time. During my 2nd year two experiences evolved into life-changing opportunities – 1) research for AHEC-SW and HCASO provided invaluable experiences that prepared me for future career advancements; Kauai, HI (Nov. 2006) and 2) I became the Iota Chapter Advisor – not only was I thrilled to reconnect with sisters and start Xi Kappa, but as part of GAP standards I began working with other YPs in the valley to form the Young Professionals Network. In the Spring of 2005, I received my Masters in Management from SOU. Soon after, I joined the Pacific Retirement Services team and have spent the past year immersed in my AIT, simultaneously serving as the Xi Kappa Chapter President. After board interviews and exams I received my NHA license and was immediately promoted to work directly with our President/CEO assisting with new projects, research, in addition to providing operational management and support to staff, board members, and our affiliates.
During this time, I realized how fortunate I am to have Ian in my life. The past 5 years have flown by and since the day we met, he has brought out the best in me, kept me balanced, and has supported me in my pursuit to reach both personal and professional goals. He has taught me that in order to have strong sense of self, I need to remember to take time for me. Whether traveling, learning to golf and fish, or trying something new…what I enjoy most is the time he and I spend together, enjoying each other’s company. I have been fortunate to have had many experiences that turned into positive opportunities over the years. Halloween 2006 Therefore, based on the outcome of few aforementioned, my advice is to not see things for what they are, but for the opportunities they can create. With the mindset that each experience is preparation for the future – it will be the tough challenges, the great risks, and your success in these tasks that will set you apart and provide the greatest rewards. So, when someone hands you one of these little gems, don’t be afraid to take it! Robin & Micah’s wedding (July 2005)
EPSILON ALUMNI NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
Birthdays and Anniversaries
22 Noemi Rubio 21 Viridiana Garcia 24 Norma Martinez 28 Stacy Hata
Happy Anniversary!!
December 6, 2003 Telenia & Uilisoni Angilau Michelle & Jose Baeza
Upcoming Events
23 April Yap and Andreas Hennig Wedding California