KDChi, Sigma Alumnae This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ' art work will be featured at the Main St., Fort Worth Arts Festival, April 8-11th 2010. We wish her the best on her showing.

Category: Emerging Artist Booth: 356

When I started learning about photography in high school, I took photographs on a whim. I only used automatic settings and photographed anything and everything around campus for the yearbook staff. I fell in love with the darkroom but struggled with muddy prints from underexposed negatives. I finally understood camera settings and proper exposure when I started taking photography classes in college. I slowly became more confident shooting on manual settings and focusing more on composition and concepts in my work. Most of my black-and-white images are class assignments printed on Ilford fiber-based paper that I developed and printed in the art school darkroom. My color images were taken with the small Nikon P5000 or Canon Rebel XSi. I have been fortunate to travel throughout the U.S., Mexico, and around Western Europe. My best work has come from spontaneous shooting with the least amount of preparation. The blue bottles in Santa Fe, or the reflecting bridge in Dublin took little effort as opposed to the premeditated decisions made for work with film. I learned it best from two of my favorite photographers that we do not need to take multiple shots of one thing. Especially with film, if I do not have it the first time, then I was probably not meant to have it.

KDChi, Beta Chapter Senior meets opportunities through choice not circumstance

Enriqueta “Katie” Perez doesn’t let anything stand in her way. Whether it’s selling tacos at school to pay for a class trip to Europe or teaching English to children in China to fund study abroad, she’s tackled every obstacle that attempted to slow her down.

Growing up in a low-income household and attending a school with a high-dropout rate, the senior political science and English double major admits that the road to Texas A&M University hasn’t been easy. And despite being a first-generation college student, Perez hasn’t let her past dictate her future.

“For me, college was like a walk in the dark because I didn’t know which direction to take,” says Perez. “I’m just making my own path and taking advantage of the opportunities that I’ve had.”

Scholarship program guides first-generation students

For Perez, coming from an inner-city high school in San Antonio, the main question she faced upon going to college was how to survive college when no one in her family has gone before her. It was hard coming to college and looking for support from my family because they’ve never been in my shoes, so they couldn’t understand the emotions that I going through at the time,” said Perez. fter being accepted into the Regent’s Scholarship Program, which assists first-generation students in their academic goals, Perez soon realized that she was not alone. As a Regent’s Scholar, not only has the scholarship helped tremendously, but the mentoring and support network they provided helped me realize that most of us come from the same backgrounds,” said Perez.
Perez on a study abroad trip to China.

Looking towards a future combating global issues

Perez’s disposition towards advocacy reflects her future career aspirations. Inspired by a graduation trip to Europe, Perez found that she could combine her life-long dream of becoming an attorney with her interest in global issues. What excites her most about law is reading about court cases and the many different ways to interpret court documents. With her recent induction into the 2010 class of the Academy for Future International Leaders, Perez has the chance to further learn about international relations from the program’s mentors and guest speakers. hen it came to choosing a language to satisfy a degree requirement, Perez chose Mandarin Chinese because of her love of Chinese culture. She admits that what attracted her to the culture was the ideal of genuine relationships that the Chinese form between each other and that they extend towards foreigners.

She’s only been learning the language for the past two years, but during her study abroad trip to China last year she discovered that she didn’t need to be fluent to earn an internship at the Qingdao Museum. As part of the Chinese Language Immersion Program at the museum, she taught Chinese children and their parents English and a few American customs, such as holidays. I was really nervous at first because with Chinese, if I get the tone wrong, I could be saying something completely different,” said Perez. Through teaching, Perez says that she gained a greater appreciation for the language and an awareness of global culture and communication. (In the photo to the right, Perez sitting on the Great Wall of China.)

Appreciating the past while focusing on what’s ahead

With plans to attend law school in the near-future, and graduation just around the corner, Perez has taken the time to reflect on her college experience. One of her favorite classes has given her the chance to do just that.
“Creative writing has helped me put my life into perspective,” said Perez. “My experiences have given me great material to write about because no one else has lived them.” Perez hopes to use these experiences to show others that nothing is impossible.

Katie is a sister of Kappa Delta Chi's, Beta Chapter at Texas A&M University. She's set to graduate in May 2010.

Article posted as courtesy of Texas A&M, College of Liberal Arts.

Full Article available here. Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 979.862.4879

The KDChi Newsletter: The Emerald, Spring 2010 Edition is now available!

It was e-mailed out however and we want to be sure you've seen it! 

If you have not received it (alumnae should get it individually, while undergrads are supposed to be forewarded the e-mail by the chapter e-mail coordinator), please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it me with your name, chapter, and e-mail address and I'll make sure you're updated with what's going on with your sisterhood around the world!

Leading with Integrity, United through Service.

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Vice President of Public Affairs
Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc.

KDChi Pi Chapter Alum shares what she saw and heard when a man, angry at the government, flew a small commuter plane into an IRS building.

Lyric Olivarez works in Echelon 4 and on Thursday Feb. 18th she heard something that "sounded like an explosion but felt like an earthquake." Listen to her interview on KXAN, an NBC Affiliate in Austin, TX. The footage and her interview also ran on CNN throughout the day.

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KDChi mourns the loss of sister Carolina Santander-Enegren

For Immediate Release: Feb 12, 2010 

Contact:Gina Garcia, VP of Public Affairs         
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It is with a heavy heart that we share the following news regarding the loss of our Kappa Delta Chi Sorority sister, Carolina Santander-Enegren.
 
Carolina Santander-Enegren, (affectionately known as Cari) loving mother to Phillip Antonio (PJ) 4yrs old & Nicholas (Nico) 2yrs old, loving wife to Paul Enegren, the only daughter and youngest of 4 children to Mr. and Mrs. Santander was called home to the Lord on Wednesday February 9, 2010 at Wesley hospital in Wichita, Kansas.

Paul and Cari's two sons were diagnosed with H1N1 in October 2009. Paul and the boys had the virus for about a week and recuperated, while Cari fought for four months in the hospital before succumbing to the illness. Her husband Paul shared the following: "She is the strongest person I know. She had a heart of gold and was always thinking of others.  She was a beautiful wife and mother to our two boys. Please pray for Carolina and our two sons."

Carolina and Paul met as students attending Northwest High School. Their relationship continued long distance when he went to Arizona for college while she went to Wichita State University. Carolina was a charter sister of Kappa Delta Chi's, Alpha-Alpha chapter and graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Minor in Art. Cari and Paul married in 2004 in what seemed like "a fairy-tale dream," according to Paul. When their children were born, Carolina decided to stay home with them. She'd returned to school a year ago, to work on an art degree to go along with her degree in biology. "She was an accomplished artist," Paul said, "and at one point wanted to be a medical illustrator."

Cari's KDChi charter sister Delia Garcia shared the following "She was the best friend you could have and was someone who lit up the room with her smile and positive energy. We were lucky to have known her and called her sister." Another KDChi sister Haydee Serna shared the following about Cari, "she had a gift of making everything beautiful, anything she created or planned was made with so much thought and detail. Her warm personality shined through with her smile and jokes, she always made you feel comfortable and at ease. She was a part of making so many of my KDChi memories from our chartering days, graduation, to her beautiful wedding and the birth of her two children. She is a dearly loved sister." Across the nation, sisters shared their heartfelt condolences on Paul's and sister facebook pages. "Whether or not you knew Cari on a personal level, the loss of a sister is always difficult and can affect us in ways we cannot imagine. If anyone needs support, please reach out to one another," shared KDChi President Akisha Hernandez.

Carolina was born on March 29, 1978 in Chuquicamata, Chile. She will be inducted into the Omega chapter this summer at Kappa Delta Chi's National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Family Viewing is Monday Feb 15th 6p-8p at
Downey Lahey West
10515 W. Maple
Wichita, Ks 67209
316.773.4553

Funeral will be Tuesday Feb 16th @1p at
First United Methodist Church
330 North Broadway Street
Wichita, KS 67202-2308
(316) 267-6244

Condolences can be sent to
Paul Enegren
2325 Dogwood Ln.
Wichita, KS 67204-5510