KDChi sis featured as A&M's Guest Columnist

Texas A&M University , By Adriana Mariscal

Updated: Monday, March 1, 2010

Kappa Delta Chi chapter president Adriana Marsical leads with commitment to community service and outreach.

College, for me, has been an experience unlike any other. Through my experiences as a student leader, I have grown wise beyond my years and adopted a new mantra, "Leading with Integrity, United through Service."

Being a college student is no easy task, and becoming a student leader on top of that makes things all the more hectic.

Since my initiation into Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc. in spring 2008, I have dedicated my efforts to further the principles I have come to know, love and apply to everything that I do. Unity, honesty, integrity and leadership have become an essential part of who I am.

A majority of the leadership development that I have encountered in my career at A&M has been through my membership in KDChi, a Latina-founded but multicultural service sorority. We have provided countless hours of community service through different forms of outreach and community involvement.

My dedication to outreach, community involvement and service is apparent through my involvement with different mentoring programs on campus. It is important to guide the youth of today toward a more promising future and I choose to serve as a peer mentor during these leadership development conferences for incoming freshmen and high school students.

But leadership doesn't come as easy as one would think. Others have doubted my ability to lead. It's understandable, since as a sophomore and one year member of the organization I was elected sorority president. Many wondered whether I was qualified or able to take on such huge role.

Halfway into my term, I've come to realize the sorority's well-being is most important to me, with everything else taking a back seat. Making hard decisions and tough calls are part of my job. Ultimately, it's about what is best for our sisterhood, not one individual - even me.

Greeks have had a bad reputation for as long as I can remember. The media focuses on issues such as drinking, hazing and a lack of morality. KDChi strives to work against those stereotypes and eliminate them by maintaining a strict code of ethics, highlighting the efforts we make in bettering our communities and our campus. It is definitely not easy leading an organization that has been set up for failure by those who do not understand what Greek Life is truly about, only choosing to see what the media portrays.

Leading a group of talented, intelligent, selfless and powerful young women whom I call sisters is definitely one of the biggest joys I get out of my leadership experience with KDChi. Serving the community and giving back to those who have given so much to me are the main reasons I decided Kappa Delta Chi would be the medium through which I would lead my campus and community towards a more promising future.

Voicing the opinions and suggestions of students with similar life experiences has been pivotal in my leadership development. I believe strongly that sharing our experiences with each other, however different they may be, will help alleviate the differences in perception that sometimes prevent us from seeing the bigger picture.

One of my favorite quotes about leadership is by John Maxwell. "A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position." I don't have a doubt in my mind that he speaks the truth, I am a strong believer that we all play a role in the lives of those whom are around us, title or not. We all lead and play a role in each other's lives, and then there are those who take that leadership to another level. I speak about those who make leadership a way of life, people who take roles and are ready to guide their communities towards a better tomorrow. These are the people who will pave the way for others and make the biggest difference in our society.

Five questions for Adriana:

1 What do you love most about being an Aggie? What I love most about being an Aggie is the traditions. From Midnight Yell to Big Event and Muster, tradition makes our school one of a kind. Most importantly, traditions instill leadership, unity and servitude within all Aggies. The Spirit of Aggieland is defined by experiencing these traditions.

2 If you had three hours of free time, what would you do with it? I would most definitely play basketball and then hang out and relax with my KDChi sisters.

3 When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wasn't fixed on one occupation, but three. I often switched between wanting to be a teacher, an astronaut and a marine biologist.

4 What are your goals for after graduation? I plan on attending graduate school in genetic engineering, followed by a doctorate in genetics or a related field. I hope to work in research that might lead to advancements with genetic disorders such as autism and Down syndrome.

5 What is your favorite memory made at Aggieland so far? My best memories made in Aggieland so far have been random moments spent with my sisters. From pond hopping with seniors to dragging one of my class sisters around campus to win a scavenger hunt, the best times have been those that are spontaneous and spent with the ones I love.

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Alpha Kappa sisters stand out at UW-Madison

KDChi, Alpha Kappa Chapter sisters recognized as Meyerhoff Fellows on UW-Madison campus

Meyerhoff fellowship to share Wisconsin Experience

March 16, 2010 (Madison, Wisconsin)

All Meyerhoff Excellence Award-winning juniors and seniors are now eligible to apply for the new Meyerhoff Wisconsin Experience Fellowship.

Excellence award recipients are recognized for demonstrating academic excellence in tandem with leadership and activism, global and cultural engagement and the application of knowledge to the real world.

The new fellowship will honor two members of this distinguished group with an additional cash prize of $1,000 (for a total of $2,000) and the opportunity to share their Wisconsin Experience with fellow undergraduates.

The accomplishments of recent Meyerhoff Undergraduate Excellence awards alumni inspired Aaron Brower, Mary Rouse and Harvey Meyerhoff to establish this fellowship. These alumni include Sharunda Chairse, Erika Lopez, Jeffery A. Wright and Quilen Blackwell. A Posse Scholar, Chairse earned her Afro-American studies degree with honors and served as a volunteer with Madison’s Neighborhood House Community Center, where she tutored youth and helped found a parents’ board. Chairse also volunteered with CASPER/Safe Haven Program where she worked with girls living in local homeless shelters. She received a Fulbright grant to study youth empowerment programs in Ethiopia and plans to one day start her own nonprofit.

As a freshman, Lopez was one of 10 women to charter a chapter of Kappa Delta Chi, a service sorority, on the UW-Madison campus. She served as fundraising chair and president of the organization, and her leadership was recognized with an Outstanding Student Leader of the Year Award from the Student Organizations Office, the Established Leader of the Year Award from the Multicultural Student Center and the Outstanding Chapter President Award. Lopez has since served as an award-winning teacher with Teach For America in Chicago and is currently applying to law school.

“Being recognized as a Meyerhoff recipient was an honor because it recognized my hard work in different areas of my undergraduate career,” Lopez says. “My academic studies and research in economics and political science did not always overlap with my passion and commitment to social justice and community service, but the Meyerhoff award recognized my high academic achievements while also recognizing my contributions to the campus and surrounding community.”

Wright was a model leader within Associated Students of Madison. He consistently sought high levels of responsibility within the organization and made significant contributions to institutional change and the development of other student leaders. Wright served as the chair of the Shared Governance Committee, where he worked to protect student rights and develop student leaders. Wright is currently working in Washington, D.C.

Quilen has been described as having been one of the most engaged, innovative and visible student leaders on campus. He is best known as the founder of People Opposing Prejudice (POP), a student organization that strives to increase understanding among different racial and ethnic communities. Quilen has recently served in the Peace Corps.

Each of these recipients kept strong academic records while continuing to volunteer their time and efforts to beneficial causes in the UW-Madison community. Through speaking engagements and print articles, which may include speeches at freshman convocation and school and college venues, and in feature articles in the campus and student newspapers, the new fellows will encourage underclassmen to make the most of their own Wisconsin Experience.

The Meyerhoff Wisconsin Experience Fellowship application is due late March. For more details and information on how to apply, visit http://www.provost.wisc.edu/uaa/awards/meyerhoffExperience.html

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KDChi, Theta Alum Named Role Model of the Week

KDChi, Theta Alum Cindy Vasquez is Great Minds in STEM Role Model of the Week. STEM is a national organization dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

Cindy Vasquez
Global Trading System – System Administrator
Chevron

March 16th (Houston, TX) Cindy was born and raised in California to Salvadoran immigrant parents. Throughout their struggle to provide a better life for their three children, Cindy’s parents remained vigilant in stressing the importance of education and in remaining true to their culture. As the youngest of three children they held Cindy to a strict and high standard while constantly ensuring that she had the resources and tools she needed to succeed. Throughout Cindy’s primary education she worked hard and was dedicated to her studies. It was here that she was first recognized for her good grades and her perseverance which earned her the President’s Award for Educational Excellence. During these years Cindy was also introduced to computers and technology which would influence her in making key decisions later in life. The exposure Cindy received at this early age motivated her to learn as much as she could about computers. In addition in an effort to support their daughter’s interest, Cindy’s parent’s encouraged her development by giving her a personal computer. Although it was a sacrifice for them they believed Cindy would benefit from this in the future.

In her secondary education, Cindy continued to excel and spent time exploring other interests as well as expanding her knowledge in technology by taking additional computer courses. While in high school Cindy actively participated in after school activities and continued to challenge herself by taking a number of honors classes. She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society and the varsity soccer team. She successfully graduated with a 4.11 GPA within the top 10% of her class.

As she entered undergraduate studies, Cindy was focused and determined to enter the information technology industry. After reviewing various degrees she chose to attend the College of Technology at the University of Houston to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Technology. While in school Cindy worked part time to pay expenses not covered by grants. Although her full time school load and work occupied the majority of her time, she decided to join an on-campus organization called Kappa Delta Chi. Kappa Delta Chi’s purpose is to promote the values of Unity, Honesty, Integrity and Leadership dedicated to community service to their local university with an emphasis on the Hispanic/Latino population. In her four years of college Cindy made the Dean’s list multiple times and graduated in May 2003 with a GPA in her major of 3.50.

After graduation she joined a small software company that offered application solutions to wellness and fitness centers. In an effort to continue to expand her knowledge and increase her experience, Cindy accepted a Database Administrator position with KBR. While at KBR Cindy began her graduate studies at the University of Denver to pursue a Masters of Applied Science in Technology Management with an emphasis in Project Management.

While in graduate school, Cindy began to learn from friends and family members about the opportunities Chevron had to offer. In 2007 Cindy joined the Chevron team working in Global Downstream IT. She was hired as a System Administrator dedicated to support the North America Trading System, Right Angle. This application handles $14 billion in business each month for CSAT, PSAT, and LSAT business units (Crude, Refined Products, & Liquefied Natural Gases). The system is a mission critical application that operates 24x7.

Cindy is currently the System Administrator of Global Trading System. In this capacity she is responsible for the administration activities in support of multiple environments used within Global Supply and Trading such as Solarc’s RightAngle Trade Management System, Transportation’s Rail systems, and the Security Access Request Tool (SART). Cindy manages over 98 production and test environments. She controls software versions across systems, software requirements with the vendor, and coordinates the usage and licensing of necessary software with Chevron licensing. Cindy conducts system performance monitoring activities and any necessary root-cause analysis to resolve issues which requires coordination skills with multiple groups such as vendors, network, storage, and application server design teams.

Shortly after joining Chevron, Cindy sought to secure an internal mentoring relationship to help advance her career and develop her leadership skills. With the guidance and advice from her mentor, Cindy was able to formulate her career roadmap strategy. The milestones established included earning a project management certificate, as well as having the opportunity to work part-time in the capacity of a project manager role. Due to her steadfast determination to succeed, within her short time span with Chevron, Cindy has advanced from being an individual contributor learning her job to training new team members.

As a Chevron employee Cindy continues to give back to the community by actively participating in various company sponsored events such Dress for Success, Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, and AIDS Walk Houston. As an alumnus of Kappa Delta Chi she mentors and strives to serve as a positive role model to current members. Furthermore, through the organization she also remains involved in helping the Hispanic community. Cindy is dedicated to helping others through community service or as role model to help others succeed. She has worked hard to achieve what she has in her education, career, and in the community and is now devoted to guiding others to do the same.

With her passion and dedication to succeed Cindy’s career with Chevron is bound to lead to many more exciting growth opportunities!

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