“What doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger”

Christine Ruiz believes that in order to achieve great success you have to rely on other people for support and talk to others about problems you are facing. She understands that you do not get through life by going at it alone; you have to have a support structure in place so that you can take on the world.

Christine Ruiz joined KDChi in the spring of 2006. She is a proud sister from the Lambda Chapter at Arizona State University. In February 2009, Christine was awarded the Sorority Member of the Year Award from Arizona State University’s Greek Life. “I did not expect to win this award especially because minority Greeks are not really known on campus. We are known amongst other minority Greeks but it’s harder for Greek Life and the other traditional organizations to understand and know that we exist,” said Christine. She currently serves as the Lambda Chapter President, which she has held since Fall 2008. “The organization means so much to me and to know that other people see that in me, not just my sisters, I am truly honored.” Christine was recently nominated by Kappa Delta Chi as a nominee for the Latino Greek Awards given by the National Association of Fraternal Organizations in the category of Undergraduate Excellence. This is in recognition of an undergraduate member who has demonstrated excellence in academic achievement, leadership excellence, community service and commitment to the Latino Greek Community.

Christine will graduate in May 2009 with a degree in Communications and a minor in Sociology. She is graduating with Honors, Cum Laude in which she attributes this accomplishment to KDChi. “I am grateful because what I have mostly gained from KDChi that I cherish is academic success. My first semester I got a 2.5 GPA and because of KDChi every semester after that I have received 3.0 semester GPA’s or better,” she says. Christine would like to intern with an advertising or marketing company before heading to graduate school in Texas.

Some advice Christine gives to other chapters who wish to excel on their campus, she says, “ I believe that it all has to do with your relationship with your sisters and the motivation that your sisters have. If you have sisters that are willing to work hard and build a successful chapter, then don’t shut them down. Help them grow and help the chapter grow by striving to do bigger and better things.” She says you should not always rely on “in the past it’s been done like this” because the future allows for change to occur. When she became president she made it a part of her duty to make sure that the executive board was successful and sought out help for the chapter through advisors. Their main advisor that assists them is fellow sister and ASU Alumna, Stacey Flores. Through Stacey’s advising and guidance Christine was able to succeed and help the chapter grow and maintain positive relations with other organizations. Her sisters would say that she is not the easiest person to get along with in a business setting because she is really hard on them and demands that they devote time to the organization. However, with that determination influencing them, they have been able to grow as KDChi sisters and in their potential to complete and organize events/tasks successfully.

Aside from studying, community service and leading her chapter, Christine loves to stroll and loves to be in stroll competitions. She also enjoys networking on Facebook and meeting new sisters. She requests all sisters on Facebook, so if you have not accepted her friend request, please do so. Christine loves to travel and scuba dive and will be traveling to Tahiti in July as a graduation gift from her parents. She is from Queens, NY and she is part Puerto Rican, her favorite place she has traveled to is Puerto Rico where the majority of her family still lives. She would love to one day visit Egypt and Jerusalem.

Christine is just another example of KDCh’s making their mark on their campuses and communities. Christine could not have done it all by herself, she has accomplished her goals with the help of her family and KDChi sisters.