I recently had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing Maddie Himpelmann, a senior and President of the Delta Chi Theta sorority on Augustana’s campus. I was able to interview Maddie in the comfort of the Oasis room underneath the CSL, coincidentally at the same time of the essential oil party she conjured up as a relaxation and study session for members of the sorority.
What are you involved in on campus?
The only thing I am in involved in on campus is Delta Chi. I work outside of campus at a nursing home and I have accumulated over 3,000 hours, so even though I am only in one thing on campus, I am very busy still with work.
What are you currently passionate about?
Currently, I’m passionate about my SI and how it could help our society in the future. I am doing it on microbes and how infants develop their gut microbiome. I’m really passionate about that because if we can figure out how microbes help us to be healthier, then a lot of people will have a good gut microbiome for their futures. It’s kinda nerdy but hopefully, it can help people one day.
What empowers you as a woman?
The ability to stand up for yourself and the greater community of women, and when you’re a woman you can understand the connotations of that…the fact that I can be a woman and know what I’m talking about, and stand up for my fellow sisters is important. I think it’s something that a man can’t do. The ability to have a choice of whether I stand up for myself or not empowers me.
Who has influenced you most here at Augie?
The people that have influenced me the most are the upperclassmen in Greek Life, more specifically the ones in my sorority. You see their growth and development, especially when you’re a freshman, and you strive to be like them. Especially the girls that are in your specific major; I definitely looked up to them and what they did to get to where they are now. It’s really inspirational to look them up on some form of social media and see where they are, and I hope that I am that same inspiration for the girls below me.
Any advice for the freshmen going through rush?
My advice is to ask questions and know what you’re looking for. Not what group you’re looking for, but more importantly the qualities you might look for in a friend. Try to find those with no bias!
What is your mantra?
Have no shame.
What mark do you want to leave on the world?
If I’m thinking about my career, I want to be remembered as a physician assistant who cared, who was passionate and always put their patients first. As a person, I want to be someone people look up to, and someone who has good morals and spreads that amongst the people I meet.