Name: Sarah Stimpert
Major: Early Childhood Education
Celeb Status: President of Kappa Delta Sorority
How does life for a girl who is the president of Kappa Delta, member of the Miami club field hockey team, and member of the family weekend board for Campus Activities Counsel get any better? Newly engaged campus celeb, Sarah Stimpert, shares her secrets.
HC: What are your plans for after graduation?
SS: I will be getting married when I graduate in June of 2013. My fiancé is in the Navy so I will be following him wherever he gets stationed after he graduates. Hopefully I will find a teaching job, that’s what I really want. If I don’t get to teach, I think I will go crazy. If possible, I would love to look into teaching for the Department of Defense.
HC: What are some of your experiences before presidency of Kappa Delta?
SS: Before being president, I was pretty involved with other things on campus. I used to be involved with Student Ambassadors, but I am currently in my Lit block for my major, so that is very time consuming. I was also the Panhellenic Delegate for Kappa Delta last year, so this is my second year on Exec. It was really fun, but definitely less of a time commitment than being president. Other than that, I just enjoy hanging out with my friends. I live in a house with four other Kappa Deltas and one Zeta, so that is really exciting.
HC: How are you planning on staying involved with Kappa Delta while student teaching?
SS: I think it will be hard, but I definitely want to stay involved. Maria (the most recent outgoing president) has really been there for me as I have transitioned. I want to make sure that whomever is the new president has a good transition, but I want to do as much as possible. I think it would be hard after putting so much time and effort into it to not be involved.
HC: In your opinion, what are some of the challenges that come with being president?
SS: I think one of the hardest things is just balancing what you personally think is best and what is best for the chapter. That can be applied to many aspects. Sometimes I find myself making a quick judgment just to get a decision made when perhaps I should have consulted the chapter. Also, there has to be a balance between being a friend and popularity. Otherwise, there has been a ton of emails and I am starting to realize that people really don’t thoroughly read my emails and they end up coming to me with issues directed for other people.
HC: What are some of the best parts of your job as president?
SS: I recently went to a Greek retreat with all of the campus presidents, IFC, Panhellenic, and NPHC, and I really got a better appreciation for being a part of the Greek community as a whole. It really gave me a deeper meaning for my purpose for being president. I already knew I was put in this position to make Kappa Delta better and lead our members in the right direction. A second and equally important purpose is to make the Greek community better and one small piece to that is Kappa Delta and everything we do to support other chapters.
HC: What is some advice that you can give to someone about how to make her sorority experience better?
SS: Being in a sorority is all about how much effort you put into it. Some girls are the ones who just go to the socials or just go to the philanthropies, but I really think that girls should try out everything the sorority has to offer. If you do that, I think that you will learn a lot about yourself and can grow as a person because you are putting yourself out there and trying new things. Also, a leadership position of any kind in the sorority, big or small, really gives people more of a purpose in the sorority and they can understand how it’s run.
HC: What is your best memory from being in Kappa Delta?
SS: One of my great, sappy memories was when Maria and I transitioned at chapter. It was very emotional because it had a lot to do with Maria giving her life to Kappa Delta and she was passing the torch. It’s like a weight lifted off of you and it’s such a big life-changer. I was so emotional because I felt like I was stepping into such big shoes, and I still think that, but now that I’ve got the job down, I’m more confident. Seeing how much she enjoyed being president gave me more motivation to be the best I could and to not let anyone down, especially Maria. Another favorite moment was moving into a house with four of my sisters and to see how closely all of us have bonded. We’re all in the same sorority for a reason.