Walking through the massive, brick mansion of the Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at the University of Colorado Boulder, visitors might not expect the house to be inhabited by roughly 80 women. The pathways are clear, the kitchen tidy, and every pillow on the antique couches is in place.
It looks like a home fit for a queen, and that queen is Kate Petrik.
In her black jeans and Jawbreaker band tee, she greets me with a warm smile. Her first question for me regarding our lunchtime rendezvous is, “Can I eat tater tots during the interview?”
Petrik is a junior and CEO of the Kappa Alpha Theta Beta Iota chapter at CU. Out of roughly 250 women, Petrik was chosen by her “sisters” to be president, and the reasons for that are apparent upon meeting her. She is welcoming, kind, and does not take herself too seriously. Virtually the opposite of the fake-blonde, fake-tan ditzes that sorority girls are often stereotyped to be. Petrik’s room is where she spends most of her time solving problems and helping the chapter. Petrik walked up the detailed, wooden staircase to the president’s suite. Her room is organized and aesthetically pleasing, matching Petrik’s personality. Or, at least, most of the time.
“I shoved a lot of stuff into my closet before you got here,” Petrik laughed.
Sitting on her fluffy, white, egg-shaped chair, Petrik considered her responsibilities as chapter president.
“Being the president of a sorority means being the internal and external face for your house,” Petrik said. “I like being able to exercise intentional influence in the house and interact with all the girls on a personal level.”
Petrik’s jobs as president range, but most importantly, it is about representation, she says.
“I am usually the first person someone will contact with questions about what our chapter is up to, whether that question is about an event or philanthropy, and I’ll tell them who they need to contact for more information,” Petrik said. “Other than that, I’m in charge of keeping morale high in the house and encouraging my sisters to be the best sorority women they can be by participating and reaching for new heights. Hopefully I keep the morale at a high level,” Petrik said, laughing.
Petrik’s road to presidency began in high school. She was involved in many extra curriculars, and held multiple leadership positions. She was captain of her soccer team, worked with special needs children, and participated in Teen Teaching, where she would travel to different schools and hold workshops. All of these allowed her to stand out when it was voting time, but Petrik still has a hard time believing she has gotten where she is today.
“About a year ago, if anyone would have told me I was going to be the president of this sorority, I would have laughed. I still kinda laugh; I can’t believe I got here,” Petrik said.
Petrik, who loves Star Wars references and sporting ironic tee shirts, really breaks through the mold of a sorority president, and the women in Theta love that, especially women in the freshman pledge class that were initiated this past fall. These girls look up to Petrik a great deal, because she is so willing to express her individuality. Shayna Silverman and Cameron Gralka, two girls in Theta’s freshman pledge class, comment on Petrik’s leadership.
“Kate is such a cool person, it’s super easy to see how she got elected,” Silverman said. “Personally, as someone who potentially wants a high leadership position in this sorority in the future, I really admire how she approaches the job with a level head.”
Gralka agreed with Silverman.
“She just has such a friendly face,” Gralka said. “It is nice having someone who is not too intimidating that you feel like you can’t go to them with any issues you are having. She is a great President.”
Petrik displays some of the objects that represent her position in her room, one of them being her president’s pin. She held up the delicate, kite-shaped pin decorated with real diamonds and rubies, and explained what it represented.
“The four points of the kite represent our sororities core values,” she said. “Which are intellectual curiosity, commitment to service, personal excellence, and leadership potential. This pin has been passed down for almost 15 years, which is very unique.”
Petrik also pointed out a small, handmade pillow on her bed. She smiled as she picked it up.
“This is something I am very cheesy about. This is a pillow that was made and passed down through different Presidents of this chapter,” she said. “The reason I love it so much is because my mom was the president of her sorority in college, and she has had a pillow almost exactly like this one sitting on her bed for as long as I can remember. When the last president of Theta passed this onto me, I got very emotional.”
Petrik’s love for her chapter was palpable when she gave me a tour through the rest of the house. She said a project she is really excited to get started on is switching out some of the old art that is shown in the house with art and photography that was created by Theta’s living in the house.
“We have some incredibly talented girls in this house, and I think we should recognize that as a chapter,” she said.
On display in the house there are various bookcases full of trophies that the chapter won. Last year, the house received the honor of being named one of the top 15 Theta chapters in the nation, and received a golden trophy to go with the title.
Petrik’s last interview question was what her favorite experience as President has been so far. She quietly thought to herself for a few seconds, then giggled.
“At a luncheon with Theta alumnae, I got to meet the President of this house and chapter from 1952, which was absolutely amazing,” she said. “She was wearing a tracksuit with glitter all over it that reminded me of something my own grandma would wear.”
Fifty years from now, it would not be shocking if a young chapter president ran into 70-year-old Kate Petrik at a luncheon, adorning the same glitter tracksuit.