This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePaul chapter.
Name: Kira Dohrn Jones
Hometown: Madison, WI
Major and Minor?: Majoring in PR and Advertising, Minoring in Marketing
Dream Job: Public Relations for a huge fashion label
Campus Involvement: Delta Zeta and DemonTHON
In your own words, what is Hike for Hearing?
Hike for Hearing is an event raising money for Starkey Hearing Foundation, one of Delta Zeta’s national philanthropies. The event will consist of a variety of fun relay races, music, food, and friendly competition.
When and where is Hike for Hearing being held this year?
Hike for Hearing will be this Saturday, October 10th from 1pm to 4pm in the DePaul Lincoln Park Quad.
Last year, Turtle Tug was DZ’s Philanthropy event. Any reason for the change, or just keeping things fresh?
Turtle Tug was an event that supported the Painted Turtle Camp (a different philanthropy that we supported). Due to national changes in Delta Zeta, we are now focussing our fundraising on Starkey Hearing Foundation so we will be “hiking” for hearing!
How can people not associated with Greek life get involved?
Anyone on campus is welcome to participate and/or register a team! Four person teams can be registered directly with me by emailing kiraelizabeth3@gmail.com with your team name and team member’s names. Also, we will be tabling and taking donations in the Lincoln Park Student Center all week long! Don’t want to donate or compete in a race? Feel free to drop by our event and enjoy food and music.
What’s the purpose of this event?
Delta Zeta has nationally pledged to raise $5 million in the next 5 years for Starkey Hearing foundation. The mission of Starkey is to make sure everyone can share in the gift of hearing. Starkey provides hearing aids and cochlear implants for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. The money raised through the event will help to create speech and hearing clinics for those who are just learning to hear.
How long has Hike for Hearing been going on with Delta Zeta? Is it specific to DePaul?
The national change was made at the beginning of the 2015 calendar year. Since then, a couple of Hike for Hearing events have popped up across the country, but each event has been unique. I’m pretty sure we are the first to do relay races as our “hike”.
How did you get involved with Delta Zeta and become the Philanthropy Chair?
I went through formal recruitment in the fall of my freshman year at DePaul. I quickly realized that I wanted to be surrounded by the confident and driven women of Delta Zeta for the rest of college – and the rest of my life! Once I was initiated into Delta Zeta, I really found my passion for service work. I knew I wanted to hold a leadership position my sophomore year, and I was fortunate enough to be presented with the opportunity to lead my chapter in service!
What’s your favorite part of being a Delta Zeta and what’s your favorite memory?
My favorite part of being a Delta Zeta is the sisterhood aspect. I love always knowing that someone is there for me to make me laugh, help me study, or challenge me to be better. My favorite memory is definitely my freshman year bid day where I met my big sister, Angelica. She just made me feel like her best friend immediately and I remember feeling so confident in my decision to join DZ!
Where could we find you on campus? (favorite study spot, etc)
If I’m not in class, at work, or at my internship, I’m at Starbucks. I’m kind of obsessed! I just love having white noise and a good coffee while I do homework or answer emails.
What’s a normal day in the life of DZ’s Philanthropy Chair?
I usually wake up pretty early, between 6 and 7 am, and then go for a run or head to Starbucks. I go through my to-do list for the day and answer emails (which often consist of service hour updates from our members or service hour opportunities from external organizations that I’ve reached out to). Then I go to class, work, and if I’m lucky, a philanthropy event for another chapter!