Junior Natalie Snyder has been a member of Pi Beta Phi at Franklin College since her freshman year. This year she has been named president of the sorority.
Snyder decided earlier this year to apply for the president position. “It was always kind of a hope. It was always kind of there, but I didn’t know if I wanted to take on that role…but I decided this year to go for it,” she said.
Snyder’s mother was also Pi Phi, so she considers membership somewhat of a legacy in her family. During recruitment her freshman year, she also appreciated the genuine attention from the Pi Phi girls.
“Pi Phi stuck out to me because the girls reached out to me and were very real and interested in getting to know me. All the girls were really nice and they invited me to do things from day one,” Snyder said.
Snyder is also involved in several other groups on campus, including women’s chorus, Building Tomorrow and Education Club. She is a cheerleader and tennis player as well.
Snyder is from Franklin, and she decided to stay and attend Franklin College because she loves the town. She also knew it had a strong elementary education program. She selected that as her major during her senior year in high school.
“I chose that because I not only enjoy kids, I enjoy giving them the education they need to succeed in life,” she said.
In her elementary education curriculum, Snyder’s favorite course discussed special needs children. She said she learned a lot of important strategies for teaching children who learn in different ways.
Snyder most admires her parents, who are Franklin College alumni.
“They’re both very strong-willed and compassionate, and they always work hard,” she said.
Snyder also places a lot of value on her sorority sisters, her friends, Facebook and Twitter, and her phone.
She has a motto for her life: Everything happens for a reason; if it’s meant to be, it’ll work out. That was the approach she took when applying for the Pi Phi president. If she got the position, she wanted to do the best she could.
Her sorority is important to her, as she feels a strong bond with all her sisters.
“Being a Pi Phi means that no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I have women around the world I can call my sisters.”