You’ve seen Rachael Rolfsen walking around Xavier’s campus impeccably dressed with an effortless style, but did you know that she is the president and founder of Xavier’s newest fraternity? Rachael has been hard at work establishing a Pre-Law Chapter of the international law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta as a staple in Xavier’s community. We were lucky enough to catch up with her for the inside scoop!
Hometown: Florence, KY
Year: Senior, Class of 2015
Major: Political Science
Minor: Studio Art
Activities involved in: Phi Alpha Delta (President), Mentor Program (Student Mentee Ambassador), Pre-Law Society, Community Action Day, and C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for Boone County, KY.
Other hobbies: Traveling, photography, reading, knitting, painting, snow skiing, and babysitting.
Can you tell us a little bit about Phi Alpha Delta and what they do on campus? Phi Alpha Delta is a professional law fraternity, composed of pre-law students, law students, legal educators, attorneys, judges, and government officials. It is the largest law fraternity in the world, founded for the purpose of “promoting professional competency and achievement within the legal profession.” Xavier’s Pre-Law Chapter aims to help students interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession make an informed decision about and prepare them for the rigors of law school. We offer an extensive amount of law-related programs and events during the year. These include: professional and academic development events, LSAT prep workshops, speakers, recruitment events, social events, local law school visits, annual Leadership Symposium, annual Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Conference in Washington, DC, and much, much more!
How can people become involved in this chapter? Students must attend a meeting held by the Pre-Law Chapter and meet with myself or other officers of the Chapter. It is important to us that we meet interested students face-to-face so that we know who you are! Once a student decides he/she wants to join, and he/she is in good academic standing with the University, he/she must fill out a short, online application on the National P.A.D. website: pad.org. Students must pay a one time fee of $100.00 to the Phi Alpha Delta Executive Office. Once their application and payment is successfully processed, students will then be formally initiated into our Pre-Law Chapter at one of our meetings.
What made you decide to start a Xavier chapter of Phi Alpha Delta? What was the process like? I decided to start a Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta at Xavier because I felt there was a need for more resources and activities for pre-law students on campus. Many of the fraternities on campus require a strict grade requirement, and I wanted to give students the option to join a brotherhood that helped them raise their GPA and get them where they want to be professionally. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than just joining another club on campus where my membership ended once I graduated– I wanted to be a part of something that I could carry on with me after graduation, and that connected me with thousands of others that shared my same interest in law and justice. I wanted to give those same things to pre-law students at Xavier. My members and I have formed a fraternal brotherhood that we will have for the rest of our lives, and that is something that non-Greek affiliated clubs on campus cannot offer.
The process of chartering a Pre-Law Chapter wasn’t the easiest. I had to have faculty advisors, Dean approval (and letter), University approval, at least twenty students to agree to join, and a completed chartering petition. My chartering petition then had to be reviewed by Nationals and they gave us our official status. Once we were officially granted status as a Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Chapter by Nationals, Northern Kentucky University’s Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Chapter’s Officers had to officially install our Pre-Law Chapter and initiate all twenty-five (25) initial members on April 25, 2013. The process wasn’t easy, but it taught me so much about how to be a leader, a team-player, communicate, collaborate, and, most importantly, it taught me a lot about myself and the lengths of my determination to make this chapter a success on campus. This experience has allowed me to grow into a stronger, more independent woman, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful for the process and every obstacle I had to work through.
What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome to get this chapter started? My biggest obstacle that I have had to overcome has been establishing Phi Alpha Delta as an official club on campus through SGA. At Xavier we already have an existing Pre-Law club: the Pre-Law Society. The challenge in establishing the Pre-Law Chapter has been making sure the Pre-Law Society and the Pre-Law Chapter are distinctly different enough to warrant each their own status on campus. Even though we both aim to help students prepare for law school, we are very different in nature, one obvious difference being that the Pre-Law Chapter is a fraternity and the Pre-Law Society is not. But in working through this obstacle, it has connected our two organizations and has brought more pre-law students forward and together than ever before. We have agreed to collaborate, which has given pre-law students even more law-related opportunities throughout the year.
What are your plans after college? Following college I plan to go to law school.
Dream job: My dream job would be a career in Employment Law, dealing with wage and gender discrimination issues in the workplace. I am a big proponent for women’s rights and would love any work in dealing with those types of matters.
Favorite movie: Chocolat
Favorite spot on campus: My favorite spot on campus is on the outside patio on the 10th floor of Schott. You feel like you’re on top of the world up there.
Favorite Xavier memory: My favorite memory at Xavier has been officially installing Xavier’s Pre-Law Chapter of Phi Alpha Delta on April 25, 2013, making our Chapter the 113th P.A.D. Pre-Law Chapter!
Favorite fashion designer: Coco Chanel
Favorite band: Mumford & Sons