Chapters strengthen focus on future

By K. Lamorris Waller

To some, joining a fraternity is about making friends with people who are, potentially, just like themselves. People who like to have fun but are serious about college and want to succeed.

For others, however, fraternities and sororities focus on their futures through a professional fraternity, as well as meeting new people during college.

Professional fraternities work to build relationships among members and develop the strengths of members.

They help provide assistance to one another in their mutual areas of professional study, Hannah Rothe, junior in ACES and president of Sigma Alpha said.

Membership in a professional fraternity is the result of a pledge process, just like any other fraternity or sorority. And, just like any other fraternity or sorority, their members are expected to be loyal and true to their organizations.

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Other than kinship and a lasting legacy, professional fraternity and sorority members reap some benefits to being a part of a career-based organization.

“One of the best benefits of being in a professional sorority is the fact that companies know the type of student they are getting because of national notoriety,” Rothe said.

“We still do social events and community service, but we focus on preparing for future internships and long-term jobs with companies,” she said.

Most professional fraternities and sororities focus much of their time and attention on the ins and outs of the professional world and what is expected.

Keegan Miller, graduate student in Business and a member of Phi Chi Theta, said the many events that they hold help in molding students to become young professionals.

“We do many things that we believe gives us an advantage,” she said. “Everything from etiquette dinners to tips on building a great resume are things that we concentrate on,” she said.

Just like most fraternities and sororities, professional fraternities have both local and national chapters.

These help students network in a different way than strictly social organizations.

“Although there is a social aspect to all networking and campus activities having outlets to companies and the consistency of meeting new people with similar career interests helps get ahead,” Keegan said.

Susan Fowler, member of Phi Delta Kappa educators and professor in the College of Education, said these types of organizations are good way to view ideas in a professional way.

“This is a great way to interact with people who really consider themselves to be professionals,” she said.

“We have a monthly journal and hold seminars for future educators because we are only here to help each other.”