Dear Panhellenic Sisters,
Writer: Alejandra M. / Editors: Sara S. and Savannah T. / Photographer: Shayla L. / Graphic Designer: Kate W.
Amid the global health crisis, without a doubt, social distancing has made the hearts of chapter women grow fonder and stronger. As Kappa Kappa Gamma prepared for the unpredictable academic year, the chapter expected that everyone's experience would be different from last year. Not only would social distancing guidelines change annual fundraisers and social events, but it would also test sisterhoods and chapter relations. For VP for External Affairs, Hollyn S., sisterhood is one of the most powerful connections women have.
Although sisterhood events may not happen this fall, Hollyn motivated her sisters to branch out and build strong Panhellenic relations during the current virtual atmosphere. Along with the delegate from Gamma Phi Beta, Hollyn worked over the summer to create memorable bonding activities that would alleviate social distancing pressures and include every chapter member. As it turns out, looking to the past for the future of sisterhood has been Kappa Kappa Gamma’s winning ticket.
Pen-pals, or better yet, Pan-Pals is a collaborative effort to spread Panhellenic love and appreciation. The delegates created an Excel sheet for the women in Kappa Kappa Gamma and Gamma Phi Beta to share their hobbies, involvement, majors, among other interests. The delegates then coordinated pairs, so the women could write letters or emails to each other. Not only have the women maintained communication, but the chapters have seen growing engagement with this event.
It's no surprise that numerous chapter women have encouraged each other to be part of Pan-Pals. Since formal recruitment was short of a month ago, it's hard to ignore the overwhelming amount of admiration each Panhellenic woman has for one another during those two weeks. Hollyn agrees that it's truly inspiring to see how compatible women for different chapters are. However, once we close ourselves off to our chapters, sometimes "it can be the us-versus-them thing," Hollyn said, but it doesn't have to be that way.
As a delegate, she has the privilege of working with other chapter women and reinforce the idea that we are all part of the same greater community. Especially right now, as we live through the pandemic together, it's essential to put aside our differences and focus on our commonalities. Recruitment is a great way to highlight these characteristics, and Pan-Pals will be the unifying tool for Panhellenic love.
"It's nice to be able to work with someone else in another chapter who has the same goals," Hollyn said as she emphasizes the essence of unification. Although the current climate has presented challenges, Hollyn truly believes she and her team have benefited from this difficult experience and grown stronger.
As you may have guessed, Hollyn is a role model for many women. Not only is she an advocate for inclusion on all levels, but she also holds two important leadership positions in Kappa Kappa Gamma: delegate and VP of External. Her responsibilities include overseeing all external directors from events, philanthropy, risk management, and public relations.
Her Kappa sister, Shelby N. describes her saying, “Hollyn exemplifies all of Kappa’s ideals. She encourages others to push themselves to be better and she has proven this in her role as VP of External. I have the privilege of serving under her as Kappa’s Event Director and she has encouraged me in ways that I didn’t think were possible especially with everything going on because of the pandemic. Hollyn is a resilient and fearless leader and I can’t wait to see what else she does for Kappa and in the Panhellenic community!”
One of her favorite things about her position is connecting with all the chapter committees and being a helping hand. Without a doubt, she has excelled in this role because she is passionate and motivated. Since her early years in her chapter, Hollyn loved the experience working as a Junior Delegate and has met her best friends through it. It is safe to say that her chapter encouraged her to pursue her goals within the organization.
There is a unique power in working with other strong women, and for Hollyn this experience has fostered a greater appreciation of the massive organizations run by collegiate undergraduate women. She is grateful for the platform she got to use to speak, and the connections she made. Although her time in her position is coming to a close, her impact on our Panhellenic community is her legacy. Yet it doesn't end here; Hollyn is still working for the future of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is currently planning the structure for a new position called Diversity and Inclusion Director under her position VP of External Affairs. Moving forward, the time and energy she will continue to commit to helping Greek Life is what makes Hollyn such an admirable Panhellenic woman.