Katie Breck
Retired interior designer, national recruitment advisor, Foundation trustee
Alpha, DePauw University, 1950
A Circle of Family and Friends
Katie Breck’s family connections to Alpha Chi Omega go back to her mother in the early 1900s. They also go forward, to her granddaughters Abby and Jenny Breck. It is a family circle of Alpha Chi Omega sisters.
“My mother, sister, aunt and cousin were Alpha Chis, and my mother, Margaret Harvey Clark, was very active in both the collegiate and alumnae fields as a founder of the first Housing Corporation board, a chapter advisor, and the national chairman of the Mothers’ Club.
“One story that was told in my family as I was growing up,” says Katie, “was that my father came home from work to find me, at the age of three, talking endlessly on a toy telephone. He asked, ‘Just who is on the phone with you?’ My response was ‘An Alpha Chi, Dad. They talk long!’”
Her bond to the sorority is further strengthened by another circle, a circle of friends that has remained constant for more than 50 years.
“There were 21 of us in the class of 1950. Now we are 15. We were extremely close as a group back then and we still are. It seems that more things happen to our families as we get older, so it’s nice to have someone around for emotional support if ever needed,” says Katie. “It’s good to have friends who care about each other and who can help you cope with life’s changes.”
For 40 years, the women in Katie’s pledge class have written a letter once or twice a year to the other members of the class, sharing news of their lives and families. Bezy Farris, the former president of the chapter, organizes the effort, copying the letters and sending them out to each member of the pledge class. “Through these letters, I feel I know about everyone’s children and grandchildren. It’s been a wonderful way for us to stay in touch. I treasure those letters.”
Not like paper dolls
“I’m very glad that Alpha Chi Omega doesn’t try to change collegians and make them into a distinctive mold that makes everyone seem the same. We’re not like paper dolls. What we do offer are opportunities for young women to become well rounded, to learn how to work with all types of personalities, and to become a part of a well-run organization,” says Katie.
“What a person gains in her Alpha Chi experience is immeasurable in terms of growth of character, developing a give-and-take attitude and a willingness to serve. We help women get a good start in their future lives. Our programs are excellent for developing skills needed in the professional world.”
Giving back
As a long-time volunteer and donor, Katie knows firsthand what is needed financially to support the fraternity. “It takes a great deal of money these days to fund the necessary programs that our fraternity offers. At this time in my life, the most important support I can bring to Alpha Chi is my donation to the Foundation. It is something everyone can do. Even the smallest amount helps.”
“Giving back to Alpha Chi means realizing all that you have gained by being in the sorority, both as a collegian and an alumna, and then saying ‘thank you’ by giving of your time, talent, and/or money. Alpha Chi exists today because there are many who care enough to give to the Foundation.”
Katie says the sorority has given her so much by strengthening her bonds with friends and family. It has been a lasting and supportive circle through the years, connecting her to a pledge class and to generations of women in her family.
“Without a doubt, my most memorable moments in Alpha Chi came when my two granddaughters pledged and were initiated. It meant that the Alpha Chi tradition in my family would go on another generation, but more important than that, we were sisters in the bond,” says Katie. |
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