By Emma Wille Marketing and Communications specialist
Corinne LePage (Zeta Theta, Brown University) arrived at Brown University like any average college student does, nervous about navigating the transition in life. However, she is not your average college student. Taking on multiple volunteer roles, leading her chapter as vice president philanthropy and starting new projects on campus, it’s safe to say she isn’t shy of taking on responsibilities. Corinne, who is a first-generation, non-traditional student, has made an impact in the community that will last a lifetime.
Currently studying environmental science and critical Native American and Indigenous studies, Corinne never thought she would attend college. “I was at a point in my life where I was like, ‘I need to do something.’ And I never thought I would ever go to college. I was in a really, really bad situation, and I finally took a chance on myself and went to community college,” she says.
Shortly after taking that leap of faith, she made the transition to Brown University in 2022. Entering their undergraduate program in her late 20s, she knew her experience would be unique, and she wanted to make the most of it. Corinne says, “I remember attending an activities fair, where you could meet all the organizations. And I remember seeing these big letters and thinking, ‘What is this?’ I never ever thought I would join a sorority.” But Alpha Chi Omega changed her mind.
Corinne is passionate about domestic violence awareness and supporting victims of abuse. One way she found to channel her passion when she arrived at Brown was volunteering at Sojourner House, a Providence agency that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Volunteering at Sojourner House has meant more to Corinne than just following her passion and doing good in the community.
“For me, this is a very integral part of my life because I lived through that [domestic violence], unfortunately,” she explains. “I remember being in a position where I had absolutely nothing, all my stuff was gone, and an organization like this helped me get back on my feet.”
At the activities fair, she immediately noticed that the Zeta Theta chapter frequently worked with the Sojourner House to support Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropic mission of domestic violence awareness. After a few conversations, Corinne’s view of joining a sorority started to shift. “I filled out the formal recruitment interest paper the day it was due,” she says. “I really didn’t have any interest in any of the other sororities, only Alpha Chi. And going through the rounds I just thought, ‘They’re so down to earth.’ I felt really welcomed, and I didn’t expect to be because I’m older.”
Corinne accepted a bid to the chapter and continued her domestic violence awareness work with her new sisters. And her commitment to the cause extends even further! In 2023, after assisting with a few programs that Sojourner House had already, Corinne had an idea to start her own program, something the organization had never seen before. “I thought these services were great, but I couldn’t see myself doing them if I was there getting services,” she explains.
Corinne’s idea would blend her passion for environmental science and her advocacy. With funding from the Royce Fellowship, a program through Brown University that allows students to create a project that benefits the community, Corinne began to lay plans for a program at Sojourner House rooted in the power of plants that would help domestic violence survivors in their recovery process. While she was able to secure the fellowship, she soon realized she may need a little more help from the community. “I decided to go speak to Dr. Rebecca Cardinal, who runs the greenhouse at Brown University,” she explains. “At this point I had never met her, and I made an appointment with her. In the first 5 minutes I met her, I just spilled my guts on this huge project idea. And she agreed within those first 5 minutes. I will never forget, she said, ‘This is awesome. I will help you.’”
With the support of Dr. Cardinal, licensed social workers, volunteer coordinators and other community members, Corinne finally kicked off her project with a series of 10 horticultural therapy workshops. While all were built around underlying themes of trauma care and mental wellness, each class was different. For example, one featured succulent planting, with themes of resiliency since that plant can adapt to withstand extreme conditions.
As the workshops progressed, Corinne learned the true impact a project like this could have. “At first it was a little slow, and then we got a regular group. It was unique because we had a Spanish speaking women’s group, and we had a translator since I do not speak Spanish. But after a while it didn’t even matter,” she says. “The beauty of these workshops is … that they transcend language. Anyone can be doing these workshops, and it’s just like a beautiful thing.”
The workshops became so popular that she eventually had to turn people away. After the original 10 workshops, Corinne began talking to the volunteer coordinator at Sojourner House about making this a full-time program.
Along with running these workshops, Corinne also oversaw the creation of a pollinator garden at the nonprofit drop-in center, where people are able to visit and enjoy the calming effects of nature. With this garden comes the work to maintain it, and Corinne was able to tap into sisterhood for help, with the Zeta Theta chapter officially partnering to help keep the garden going, even after Corinne graduates. This garden gives sisters the opportunity to do hands-on volunteering to benefit domestic violence awareness. “Volunteering is also important to the [chapter members], and getting out there and being able to volunteer in person makes you feel like you’re doing something impactful,” Corinne says.
The results of Corinne’s work don’t just make a difference in the community; they have also made an impact on her. “I’m so happy I did this because not only am I supporting others that have experienced similar things to myself, but I’m also learning new things,” she says. Looking ahead to the future, she hopes to one day create a nonprofit and travel across the country to host workshops to support domestic violence survivors. Through her empathy and dedication, Corinne will continue to make a difference, one plant and one survivor at a time.
Feeling inspired by this story? If you have a story or personal experience about belonging through your Alpha Chi Omega journey, we invite you to share your story now!