Mentorship is a powerful way to grow in personal and professional skills and to explore the possibilities for your future. Alpha Chi Omega invests in the growth of our members through the Women & Wisdom program, which includes in-person gatherings, webinars to learn from experts and an online network to make connections at womenandwisdom.org.
As part of the 2022 National Convention experience, Women & Wisdom offered Convention Connections, a program to pair members in mentor-mentee relationships. Participants were asked to meet online before the event and then find time to connect in person while in Bellevue, Washington to continue their conversations.
Hear from one of these pairs about the value of their mentoring experience and the connection they formed as sisters.
FROM GRACIE O’RORKE (ZETA OMICRON, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY) – MENTEE
I enrolled in the Women & Wisdom mentorship program ahead of national convention in 2022. At the time, I was president of my collegiate chapter (Zeta Omicron at Vanderbilt University), and I juggled an array of other professional and leadership experiences – including an internship in management consulting. It seemed fitting for me to enroll in the Women & Wisdom program, which promised fruitful conversation with and guiding insight from an alumna sister with similar career experiences and aspirations. I was excited to learn how lifelong membership in Alpha Chi Omega shaped my mentor’s professional career, and I was even more excited by the prospect of meeting my mentor in-person at convention in Bellevue, Washington.
Ahead of convention, I met my mentor — Angela Costley Harris — over Zoom, and we bonded over our shared love of coaching people and of the Alpha Chi Omega membership experience (Angela actually initiated me into the sisterhood during 2020’s nationwide virtual initiations!). I was so intrigued by Angela’s career journey, including how she attended law school at GW and eventually weaved her Alpha Chi Omega membership into her professional life while serving as National President.
A few days after virtually connecting, I had the opportunity to meet Angela in person at convention. We put on our sneakers and athletic apparel, grabbed our Starbucks coffee and went on a leisurely (and picturesque) walk together around scenic Bellevue. She was just as lovely in person! We talked about all sorts of things – from our Alpha Chi Omega experiences to our hobbies and everything in between. It was incredible to connect with a sister who was in a completely different stage of life but to see the values we both held close to us – all evident in our shared bond through Alpha Chi Omega.
Through Women & Wisdom, I received not only a mentor, but a friend. I am happy to call Angela my sister, and I think of our convention meet-up often!
FROM ANGELA COSTLEY HARRIS (ALPHA BETA, PURDUE UNIVERSITY) – MENTOR
From the 10th grade teacher who taught me to be present during final exams by repeating, “Nothing more will come to me or leave me at this time” to the Alpha Chi Omega sister who said, “You can, should and must, and I will support you as you do” when I considered serving on the National Council, I am the product of incredible mentoring. Those women who have inspired me likely didn’t expect their words to stick with me, but they have.
As an Alpha Chi Omega leader – from collegiate chapter officer to National President – you may never know the wisdom you shared that stayed with a sister. Occasionally the words that stick arise from a formal speech or presentation, but frequently they come in just ordinary conversations.
The Women & Wisdom program makes words-that-stick moments possible through structured mentoring partnerships. Gracie and I were paired with a shared interest in entrepreneurship. We took a walk together in the blocks around the convention hotel and talked like we were long-lost friends despite having just met. We chatted about how Gracie could better tell the founding story of her business, potential ways to describe a challenging aspect of her summer internship in future interviews and what she could expect as a first-time convention attendee.
Mentoring relationships also are frequently mutually beneficial! When Gracie and I were discussing how we each describe our Alpha Chi experience on our resumes (a relevant consideration at every stage of professional experience), I shared my struggle with how to describe my experience as National President on LinkedIn. Gracie generated some great ideas that I later implemented. In this particular partnership, Gracie was the one who provided words that stuck!
Inspired to be like Angela and volunteer to serve as a mentor? Interested in getting connected with an alumna just like Gracie did?
Sign up for our Fall Mentor Program! Mentees will be matched with an alumna mentor for a short-term mentoring relationship, October through December. To join, log into the Women & Wisdom online network. Join the Fall Mentor Program Group for Mentees or Group for Mentors. Be sure you update your profile while you're there! Both mentors and mentees will be asked to complete a participation form to help us make strong relationship matches.
Sign up by September 24 so we can notify mentor and mentee matches by the first week in October. Both collegians and alumnae can participate as a mentee, while only alumnae members can sign up to mentor. We hope you join us!