KDChi Chapter:
Delta Alpha, Graduate Chapter
New Member Class:
Zeta, Spring 2014
About Gabriela:
She teaches high school Spanish at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, OK. The student population is 100% Native American and the teaching staff is composed of mostly Native Americans. Gabriela is one of a handful of staff that are not Native American. She enjoys sharing and exchanging culture, heritage and language with her students every day.
She is also very involved in several women's Masonic organizations.
Somebody from one of these
organizations once asked her if she had ever considered joining a sorority and that was what planted the seed! After reaching out to several Latina sororities, she heard back from KDChi's Rachel Glick. Her response was warm and welcoming.
"Rachel answered all my questions (and I had a million) and she was so friendly!" Gabriela says.
She researched KDChi and read through the newsletters, the website, the Facebook pages and she says she knew she had to be part of such a dynamic and wonderful group of women.
She remembers her journey to become a new member...
"My Graduate New Member Educator was awesome!" Gabriela says. "She helped me out tremendously with everything and has kept up with me, even after the process."
Gabriela's husband recently retired from the US Army. Together, they enjoy traveling and exploring new and out-of-the-way places during their down time. This summer, they're traveling to Costa Rica! They also enjoy riding motorcycles, cooking, gardening, and just spending time together.
Tell your friends to apply
to be a KDChi!
Email: Rachel Glick
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”
‐ Dr. Seuss
I love Dr. Seuss. Since I was a little girl the quotes from his books keep me motivated. It seems silly to think that as a child one can understand what things like this mean. Now looking back as an adult I can honestly say that even though I many not have fully understood, these positive thoughts were some of the things that kept me
pushing. My experience mirrors many of your experiences. I'm the first in my family to go to college. Not knowing what I was doing. Looking for help where my family couldn’t provide it (and sometimes ashamed to do so). Today ,I’m one of those people that has positive quotes plastered all over the place. In my work office, on my iphone lock screen, on my wall at home. As a Leadership Coach, quotes from different leaders around the world help to ignite a flame in my clients. Even though they are good sources of motivation, the reality is that all these quotes do is remind us of the fire that already burns within each and everyone of us.
This is the time of year that sisters across the nation are getting ready for things like graduation, job interviews, internships...and becoming NAA members. So this edition of The Emerald focuses on graduation and beyond. For those working towards the light at the end of the tunnel in undergrad, grad school, or other points in life, I send you lots of love and positive energy to reach that goal. For those in the professional world, I send you lots of love and encourage you to keep learning and growing.
Remember, always make new mistakes, learn from everything, and proceed as if success is inevitable.
In sisterhood,
Melanie Rodriguez
National President, Kappa Delta Chi Sorority, Inc.
About Melanie:
Melanie was initiated in Fall of 1996, Epsilon Class of Theta Chapter, University of Houston. She still resides in Houston, TX with her wife Cindy (Theta Chapter, Fall 1999) and their two children Arianna and Isaias. Melanie has a BA in Public Relations, an MA in Organizational Management, and an MA in Human Development. She is also in the final stages of completing a PhD in Human and Organizational Systems at Fielding Graduate University. In her professional life Melanie has worked for the past 12 years as a leadership development consultant for Chevron.
National President
Melanie Rodriguez
Letter from the President
(C) Tiffany Hopwood Photography
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