Dear readers,
The presidential spotlights continue! Next up is Camille Dunn, the president of Alpha Xi Delta! Camille is from Houston, Texas and is a senior in PC Fall '23 at UT. She's studying Government with minors in Philosophy and Business, on the pre-law track. She leads her chapter of around 180 members and works with an executive board of 9 members, volunteers with Lifelong Learning with Friends and the Association for Frontotemporal Dementia, and runs her own small business. Keep reading to get to know Camille!
Blog Editors: What inspired you to serve as president in your chapter?
Camille: My first semester of sophomore year, my G-Big was president, and she always really inspired me — I always looked up to her, and I'd ask her what it entailed. I started talking with advisors because I was on the executive committee that year, and it just felt like they saw something inside of me that I didn't think I was even capable of. People were telling me to take the risk and run, so I did, as a sophomore, and I ended up winning the election. What I always tell people is that AXiD's motto is to realize your potential, and I think they definitely helped me realize mine. I never thought in high school that I could lead an organization full of almost 200 girls — that was just never in my mental capacity.
Blog Editors: What goals do you have for your presidency, and what legacy do you want to leave on your chapter?
Camille: I wanted to make sure that everyone's voice was heard. I wanted to lead an organization that valued every member for their genuine selves. I wanted to make sure that everyone who wanted to get involved was able to get involved, and I wanted every member to feel like their membership was worthwhile.
Blog Editors: What’s the most rewarding thing that’s come out of your term?
Camille: Just being able to become so close with the executive board, both terms. There are a lot of mistakes that can happen during a presidency — it's natural, we're still young adults, still kind of learning our ways, and we're also full-time students at a very difficult school. But continuing to form new relationships with members in the chapter that I might not have met in my first couple of years — that's very valuable.
Blog Editors: How would you describe an AXiD in 3 words?
Camille: Passionate, Determined, Encouraging.
Blog Editors: What is your favorite tradition?
Camille: Our senior tradition: after the Preference ceremony every formal recruitment, all of the seniors jump into the pool. I watched my G-Big do this, I watched my Big do this, I've watched some of my very close friends do this this past year, and it's just so sweet. Knowing that I'm going to be doing it this year after Pref is bittersweet, because it's something so exciting — you're moving on to this new period of your life — but it's also sad, because it marks the official start of senior year.
Blog Editors: What’s your “must-see” when you have visitors in Austin?
Camille: I'd say South Congress for sure, and Red Ash — if you can get a reservation, literally the best Italian food I've had. I'd also say Victory Lap to watch away games — I've always taken my girlfriends there when they come to visit.
Blog Editors: What is the best thing AXiD has given you?
Camille: More confidence. I think I've grown into a better young woman than when I first came to UT — I've learned so many valuable lessons just being an active member, but also holding the role of president for as long as I have. I truly do not think I would be the same person if I hadn't taken the risk and run for president.
Blog Editors: What is your favorite activity to do with your sorority sisters?
Camille: Walks around Lady Bird Lake, especially getting coffee beforehand at Joe's or somewhere like that. I'd also say study dates, even though sometimes they're not very productive. There's something so sweet about studying with someone, even if you can't really get that much work done.
Blog Editors: What’s one thing you wish you knew about UT?
Camille: I'd say the campus stairs — that one ramp near the geology building gets me every single time, and so do the steps back up by Wagner Hall. Honestly, just the stairs on campus in general. Especially during August, they kick my butt, and in the heat, it's crazy.
Blog Editors: What’s one thing you wish you knew about recruitment as a PNM?
Camille: I was so scared that I had to pretend to be somebody else — it's so nerve-wracking going in, and I didn't know that much about recruitment beforehand. You don't have to know everything going in, and you're still able to ask questions. The process can feel so intimidating, but the best experiences I had were when I was able to just be myself and be truly vulnerable during recruitment. That's exactly what I felt at AXiD — I could just be myself, we could talk about the most random things, and it didn't feel nerve-wracking.
Blog Editors: Any general advice you have for girls on the fence about going Greek?
Camille: At the end of the day, it's a community, and every member of this Panhellenic community is held to a very high standard, because that's what it means to be in a sorority. You're volunteering, you're academically challenging yourself, you're building beautiful relationships that will last a lifetime, and it's something so sacred. In a lot of ways, it's the backbone of your college experience — whether you want to develop more connections, you're from out of state, you want more opportunities post-grad, or you want to get involved in leadership, there are so many different reasons girls can get involved in a sorority.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Camille as much as we did! Check back soon for the next edition of our Presidential Spotlight Series.
All my love,
Madi