Dear readers,
This is bittersweetâwelcome to the final chapter president spotlight of our summer series. Zeta Tau Alpha president Kate Tucker is an Interpersonal Communications major in PC â23. She leads 330 chapter members and works alongside her 15-member executive board. Kate is also involved in different pre-law organizations and has worked at the Capitol during her sophomore and junior years. Keep reading to get to know Kate!
Blog Editors: What inspired you to serve as president in your chapter?
Kate: I remember the president at the time coming and talking to me (during recruitment), and she was just the most authentic person I've ever met to this day. I thought she was the absolute best leader I've ever spoken to, and the way she spoke about Zeta, her best friends, and her experiences really resonated with me. I basically decided on day one that something I wanted to do was pour into Zeta the same way itâs poured into me.
Blog Editors: What goals do you have for your presidency, and what legacy do you want to leave on your chapter?
Kate: I just got back from our convention and we reached the one big goal I already had: we got a silver award, which is the highest national merit you can get from Zeta nationals. I want to double our philanthropy fundraising efforts in the next biennium. We raised about 100,000 in the last biennium, and by 2028, I want us to be up to 200,000, up there with those SEC chapters we see fundraising so much at other big schools. Leaving the legacy of having a strong fundraising chapter is something I am really looking forward to.
Blog Editors: Whatâs the most rewarding thing thatâs come out of your term?
Kate: Being president, a door opens with a whole new branch of possibilities of talking to different girls and member classes, and just being a face that people feel comfortable to come and talk to. Girls know that their president isn't there (to) get them in trouble, they're there to be their friend, be their leader, and be their advocate. I love the fact they feel they can come to a president that they trust.
Blog Editors: How would you describe a Zeta in 3 words?
Kate: Loyal, Driven, and Loving.
Blog Editors: What is your favorite tradition?
Kate: The night before initiation, all the new members get to spend (the night) in the Zeta house. We do an ice cream bar for them, and they get to go around the room and kind of share why they fell in love with Zeta, why they chose Zeta to be where they spend their four years at UT, what they've learned so far in their new member experience, and share their stories. I remember when I went that night, it was really eye-opening to see how similar we all were as people with such different backgrounds, and how all of our values were really rooted within us. I could look around the room and actually see why we all ended up exactly where we needed to be within Zeta.
Blog Editors: Whatâs your âmust-seeâ when you have visitors in Austin?
Kate: I love history, so I will take anyone that comes in on a walk to the Capitol. I also worked there, so I'll go and show them where I worked in my office. Another is Barton Springs. I lived in Austin last summer, and I was there almost every single week.
Blog Editors: What is the best thing Zeta has given you?
Kate: Living in the house was actually the best experience I could have ever asked for. It gave me the opportunity to get so close with all of my now-best friends. Living with 36 other roommates is something you will never get to experience again, and it was just the best year. I found friends that love me like the friends that have known me my entire life, which is something really special about Zeta. I forget I've only known them for four years and not since elementary school.
Blog Editors: What is your favorite activity to do with your sorority sisters?
Kate: I love a get-ready-with-me with my sorority sisters: lining up in a mirror, hopping from room to room, music's on, everything like that. Even this year, we're all living in the same apartment complex, so we're trying our very best to get the same house experience.
Blog Editors: Whatâs one thing you wish you knew about UT?
Kate: To be open to all of the opportunities youâre given from day one. Say yes to as many things as you can. I almost wish that I was more open and said yes to more things my first year to really get the entire UT experience.
Blog Editors: Whatâs one thing you wish you knew about recruitment as a PNM?
Kate: The girls recruiting you are just as scared as you are. Now, being on the other side of it, it really is never that personal, and it will work out the way that it does. You will end up exactly where you are supposed to be. Also, just doing what's best for yourself is the most important thing.
Blog Editors: Any general advice you have for girls on the fence about going Greek?
Kate: If you're on the fence about going through recruitment, my suggestion is to try it out. The next four years are some of the most developmental four years of your life and recruitment gives you the opportunity to meet those girls that will be with you through it all. It is the stepping stone to meeting these friends; it is the stepping stone to being introduced to alumni networks that come through, especially a sorority at Texas that is so driven in its academics. Taking the leap to introduce yourself into this amazing foundation of women is the best thing you can do at the age of 18 coming into a school where you think you might know everything and you donât. Not even giving yourself the opportunity to try it out, you'd be severely missing out.
Even though our series has come to an end, we hope youâve come to understand what makes each of the chapter presidents special. Thank you for getting to know the presidents with us. Keep tuning in to read up on all things recruitment!
All my love,
Victoria :)