This February, I attended my first Northeast Regional Con-ference. I have been a part of this organization for about three years now, and I finally got a chance to attend a con-ference. At first, I was a little hesitant and nervous be-cause I’m an inactive sister. I felt I would be out of touch with sisters and a bit con-fused by what is going on within the organization, be-cause I have been away for some time. I also didn’t know what to expect. I must say that I made a complete fool of myself with all of the emotions and anxiety I was feeling because none of the things I was so worried about happened. In fact, I felt as connected as the day I crossed.

The weekend was filled with so many different activities and workshops, however, the one I enjoyed the most was a group activity that required all sisters to stand in a line against the wall. Various questions were asked of us ranging from family to per-sonal issues we have or are facing. If we related to any of the questions we had to step up outside of the original line,

and if not, we stayed where we were. I’m not sure of the name of the activity, but I know it made a huge impact on my experience at the conference. Within that activity, I got to see many sisters I knew prior to conference and some I had just met in a different light. It opened up the floor for discussion which was noth-ing short of heartfelt and

honest. I walked out of that room and conference that Sunday with a newfound sense of rejuvenation and connectivity. It was nothing short of amazing.

I’m not sure when the cen-tral theme of the confer-ence became finding your “aha” moment, but when our Soror Nicole Lewis said this, it registered and reso-nated with a great deal of sisters present at confer-ence-including myself. Per-sonally, I was struggling with trying to get into graduate school and find-ing steady employment.

That took up most of my time and mental space and trying to find the time to be an active sister be-came a struggle. In turn, I decided to become inac-tive. Since then, I have been trying to find that moment-that “aha” mo-ment-where I know I was at a space to be com-pletely motivated and dedicated to my chapter

and organi-zation. Be-ing able to attend this conference helped push me in the right direc-tion to find-ing that mo-ment.

Having the opportu-nity to be a part of this con-ference

has given me an experi-ence I will never forget. Just because I am an inactive sister doesn’t necessarily mean that I am inactive. I can still be as much a part of my organization as I was when I was active. I am newly connected with the sisters I met at the con-ference, as well as the sisters I already knew. My next goal is to be able to attend convention and grasp the experience on a different spectrum.

Sisterhood without Borders

Northeast Regional Banquet & Awards Ceremony

By: Soror Strawbry Jiles

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Within social work circles, I actually chose what may be viewed as a non-traditional career, but one common theme that ties my work together has been helping low-income individuals and families increase their financial stability. In terms of the work itself and how I got here, that’s required a lot of research and personal reflec-tion.

When I was in college I double majored in sociology and African and African American studies. However, my freshman year, I originally thought I was going to major in classical studies and go to medical school. I took the required courses and did an internship in a hospital, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. I even joined Air Force ROTC during my sophomore year to see how that felt in terms of a career path. It just goes to show you how much peo-ple can change.

Luckily, while I was searching for what would be my long-term plan, my extracurricular activities also helped influence who and where I am today. I participated in an alternative spring break program called “Break for a Change” all four years of college. While I was involved with Break for a Change, I was able to take and even co-teach, student led courses on top-ics such as homelessness and pov-erty, welfare, and sweatshops.

By then I knew I wanted to do some-thing meaningful and help address social problems that affect the most vulnerable populations. Prior to graduation, I remember poring over job listings. At the time, I knew I wanted to work at a nonprofit, but the type of work I was looking for varied. Simultaneously, I applied to graduate

programs, but I worked first and de-ferred my acceptance. My first job out of college was at a nonprofit com-munity development lender called “Self-Help”. What I learned at Self-Help helped shape my career moving forward. Addressing economic ine-quality became my passion during graduate school and in the years fol-lowing. I chose social work primarily because it felt both broad in content

and practical in skill set.

After graduate school I worked on statewide policy issues at the IDA and Asset Building Collaborative of North Carolina, and then I worked for several years with a tax coalition called the Baltimore CASH (Creating Assets Savings and Hope) Cam-paign. I currently work with the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs’ Of-fice of Financial Empowerment to help low-income New Yorkers con-nect to financial services and prod-ucts that help them build assets.

Although my path was pretty specific to my personal interests, here are some suggestions that may help you find a job you love:

1. Take time out for plenty of self-reflection. Think about what you want and what it will take to get you there. Keep in mind that the things you are most passionate

about now may change over time. 2. Ask your sorority sisters, friends,

family members, or any colleagues you admire about how they got to where they are today. Ask what degrees or certifications may or may not be necessary.

3. Schedule informational interviews just to ask people about their work, agency, or industry without asking for a job.

4. Find mentors to help guide you, but also use other resources such as your school’s career center. Even as an alum, those resources may still be available to you.

5. Join many industry-specific email lists or newsletters to stay abreast of current research, trends, conferences, and job op-portunities taking place locally or nationally.

6. Try a variety of jobs, internships or volunteer experiences at small and large agencies just to learn from those experiences. You’ll gain valuable information about the types of projects and work en-vironment you want in your future positions (including management styles you want for yourself or to give to others).

7. Continue to learn and gain new skills that can help advance your career. Be proactive about profes-sional development, and seek out additional opportunities whenever possible.

Page 2

Finding your Career Bliss By: Soror Monica Copeland

S TE RLI NG SI LVE R NEWS

“My first job out of college was at a

nonprofit community development

lender called “Self-Help”. What I

learned at Self-Help helped shape my

career moving forward. “

Finding Your Career Bliss 2

Thankful to be Back 3

Bold & Diverse Butterflies 3

Meet the Regional Leadership Team 4 & 5

The 4th Annual Regional Conference 6

Special Announcement 6

Thank you to our Guest Writers 6

Inside this issue:

T HE NORT HEA ST RE GI ON AL NE WS LE TT ER

I knew I wanted to join a GAP chap-ter after I returned from teaching abroad in China. When I was set-tled in New York I spoke to Jam, our Madame President, and I started remembering the fun times I had in undergrad and why I joined TNX in the first place. Service and acceptance of all backgrounds are very important to me and TNX is the best place to practice these tenets everyday. With my sisters, I can be an active citizen working to create positive change in our community, while educating others on the beauty of multicultural-ism.

Already, the Xi Alpha GAP chapter has im-pacted me in great ways. Simply get- ting to know my New York sisters

gave me more confidence in my-self to achieve my goals. Instead of waiting to start grad school in Fall 2014, I stopped procrastinat-ing and enrolled in Spring 2014 to get started. Active sisters are required to do community ser-vice, so I couldn’t make any more excuses to not get out and serve. With my chapter, I helped rebuild a home destroyed by Su-per storm Sandy, wrapped Christmas gifts for children living in shelters, and prepared meals for patients living with terminal

diseases. I'm ex-cited to see what the rest of the year will bring our way.

Page 3

Soror Harrison helped organized Xi Alpha’s Women’s Empowerment discussion panel this past March!

risk of dormancy. "The team feels it's a priority to show that we support others, especially our sisters. So we try to be that support system whenever we can".

The B.A.D. Butterflies have high goals for the future."We want to continue to grow

The B.A.D Butterflies was established in 2013 with the objective of showcasing the prevailing talents within Theta Nu Xi Multi-cultural Sorority, Inc. As a fairly young or-ganization, the members of the B.A.D. But-terflies saw an opportunity to be a part of something groundbreaking while establish-ing a reputable standing for Theta Nu Xi within the Northeast Region.

The first of its kind, the B.A.D. Butterflies are quickly beginning to create a buzz. Within this short year, they have estab-lished strong connections within the Greek community, resulting in multiple invitations to attend and participate in various show-cases, competitions and events all across the region. The team has been working relentlessly to build the credibility of Theta Nu Xi in the northeast, all the while dedicat-ing a lot of their efforts towards helping reactivation teams, as well as chapters at

and hopefully someday become the na-tional step and stroll team." The team has been working very hard and practicing 4 times a week in preparation for the annual CHAOS competition. Their goal this year is wining the competition's grand prize. This is the team's second time competing and this year the team is ready is to represent Theta Nu Xi and bring forth their A game!

You can expect the B.A.D. Butterflies to show off their originality, dramatic effect and unique flavor. "We keep in mind that we are representing our organization and must work hard no matter what. We coined the phrase BAD Butterflies and it spread like wildfire within the org and we know that ONE day everyone will know who's BAD!"

For more information about the B.A.D. But-terflies please contact them at badbutterfli-es97@gmail.com

Thankful to be Back By: Soror Natasia Harrison

The Bold and Diverse Butterflies By: Soror Carina Diaz

Meet the Regional Leadership Team By: Soror Ngozi I. Ahanotu

When the opportunity came around to make a difference in her region, she rose to the challenge. “I joined the RLT because I felt ready to be a more active leader and continue building the foun-dation of our region and organization. I thought to myself that it was time to be "selfless" and give back on a regional level.”

Passionate about so many things, Soror Peñaranda has found it difficult to choose one social justice issue. Theta Nu Xi has allowed her to express her love for different causes in so many ways, she sees so much more than one

This leading butterfly is not just a Colom-bian beauty. Soror Peñaranda is the current brains behind the new strate-gies for Theta

Nu Xi’s Noble Northeast region. She is also actively involved in the survivor-led advocacy group under Safe Horizon- the nation’s largest crime victim organi-zation.

advocacy. “I do not view Social Justice from a singular lens as the movement is intersectional and needs to be viewed through multiple lenses. Therefore, I am most passionate about advancing a move-ment that is multi-dimensional and where intersectionality is a key tool in the strug-gle.” Coordinating and advising the future of many victims, it’s not hard to see our region will be safe under her guidance.

Year Crossed – Fall 2005, Alpha Gamma Current Chapter – Xi Alpha You can reach Jessica Peñaranda at

director.northeast@thetanuxi.org

Jessica Peñaranda, Regional Director

ness of the chapter's members, and feeling like I had a responsibility to be a good sister because of how intimately the sisters needed to work together.”

Hartmann has a European back-ground, being Polish and German. Be-cause of her love for the diverse women of this organization in the Northeast, she joined the Regional Leadership Team as the Regional Officer of Intake and Expansion to serve those who have served her for so long. “I feel that it's my responsibility to take what I've learned from these women and give back to the Region.”

A clinical thera-pist that is pas-sionate about women’s rights, Soror Hartmann finds it hard to remember her exact first thought of Theta Nu Xi; yet her

admiration for the sisterhood’s together-ness has kept her involved. “My under-standing has evolved as I've had my own experiences and met more and more beautiful Theta Nu Women. I do remember being struck by the close-

TNX continues to be an opportunity for professional development for Wendy, “Theta Nu Xi has helped me develop the skills of prioritizing and getting work fin-ished early-on. It has also helped me work in groups in a really productive way; this has really helped since my coworkers and I work in teams.”

Year Crossed – Spring 2007, Rho Cur-rent Chapter – GAP at Large

You can reach Wendy Hartmann at northeast.roie@gmail.com

Wendy Hartmann, Regional Officer of Intake & Expansion

cultural differences.” The Ghanaian and Nigerian Butterfly recently graduated with her Master’s in Higher and Postsec-ondary Education this month from Co-lumbia University.

Not just living out our scholarship ideals, joining the Regional Leadership Team has given Soror Braimah the chance to be more involved in how TNX grows “ I joined the RLT because I wanted to become more actively involved in the decision making process that essentially effects us all as members. I saw this as

Skeptical about sororities at first, something about Theta Nu Xi stood out to Soror Braimah, “Initially I was skeptical about joining be-cause I had my reservations

about sororities in general. I saw TNX as joining a movement, something that was bigger than me. I loved the fact that it embodied diversity and embraced

an opportunity to learn more about my or-ganization and develop personal relation-ships with sisters outside of my chapter.” Reading and traveling are some of her fa-vorite hobbies, but it is her emergence as the first line of the Illustrious Alpha Iota chapter at SUNY Plattsburgh that sticks as her favorite TNX pastime. Year Crossed – Spring 2010, Alpha Iota Current Chapter – Xi Alpha You can reach Habiba Braimah at north-east.roie@gmail.com

Habiba Braimah, Regional Officer of Intake & Expansion

Page 4 S TE RLI NG SI LVE R NEWS

Page 5

rian-American, the term multiculturalism and sisterhood ultimately fit her profes-sionally and creatively.

Ngozi reflects on her emergence as her favorite TNX moment as well, “My emergence was something I would've never thought I could do. It was truly something I'll never forget.” And since that revealing, Theta Nu Xi has had a tremendous influence on her growth “I continue to learn so much about myself

Meeting the women of Theta Nu Xi at her college orienta-tion fueled her desire to get to know more about the soror-ity. “I love the

word multiculturalism and at the time, it was like nothing I'd seen before. I was very excited to learn more.” Being Nige-

through the many things I do with my sis-ters and for TNX.”

In 10 years, she’d like to see Theta Nu Xi remain strong in our social justice goals as well as a solid recruitment process that pushes sisters to recognize their value.

Year Crossed – Spring 2009, Zeta Current Chapter – GAP at Large

You can reach Ngozi Ahanotu at north-east.rop@gmail.com.

Ngozi I. Ahanotu, Regional Officer of Programming

the University of Vermont this upcoming August, she hopes to focus on college access and retention for low-income students. Josephine’s love for educating others and being a resource to those who need guidance is an effortless task.

The RLT has given her an outlet to cre-ate initiatives that reflect what she loves to do. “I have a great love for learning and teaching. I also enjoy working in teams to conceive great initiatives.”

Whether its through a programming event, lunch date, or sleepover she finds

The sheer confi-dence of a butterfly was Soror Gonzalez first impression of Theta Nu Xi. “Without words it was evident that the women apart of Theta Nu Xi were passionate about

educating their campus and commu-nity.” Pursuing her Master’s in Education at

comfort and pride in working with other women to build self-esteem and confidence. “Planning the "I Won't Stand for Self-Bullying" a women-only event with my chap-ter sisters (Alpha Iota) and Campus Health & Outreach Coordinator was my favorite TNX moment. Over 50 SUNY Plattsburgh women attended.” Year Crossed – Spring 2012, Alpha Iota Current Chapter – Xi Alpha

You can reach Josephine Gonzalez at northeast.rop@gmail.com.

Josephine Gonzalez, Regional Officer of Programming

aren’t usually heavily pursued. I wanted to educate others as well as myself on social justice.” Theta Nu Xi has shown Soror Hawkins many different ways to achieve the things she wants for herself and the organization. “I joined the RLT because I wanted to find another way to give back to my organization on a larger scale. Attending the 2011 convention in New Orleans was a great experience.” She met sisters like Katherine Stanley,

When looking for an opportunity to learn more about how she can make a differ-ence, Theta Nu Xi was right on the money for Soror Hawkins who is also a Math teacher in NYC. “I was intrigued when I first saw the

ladies of TNX. They were promoting and putting the spotlight on topics that

Rashida Rawls, Jamonique Holt and so many more who inspired her to create change and continue to positively impact her home chapter. Year Crossed – Spring 2011, Alpha Iota Current Chapter – GAP at Large

You can reach Jasmine Hawkins at north-east.rt@gmail.com.

Jasmine Hawkins, Regional Treasurer

profit world, Soror Belizaire’s Haitian heritage led her to support and embrace what Theta Nu Xi has to offer. “Theta Nu Xi truly represents the sisterhood that I have been looking for; where we are all different but we truly value each others’ differences and are willing to learn from each other every day.” In 10 years she believes Theta Nu Xi

Theta Nu Xi has given Soror Beliza-ire numerous op-portunities for growth and change. “TNX has allowed me to learn more about my strengths and weaknesses.”

With dreams of taking over the non-

will touch the heart of many people. “I would like us to be on the map, not just as a multi-cultural sorority but as an agent of change around the country and the world.” Year Crossed – Spring 2013, Alpha Iota Current Chapter – Alpha Iota You can reach Kimberlay Belizaire at north-east.usa.tnx@gmail.com

Kimberlay Belizaire, Regional Undergraduate Student Advocate

T HE NORT HEA ST RE GI ON AL NE WS LE TT ER Page 5

The 4th Annual Regional Conference Hosted by the Alpha Iota Chapter at SUNY Plattsburgh

Special Thanks to Our

Guest Writers!

Strawbry Jiles

Monica Copeland

Natasia Harrison

Carina Diaz

Regional Leadership Team

SPECIAL ANNOUCEMENT

Lavender & Carolina Blue BBQ on Saturday July 12th 1pm-8pm

NYC Riverside Park (West 145th Street on the Hudson River)

Join us for food, refreshments, music, and fun. Everyone is

welcome– Butterflies, friends, & family!

$5 for Unlimited food & Refreshments