Some of you might recall that last year I went to a regional conference for Alpha Phi in place of the advisor. Now that I am the chapter advisor, it was my responsibility to go again this year.
This conference is held for each quadrant of the United States and all of the schools send their collegiate officers. Once we're there, the girls and I spend the weekend going to classes/sessions related to what your position is. VP of Marketing will go to marketing related sessions, Chapter Advisor might go to risk management sessions, etc. Last year, I think the advisor content was more informative than this year but I did do some more networking this year! There were two other advisors who work with similar sized schools who I really connected with.
Also, at the end of the conference they often have a motivational or educational speaker. This is usually someone who is not a member of Alpha Phi but who is internationally renowned in their field. This year, the speaker was Dr. Lois Frankel, the author of Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office (and others).
Also, at the end of the conference they often have a motivational or educational speaker. This is usually someone who is not a member of Alpha Phi but who is internationally renowned in their field. This year, the speaker was Dr. Lois Frankel, the author of Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office (and others).
Dr. Frankel talks about things that women do that may be the reason why they aren't getting promoted or a raise or whatever it is they want in their career. I really enjoyed hearing her speak and was interested in getting a copy of her book. At some point in her speech, she asked for a volunteer but she hadn't said what for. I figured "why not?" so i raised my hand and I got picked to go up on stage with Dr. Lois. It was a bit daunting...I guess I forgot there were 200+ women in that room including the Alpha Phi International Executive board and President.
When I walked up she looked at me and said "hi" so, instinctively, I responded with "Hi I'm Ashley Moore" and held out my hand to shake her hand. Well that pleased her very much and she talked a bit about introducing yourself properly after that. Next we went through a scenario about how to confront someone in a fashion that yields a resolution and prevents the person being confronted from getting too defensive or emotional. I did pretty well and at the end she promised to send me a signed copy of her new/revised book! And of course, she sent me a signed copy right after the conference - I was so excited on Thursday when it showed up in my mailbox!
I get asked fairly frequently why I choose to volunteer for Alpha Phi. There are quite a few different reasons but sometimes I think I forget to mention that it's not just for the collegians, or for Alpha Phi International, it's for me too. I get to do some unique leadership and development training that helps me in the workplace as well - you can sure bet my work isn't sending me to leadership training. Thanks to Alpha Phi for providing and paying for the opportunities for us volunteers to continue our learning experiences and character development long after college has passed!
