You graduated... now what?!

Congratulations to the Class of 2017! Theta Phi Alpha is so proud of you and all your accomplishments. We know that you have achieved many scholastic and personal accomplishments in the past four years. Whether you were initiated as a freshman or a senior, you have been a part of our collegian population and now move onto the wonderful world of being an alumna!

So... what exactly does this mean? You enjoyed Senior Farewell and then graduated, and now you're an alumna. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in the business of our chapter, and forget that the basis of our sorority is sisterhood. Now is the best time to celebrate our sisterhood!

Transitioning to the alumnae phase is one of the best parts of Theta Phi Alpha. The alumnae phase is the longest phase of membership, so you have the most years to enjoy it! The Fraternity has many ways for alumnae to stay involved in Theta Phi Alpha and enjoy the many benefits that come with our sisterhood. Below are just a few of the many things you can do to stay involved.

1. Join your local alumnae association or club. Don’t know where to locate the association or club or any women in the association? Fill out the Alumnae Association Interest Form. Don’t have an alumnae association or club in your area? Email Sue Check, Director of Alumnae Services, and request information on starting an alumnae association or club. Fill out the Member Contact Request Form and find other alumnae in your area to start an association or a club.
2. Pay your Alumnae Dues. Paying your Alumnae Dues allows you to be a member in good standing, and receive all Fraternity communications and publications, including The Compass. Dues are a minimum of $50 per year and the annual Alumnae Dues Appeals launches every September.  
3. Join us during the even years for National Convention! This is one of my favorite alumnae activities! We encourage all our sisters to attend National Convention if you are able. For the past few Conventions, we have been able to offer an alumnae outing prior to the start of Convention. We will offer that and other alumnae activities in Pittsburgh next summer. We hope to have some alumnae programming as well. You’ll meet so many wonderful sisters and learn so many new things if you come to Convention. Join us July 11-15, 2018 in Pittsburgh!
4. Follow the Fraternity! Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and our website. Stay connected to all things Theta Phi Alpha and see what is going in around the country and in your area!
5. Volunteer to serve as a National Officer. There are many volunteer jobs within the Fraternity. Fill out the National Officer application and when a position becomes available that you might be matched with, someone from our staff will contact you. We are always looking for women to serve on our Chapter Advisory Boards, so if there are chapters in your area (even if it’s not your own), please indicate that on the form. 
6. Donate to the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation. The Foundation supports so many wonderful things in Theta Phi Alpha, and it’s important to make sure that we give back to the Foundation. Scholarship is one of the most important aspects of our Fraternity, and the Foundation prioritizes it and awards many scholarships each year. You can apply for a Foundation Scholarship if you are a graduate student as well! Donations to the Foundation can be directed to many different funds, from specific scholarship funds to educational funds and the general fund as well.
7. Volunteer for an event in your area. Theta Phi Days are usually held in the fall throughout many regions of the country. Each region has a Coordinator and Lead Facilitator, with other sisters assisting in the facilitation of the curriculum. Watch for the announcement for Theta Phi Days coming this fall. 
8. Register for our new membership portal, my.thetaphialpha.org. You can see your donations to the Foundation, your service records, find other sisters, add mentoring information, and pay your Alumnae Dues. Our membership portal assists us in connecting our sisterhood, so encourage others to sign up! (The portal requires a separate login from the login that you use for the Theta Phi Alpha website.)
9. Update your contact information with the National Office and encourage your other sisters to do the same. This is a very important if you want to stay informed, engaged, and involved! Theta Phi Alpha needs the most updated contact information in order to make sure we can send you newsletters and other important news. You are able to update your contact information in the membership portal, my.thetaphialpha.org. (Follow #8 to register and update your information!)
10. Find alumnae in your area and become friends! We are already sisters, so the connection is already there. One of the best things I’ve done in Theta Phi Alpha is make so many wonderful alumnae connections and gain so many wonderful friends. One of my best Theta Phi Alpha friends lives in Nebraska and I live in New Jersey. Many others will tell you the same thing!

Being an alumna is such a wonderful part of Theta Phi Alpha and I encourage each new alumna to connect with other alumnae and find your favorite part about being an alumna. 

I hope to see you at National Convention in Pittsburgh!

Yours in the Bonds of Sisterhood,

Lauren Svec Gallo
National Vice President-Alumnae