Minnesota State University Mankato
Gamma Phi Beta's are proud of our involvement across campus and throughout the Mankato community. From Coaching Girls on the Run, Being Dance Marathon Captains , Advocating for organizations close to our hearts, and serving as interns in the community and on campus, there is always someone representing our letters proudly. Getting involved is easy with the support and encouragement of friends like these! We are proud of the commitment and involvement that the women of our sorority are apart of.
We know that being in Greek Life has a stigma of consuming all of your time and energy. That surely is not the case, knowing how many different organizations, non-profits and businesses the members of our chapter are active in. Expanding networks, learning and growing are crucial in the lives of those in the Gamma Pi chapter and we are over the moon proud of all of their accomplishments and the drive to stay active in the communities they are involved in.
Internships:
"I got the opportunity to work as a servant leader intern for Children’s Defense fund. It was a teaching internship that focused on students of African American and Native American descent. They got to opportunity to be taught about their cultures from teachers that look like them and are in the same culture as them. Some of these students experience issues in the regular school year and struggle to know about their heritage. We talked about important issues that kids don’t usually get to learn about in schools like residential schools and the generational trauma that is still experienced by Native Americans. The program was based around reading and social action and what these students can do for their world, it was important for them to know that the issues they cared about mattered."
- Lauren Wojack
"I do marketing and event planning for College of Business. This includes running all of the College of Business social media and creating graphics, as well as planning all of the events hosted by the College of Business, such as the student engagement fair, deans list brunch, and the Richard Schmitz lecture series!"
-Emilee Thomas
"I have the honor to be interning for the YWCA Mankato's Girls on the run program this semester. I will be helping get sit bins and binders together, assisting with coach training and implementing the program with the help of my supervisor. I have had some opportunities to already recruit coaches on campus. I am over the moon to be working so closely with our philanthropy and look forward to what this internship will bring me. I am eager to learn and grow through this company and bring my experience and knowledge of Girls on the Run back to the chapter!"
-Natalie Turkowski
The picture above is Lauren's Students after participating in a science project. They got to learn how to make homemade ice cream! Yum!
In the photo below, some students heard a hand drum for the first time and got to hear some stories from some elders.
Recognized Student Organizations :
Student Dietetics and Nutrition Organization. We have weekly meetings and we have guest speakers and networking. I am required to complete 7 service hours a semester that are nutrition based volunteering!"
-McKenzie Wallerus
"In Student Ambassadors we volunteer and give tours for potential students. Usually the tours are the Saturday open houses or admitted student open houses. We also give tours to high schools that come to visit. The tours we give are only an hour and each member gets to personalize their tour the way they want each time. We volunteer in the community and do socials.
-Angela Murphy
"NASA, Native American Student Association. I joined to connect with people who have the same heritage as me. I joined Fall 2021 and in the same semester was elected into the Vice President position. We plan events where we are usually making something or educating people on campus. We make things like ribbon skirts, dreamcatchers, and medicine bags. I love teaching those around me about things in my culture and this is an amazing opportunity to do that!"
-Lauren Wojack
Jobs in the Mankato area:
"I am a ballet teacher as well as a coach for Spotlight Dance Company in Mankato. I have been with this studio for the past year, but I have previous experience from working with other studios such as Janet Lang Dance Studio in Rochester, MN and the Byron Dance Academy in Byron, MN.
Being involved in both the studio and the chapter can be hard to balance sometimes, but it is all about time management. My schedule at the studio is the same every week, so I know ahead of time how I can work ahead in my position in Gamma Phi and when I can take time to see my sisters."
-Ryann Lake
"I’m the Public Relations assistant, so I help write stories for the “you got this” newsletter that gets sent to every student! I work on the CAN, which is what you will see around campus (especially in the bathrooms) that tells you everything that is going on around campus. I help with CSU planned events for social media coverage and make graphics for the social media accounts. I also do giveways at tabling events!"
-Angela Murphy
"I am a Direct Support Professional at the Harry Meyering Center. I have been working there every other weekend and picking up extra shifts for the past 6 months. The flexibility in my schedule makes it easier to go to meetings and events. "
-Anna Peterson
These are some examples of the graphics and the CAN that Angela designs and posts for her CSU job! The CAN is what you will usually see in the bathrooms around campus with all the potential events happening that week!
Volunteer/ Advocacy Work:
"I volunteer at the Lincoln Community Center as a teacher’s assistant. I help English Language Learners better their English and receive their GEDs. The students I work with range in age from 19 to 60 years old. I help them with their reading, writing, comprehension, and speaking. Throughout my experience, I have gained relationships with these students that are beyond the classroom. Some of these students I have on social media accounts, contact information, and I have had coffee with one of my students multiple times. This experience has helped me use my leadership qualities to make Mankato feel like home to not only myself, but to these students too. "
-Olivia Hagen
-Molly Nhean
"I have volunteered with the Alexandra House Women’s Shelter Home since 2015 as a Youth Advisory Council member and a member of their event committees. Alexandra House is a women’s shelter home for victims and families who are seeking aid from a violent relationship or situation. As a volunteer I have helped advocate for more prevention of sexual and domestic violence all over the state of MN. I advocate for these issues by tabling at events, public speaking at the capitol, as an event speaker for Alexandra House, volunteer at their Holiday shop, and act as a youth voice on multiple of their event committees. Being involved in the Alexandra House has truly inspired me to always give back to the community and it has made me into the survivor advocate that I am today. The Alexandra House opened my eyes to so many amazing opportunities and connections that have immensely impacted my life.
"I have been a Youth Advisory Board member since 2017 at the Violence Free Minnesota non-profit organization which also strives to end all relationship violence through their advocacy work. As a member I organize our annual Youth Leadership Conference that occurs every year in February. I also advocate change through public speaking at the capitol, tabling at public events such as the PRIDE Festival, and give presentations at schools. Our campaign for Violence Free Minnesota is called Real Love Is which encourages members of the community to think about what real love means to them and be more educated on what exactly real love is in any kind of relationship. This organization has been a life changing experience for me in which I made so many new connections and became more educated on recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships."
Pictured above is Olivia and a few of the individuals she has had the opportunity to work with and help! Olivia says, "I have gained relationships with these students that are beyond the classroom. This experience has helped me use my leadership qualities to make mankato feel like home to not only myself, but to these students too."
Pictured here is Molly speaking at an event hosted by the Alexandra House. Molly has been a volunteer with the Alexandra House women's shelter home since 2015 as a youth advisory council member.
Above is Molly with others individuals apart of the non-profit called 'Real Love is.' "This organization has been a life changing experience for me in which i made so many new connections and became more educated on recognizing healthy and unhealthy relationships."
Program Acceptances:
Accepted into the Nursing Program in the College of Allied Health and Nursing for Spring 2022
"I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 10 years old!"
-Renae Raustadt
Accepted into the Nursing Program in the College of Allied Health and Nursing for Fall 2021
"I have had to witness handfuls of friends and family members of mine suffer due to whatever health conditions have brought them into the hospital. Something in common that each of these individuals told me that what made their stay SO much better were the great nurses that cared for them. I want to be a nurse because I want to be able to do that for other people like those amazing nurses did for my own loved ones."
