FOUNDATIONFOCUS

2020

KATYA’S JOURNEYBy Emily Bench

When Alla Palouiko and Vadim Mikhailenko married in 1996, Alla didn’t get to wear a white dress and Vadim never got to see her walk down the aisle. Instead of having a wedding with all the frills, the pair saved the money and moved to the United States to start a family.“Life in Belarus was super limited because the government held control over everyone’s lives,” daughter, Katya Mikhailenko, Wisconsin, says. “It was not a sustainable way of living.” So, in 1997, they moved to Mequon, Wisconsin, and Katya was born a year later. But even as a child, Katya never forgot the risk her parents took for her and her younger siblings by moving to the United States. “That’s what is always in the back of my head when things get hard,” Katya says. “I always think about my parents coming here so I could have all these opportunities. I’d be selling them short by giving up.”

By the time Katya was looking at colleges, she realized she’d have to

take out loans to pay for it. Her father worked full-time and her mother stayed at home to take care of Katya’s three younger siblings: Ilia, Anya and Alex. “My parents gave me everything they could, but it was clear I’d be responsible for paying for my education,” she says.Katya attended the University of Wisconsin with the help of academic scholarships, but she still had to take out loans. She followed in her parents’ footsteps as a systems engineering major, which requires intense hours of studying. “I was stressed about paying for school,” she says. “I realized I’d probably need to get a job, but I genuinely didn’t think I had the bandwidth to do that.” Then Katya heard about Kappa Kappa Gamma. She quickly found a group of sisters who surrounded her with love and support.When Katya learned about Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation scholarships, she applied and was awarded an endowed scholarship earmarked for members of Eta Chapter.

“The Kappa Foundation scholarship has meant so much to my family because they know that their oldest child will be graduating in a good financial position,” she says. “My family grew up in a country where Greek life didn’t exist, and now they see Kappa supporting me and they love it.”

Thanks to donors like you, the Kappa Foundation awarded more than $2 million in scholarship support to 602 members for the 2019–20 academic year so students like Katya can follow their dreams.

A MESSAGE FROM THE

Dear Kappas,

The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation is so grateful for the friendship and support from sisters like you in all seasons of life. And this season certainly is one for the books. Everywhere we look, there are changes. So many of us are learning how to embrace challenges and navigate new norms. But despite the unknown, Kappa remains a constant.

Thanks to sustaining support from donors, the Foundation has been able to continue our mission: Investing in our members by funding programs that fulfill the evolving needs of women. As I write this letter, Rose McGill Grant requests have never been higher, scholarships have been determined for the upcoming academic year and the Education and Training Department has pivoted to create a virtual series on mental well-being for not only Kappas, but for everyone.

Your generosity in the name of sisterhood continues to be our inspiration in these unprecedented times. As you read this issue of the Foundation Focus and see how gifts like yours have touched so many lives, I hope you’re inspired to continue to support us.

Throughout this issue, we highlight the impact of our Foundation — whether through mental wellness efforts, providing life-changing scholarships (Katya’s Journey), helping a sister in need through Rose McGill or by diving deep into our fascinating history (Speaking the Truth). No matter how you choose to support us, I want you to know that the ultimate impact of your generosity is bigger than you think and more meaningful than you can imagine.

Together, we can continue making a lasting impact on the lives of our sisters.

Loyally,

Maggie Sims CoonsExecutive Director

Please make checks payable to:

Mail to:

6640 Riverside Drive, Suite 200Dublin, Ohio 43017

blaze a trail for future kappasBecause of gifts from donors like you, we are able to accomplish all these things and more for our ever-growing sisterhood. We are so appreciative of your continued giving and generosity.

donate.kappa.org/FF20

impact

A “feeling of panic” is the way Andrea Venditti Kline, Purdue, describes the moment she realized that she and her husband, Clayton, both dentists, would have to temporarily shut down their dental practices as ordered by the state of Ohio because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Andrea and Clayton met in dental school at the Ohio State University, married, had two children and settled in Celina, Ohio, where Clayton opened a private dental practice. Andrea found work as a dentist, too, in a separate practice that provides dental care for mostly Medicaid-funded patients, a calling she says fits with her love for working with people.

When the Klines had to stop working, their dental school loans were not deferrable.

The couple is also responsible for the loan used to start Clayton’s private practice and the banks were not helpful. “As two dentists, you aren’t thinking anyone will want to help,” Andrea says. They looked at everything they could possibly defer or stop paying. They dipped into the savings they had set aside for their children’s education.

With nowhere to turn, Andrea applied for a Rose McGill emergency grant. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but a grant came quickly from the Kappa Foundation. The grant enabled Andrea to bridge the gap until they were able to slowly start re-opening their respective dental practices. There are still challenges, like securing enough personal protective equipment, and physical distancing means seeing fewer patients, but Andrea says she is hopeful.

Like many people, Andrea is taking it one day at a time. The Rose McGill Grant represents more than a financial life raft. “Not only do the grants provide much-needed financial assistance, but they also provide clarity. They opened our eyes and allowed us to see the good in all of this chaos and worry. You have lifted our spirits. This sisterhood is very real, and I am proud to be a part of it,” Andrea says.

By Kristin Sangid, Georgia Southern

FINDING HOPE, RESTORING OPTIMISM

“This sisterhood is very real, and I am proud

to be part of it.”

MINNIE, I LIKE YOUR STYLENamed in honor of Founder Minnie Stewart, the Minnie Stewart van is a Kappa and women’s history museum-on-wheels. On Founders Day 2019, the mobile museum set out on a road trip across North America to celebrate Kappa’s 150th anniversary. On each stop, the Minnie van offers an immersive experience on women’s history and is an opportunity to explore Kappa’s heritage in new ways, including virtual reality. The van’s exhibits are curated by Edith Petersilia Mayo, George Washington, curator emerita of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History.

From October 2019 to March 2020, the van was on course to visit hundreds of chapters and associations and roll into Founders Day 2020 in Monmouth, Illinois. Due to the pandemic, the tour is delayed until

it’s safer to travel and gather. “We can’t wait to start again in the fall and we know people will be waiting for the Minnie van to come to town,” says Kylie Towers Smith, Simpson, Archivist/Museum Director.

MEET THE VANBASSADORSThe van’s driving duo is made up of vanbassadors Karen Burkholder Nichols, Virginia Tech, and Elizabeth Smith, Monmouth. While Karen and Elizabeth are #vanlife enthusiasts, they don’t actually live in the van when it’s touring. However, they do spend a lot of time there. So far, they’ve driven 18,441 miles to visit 63 chapters and 113 alumnae associations with over 3,600 visitors experiencing the van. GETTING VIRTUALThe Minnie Stewart van has transformed the way we connect with our rich heritage. Wearing Oculus virtual reality goggles, visitors step inside a simulated Stewart House, home of Minnie Stewart, to see where Kappa’s charter was signed, stand on the Monmouth bridge where our Founders conceived of something new, and witness the legendary moment when they marched into chapel while other students cheered

and stomped their feet. Experiencing these virtual moments of Kappa’s founding is like nothing we have seen before. ON THE ROAD AGAINWhile on hiatus, the Minnie Stewart van is being taken care of at The Stewart House in Monmouth. We look forward to revving up Minnie’s engine once it’s safe to do so, and we’ll post the van schedule this fall on www.kappaturns150.org. “Thank you for believing in the potential of this project. Thank you for supporting it in those critical first months when we were trying to show the world what a treasure we had,” Kylie says. The Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation seeks to engage and educate our members and with your support, we can continue to offer programs like the Minnie Stewart van. Happy 150th, Kappa Kappa Gamma! –Emily Bench For more, visit www.kappaturns150.org/on-the-road-2020 and follow @minniestewartvan on Instagram.

EMPOWERING WELLNESSBy Lucy First Gerlach, DePauw

Wellness has been on everyone’s mind this year. Stress affects us all in different ways, even when it’s hard to recognize. No matter the cause, stress can affect mental health and wellness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, how you cope is key.

With campuses closed and members meeting virtually, Kappa wanted to provide resources. In April, the Education and Training Department at Kappa Headquarters launched a six-week Wellness Wednesday series. Hosted on Facebook Live with co-hosts Jessica Gendron Williams, a longtime Kappa friend and award-winning speaker, and Fraternity President Gail Owen, Monmouth, the virtual series offered candid conversations on mental health topics ranging from how to recognize when you’re not OK to finding healthy ways to cope. While on this journey, we found hope and encouragement —not just from the experts — but from joining together as a sisterhood to support one another, including many

of our Panhellenic friends and family members who joined us each Wednesday.

“It is something that people have been able to look forward to and connect with,” says Alex Dudek, Kappa’s Manager of Education Programs and Training, who helped develop the series.

The episodes had more than 50,000 unique views and an estimated reach of 104,300 people ranging in age from 25 to 65 plus.

Alex says the series engaged members and nonmembers, giving all something to look forward to each week. A viewer shared on Facebook, “Although I am not a Kappa, I am a mom of a Kappa. The Wellness Wednesdays have been such a blessing by providing supportive stories. Thank you for taking the time to set up this series.”

The success of the series has inspired the Education and Training Department to think about alternative types of programming in an effort to reach more people than typical in-person trainings. “We want those types of accessible, open, creative education that engages people,” Alex says.

Programs like the Wellness Wednesday series are made possible by generous donations to the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation. If you missed the Wellness Wednesday series, you can view it here: www.facebook.com/kappakappagamma/live.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FOUNDATION PROGRAMS

SPEAKING THE TRUTHBy Dr. Mary Osborne, MonmouthThe Stewart House Museum Specialist and scholar-in-residence at Monmouth College

The most exciting part of managing a historic house involves bringing new people in the door to experience a new narrative of history. In a rural town like Monmouth, Illinois, this responsibility can be a challenge. I am always asking myself: How do I communicate the immeasurable impact Kappa has made to people who don’t know much about fraternal organizations? Thanks to a unique partnership with Kappa and Monmouth College, I’ve had the exciting opportunity of teaching an untapped demographic all about the lasting legacy of Kappa. Established in 2018, the scholar-in-residence program at Monmouth College allows me to conduct research on women’s history and the women’s fraternal movement as I teach courses for the history department. In fall 2018, I taught a course exploring the American homefront’s response to World War I, including how alumnae of fraternal organizations contributed to the war effort. My class not only learned about well-known figures such as Carrie Chapman Catt, but also about less familiar women like Dorothy Canfield Fisher, Ohio State,

and Mary Merritt Crawford, Cornell. During the course, my students came to recognize fraternal organizations’ tradition of molding trailblazers. Last semester, my course investigated what Americans knew about the Holocaust and why the United States failed to stop the genocide. American journalists abroad described the Nazis’ abuse, but their editors routinely dismissed or censored these reports. By examining primary documents, we traced the Holocaust’s evolution to understand how the Nazi government legalized hatred and how the public rationalized it. One of the journalists we discussed was Nora Waln, Swarthmore. When Nora and her husband lived in Germany in the 1930s, she chronicled her experience in a book, Reaching for the Stars. Influenced by Quaker teachings, Nora was determined to keep an open mind and understand what she could about Nazism. Reaching for the Stars boldly recounted her interactions with citizens of the Reich and their thoughts on Nazi policy. It was largely devoid of Nora’s personal opinions, leaving readers to draw their own

conclusions. But the Nazis still confiscated her manuscript. Nora later rewrote the book after returning to the U.S. and sent a copy to Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. Himmler responded by kidnapping seven children whom Nora knew. She courageously offered to take their place as a hostage but refused to retract what she had written. During World War II, she later served as the European administrator of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fund for War Mothers and Children. In 1992, Reaching for the Stars was reissued under a new title, The Approaching Storm: One Woman’s Story of Germany, 1934–1938. Throughout the course, we analyzed articles and eyewitness reports detailing the violence in Nazi Germany. Studying Nora and her book humanized this history for my students. By linking fraternal organizations to decisive moments in history, my classes have performed a type of public outreach. Nora’s actions are but one example of Kappa’s influence as a positive force, which resonates with a new generation of women seeking truth and authenticity.

Nora Waln in Berlin, 1961

KAPPAS ARE NEVER ALONEBy Emily Bench

Her mind won’t quiet down as she walks across campus. Her heart is racing and her palms are sweating. Exhausted from another sleepless night, the thought of going to class and pretending like she’s fine sounds like torture.

This isn’t just your average case of nerves. This is anxiety, and Kappas are not immune. A staggering one in five adults in the United States will be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in any given year, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Anxiety is a complex and often misunderstood mental illness, says clinical psychologist and anxiety specialist Dr. Sarah Haider, William & Mary. Add the extra uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and social justice concerns, students might find themselves even more anxious.“Anxiety is more than simply feeling ‘stressed,’ or even ‘very, very stressed,’” says Sarah. “When triggered, anxiety will wreak havoc on the person’s nervous system and often leave them unable to eat or sleep, much less finish complicated or even basic tasks.”

Below are some telltale signs of a college student with anxiety, according to Sarah.

• “If I ask a question in class, my professor will judge me and fail me on my exam, which means I’ll fail the class.”

• “I still haven’t been able to work on that term paper because I’m waiting to have the ‘perfect‘ idea and way to write it.”

• “Did I sound too mean when I asked my friend if we could hang out tomorrow instead of tonight?”

• “I don’t have the mental capacity to finish this big project. I just can’t seem to focus.”

• “I think something is going on, but I’m too scared to talk about it or go see a counselor. It’s probably nothing anyway.”

“As we bring awareness to these disorders, we increase the likelihood that the person will seek treatment, and in turn begin to feel much better and live a healthy life,” says Sarah. “With proper treatment, they can go on to have a productive and enjoyable college experience.”

A mental health professional can help determine when it’s more than just stress and should be better treated by a mental health professional.

Mental Health ScreeningKappa is committed to improving the mental health of our members through well-being programming. We believe mental health is a key part of overall health, which is why Kappa is proud to provide mental health screening to our members as well as to our friends, families, and communities. The screening tool is available at www.kappa.org/mentalhealthscreening

Harm-Prevention SeriesSupport for Kappa’s harm-prevention educational programs for our collegiate members is needed now more than ever, including these crucial programs: the mental health curriculum Behind Happy Faces; Alcohol Skills Training Program; sexual assault prevention and survivor support training Aspiring to a Higher Ideal of Sisterhood: Building a Culture of Safety and Support; and our newest diversity, equity and inclusion program, Are you Ensuring Everyone’s Asked to Dance?

Go to Kappa.org/foundation or contact Emily Wood, Director of Advancement, at ewood@kappa.org or 903-280-0061 to learn more about the Foundation’s programs and how you can make a difference with your support.