SAY HELLO TO NANCY JUAREZ

We could not be more pleased to announce that Nancy Juarez, a new member to the CA Theta chapter of Pi Beta Phi as of fall 2017, has been chosen for our winter sister in the spotlight.

Nancy is as enthusiastic and driven as one can get. She is a joy to be around, lighting up a room and inspiring everyone around her to do good. She is a first-year student, majoring in International Agricultural Development and minoring in Arabic. Being a first-generation college student, Nancy comes at college with a sense of gratitude and respect that reminds all our sisters to appreciate where we are and what we have.

Being from Stamford, Connecticut, home is far away for Nancy. In part, this distance is what drove her to participate in fall 2017 recruitment, but what made her choose Pi Beta Phi is something much deeper.

“I went through the process of formal recruitment knowing Davis would be different. I have always been apart of a field hockey team during high school, and I knew coming into college I would want to continue to surround myself with a community/team dynamic. Yet, I didn’t realize how empowering Pi Beta Phi would become for me. As I went from house to house, I envisioned myself getting ready with all the women, having slumber parties, and having a shoulder to cry on when things got rough. But Pi Beta Phi was different. When I visited the house I saw women I aspired to be. I saw women who would be a shoulder to cry on, but then immediately follow with the question, ‘so what now?’ I am so thankful to have a group of women who inspire and challenge me daily to choose action over inaction.”

Nancy is as involved as one can get— both inside and outside of Greek life. She actively participates in Model UN, is a commissioner for the Ethnic and Cultural Affairs Commission housed under ASUCD, is in the Field Hockey Club, and holds the position of Arrow Chair in our chapter. Even with all that, she seeks more involvement and leadership in Pi Phi.

“Sorority is really what you make of it, I’ve learned that relationships aren’t going to fall out of the sky, they take work and effort, but ultimately what you put in you get out 10-fold.”

Nancy helps all of us in Pi Beta Phi remember that our chapter is the amalgamation of each member’s unique identity and effort. Being a first-generation college student, and looking back on her experience through fall formal recruitment, she hopes to make her mark on our chapter and the Greek community by making Greek life more inclusive.

“Reflecting on the experience now, unless you had parents or siblings involved in the Greek community you’d probably not know where to turn to get involved. I was considering going through fall recruitment, but being first generation I didn’t know where to start... I didn’t even know the process was called “recruitment.” Since the process is so early in the year it is hard to advertise. I found that most of my new member class had relatives or siblings in Greek life that helped them through the process. Yet, the only reason I joined was because I met someone in orientation who told me her plan and walked me through the steps. If it wasn’t for luck I would have missed out on recruitment and Pi Beta Phi all together.

With that, I hope to create an experience for those first generations students who never had parents in Greek life feel welcomed and not intimidated by terms like ‘bigs and littles’ or ‘Panhellenic’ and ‘bids and preference.’ Sometimes I wondered if I was the only one who was lost by all the terms. Now being on the inside looking out, I see how that miscommunication occurred. In the future, I’d like to show that at its core Pi Beta Phi is about uplifting voices and empowering each other, all of the rest comes second!”

Our chapter cannot wait to see what Nancy has in store for us!