Empowered for Life: How Theta Foundation Scholarships Keep Giving Back

Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation awarded me one of the Ann McIlrath Drake Scholarships, presented to individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership. This past August, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago for a reunion of the Drake Scholars Network.

It was such an engaging weekend filled with networking, learning, and connecting with other women who share a common goal of advancing women's leadership. We started the weekend with a keynote speaker, Ellen Taaffe, author of The Mirrored Door, and worked through small group breakout sessions on team building and leadership activities. To wrap up the weekend, we attended a women's leadership breakfast with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky at Winturst Arena with panelists Tania Haladner, chief marketing officer of the Chicago Sky; Anne Sempowski Ward, chairwoman of the board for CURiO Brands and Chicago Sky owner; and Tina Tchen, executive vice president and chief strategy and impact officer for the Obama Foundation.

Our panel discussions ranged from women's sports to politics, marketing, and business. Listening to each woman’s personal and professional journeys, they underscored the significance of self-worth and authenticity in each of them.

A nice bonus of this weekend was meeting other Thetas; events like this continue to emphasize how Theta membership lasts a lifetime, not only four years! I am incredibly grateful for the generosity of Theta Foundation donors who make scholarships and opportunities like this possible for Theta collegians and alumnae. I was unaware of these academic and leadership opportunities through Theta Foundation when I first joined Kappa Alpha Theta. As a Theta alumna, I am reminded how important and valuable my Theta membership is and that these opportunities still exist.

Ann McIlrath Drake, Beta Omicron/Iowa, is president and founder of Lincoln Road Enterprises, an organization invested in the advancement of women’s leadership, and chair of AWESOME (Achieving Women’s Excellence in Supply Chain Operations, Management and Education). Learn more about Ann and her named scholarship on the Theta website.