Epsilon Alumni Newsletter VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 2007 OH BABY! There has definitely been a baby boom in the Epsilon chapter! Here are the wonderful children that have extended our sisterhood family. Get to know them now. Sothara’s daughter Tyniah 1 year old These days, Tyniah has just been all over the place. She started walking when she was 10 months and she is now 13 months today (12/15/06). She LOVES watching Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!!! Those are her favorite shows. She even claps along with them and dances. It's cute!!! She's in that curious stage where she's into everything, BUT she's actually pretty good when I tell her not to touch anything..she won't. She loves going up the stairs. It's kind of hard to keep up with her at times. And of course she's a talker. She doesn't quite say words yet but she does say dad and ma and the regular baby sounds. She also waves bye as well. Tyniah is just growing up so fast, I'm sure a lot of moms feel the same way with their kids. Telenia’s sons Aisea(2 weeks) and Alema (22 months) Needless to say Nia’s a busy mommy these days. Aisea is a big boy eater and has the most beautiful grey eyes. His parents wouldn't mind them to stay like that but, however they end up we'll be happy. His older brother Alema is in his climbing and jumping stage. He understands so much more everyday and his memory retains so many new concepts each day. He loves his baby brother even though it's hard for him to realize the attention isn't all directed towards him like before. Soni and Nia are excited to have two boys so close together giving them the opportunity to grow together and attend school together, that last part is a major plus for their mom because she is somewhat anxious at the thought of her kids going into the school scene without someone to back them up.
Transcript
Epsilon Alumni Newsletter
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 4
JANUARY 2007
OH BABY!
There has definitely been a baby boom in the Epsilon chapter! Here are the wonderful children that have extended our sisterhood family. Get to know them now.
Sothara’s daughter
Tyniah 1 year old
These days, Tyniah has just been all over the place. She started walking when she was 10 months and she is now 13 months today (12/15/06). She LOVES watching Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go!!! Those are her favorite shows. She even claps along with them and dances. It's cute!!! She's in that curious stage where she's into everything, BUT she's actually pretty good when I tell her not to touch anything..she won't. She loves going up the stairs. It's kind of hard to keep up with her at times. And of course she's a talker. She doesn't quite say words yet but she does say dad and ma and the regular baby sounds. She also waves bye as well. Tyniah is just growing up so
fast, I'm sure a lot of moms feel the same way with their kids.
Telenia’s sons
Aisea(2 weeks) and Alema (22 months)
Needless to say Nia’s a busy mommy these days. Aisea is a big boy eater and has the most
beautiful grey eyes. His parents wouldn't mind them to stay like that but, however they end up we'll be happy. His older brother Alema is in his
climbing and jumping stage. He understands so much more everyday and
his memory retains so many new concepts each day. He loves his baby brother even though it's hard for him to realize the attention isn't
all directed towards him like before. Soni and Nia are excited to have two boys so close together giving them the opportunity to grow
together and attend school together, that last part is a major plus for their mom because she is somewhat anxious at the thought of her
kids going into the school scene without someone to back them up.
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Mandy’s kids
Sydney (3 years) and Max (1 year)
Sydney has definitely grown like wild fire, and then all of the sudden Max is here and growing just as fast. Sydney enjoys her tap and ballet class once a week and Max is enjoying his new freedom with crawling and walking. The best part about these two is they love each other, play together and have their own inside jokes. Scott and Mandy couldn’t be prouder!
Michelle’s son Elijah 15 months
Elijah Gabriel Baeza was born on September 15, 2005, in Reno, Nevada. He is now 15 months old and as grown to become quite the little man. He has a strong personality that shines throughout most of the day, unless he has just woken up and then good luck getting any sort of smile out of him. He is very hyper, can be sneaky, absolutely hilarious, kind, giving, playful, skinny, very agile, a sprinter, a climber, a picky eater, a mama’s boy, but best of all, very loving and enjoys sharing his endless hugs and kisses… he is God’s gift to Michelle and Jose and their lives would be incomplete without his little spirit.
Martine’s boys
Rasheed and Hakim
“Rasheed(2yrs in Jan) is the sneaky one and likes to see how far he can take it with you, He also loves his little brother Hakim( 10 Mths) every time Rasheed gets something he tries to break a piece and gives it to him. But don't count on that when it's good candy. They both are thieves in the night. They compliment each other very well and I swear I am feeding a football team they eat so much
Rasheed loves Cheese and Hakim will eat anything I mean anything shoelace, toilet paper, buffalo chicken anything is good in his mouth. Of course they have mom's great smile and both parents appetite combined . Anyway they are awesome and the true loves of my life.”
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Celestial Starr (Bybee) Brandley is an Epsilon Chapter Founder, catch up with her now while she explains what she is up to:
My junior year during Theta Nu Xi I was the ASUSU Executive Vice President. The next year I had to go inactive because of my involvement with ASUSU as President. I graduated that year and chose to go on a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I served a mission in Cebu, Philippines for 19 months. I loved it! I lived with Philippino Sisters (my mission companions) for the entire time and learned to speak their language and cook/eat their food and adopted every other part of their culture that was consistent with my standards and beliefs. In a way I became a Philippino! The mission was over in Sept. 2005.
My parents came to get me and brought me home to Cache Valley. A couple days after I was home I went to USU campus to visit some friends. While on campus I was offered three excellent choices of jobs and took the one working with the Vice President for Student Services, Dr. Juan Franco.
That is what I am doing now, I am the USU GEAR UP Program Coordinator. Since I started working I got married to the love of my world, Jakob Steele Brandley of Canada, ran another marathon, bought a small condo in Logan, and applied for graduate school. So that is what I do now. I work full time for the university and I am a graduate student in The College of Education and Human Services. I am working towards my Master's Degree. I enjoy running! I love it. I know it sounds crazy. I am not even really that good at it, but I love it. I also enjoy learning/reading (especially studying and learning about the Doctrines of the Gospel). I really enjoy making others happy. If I can be any part of joy in someone's life it just makes my day. I love to be an active advocate for truth and for good causes. I also really enjoy spending time with my husband and our families. I live for Sundays!!! Work hard all week and then a day of rest and worship and spend time with family. After Jakob and I graduate we will most likely move out of the state for a little while - find the best job he can and I will most likely take a part time job as a lecturer at a Junior College or University because I would like to be a mom full-time. I see us having 3-4 children (we'll see - Jake is hoping for more like 5 - 6) we’ll just take them one at a time (maybe two if we are blessed to have twins?). I see myself always staying active in life, even as a mother. Still working out, a part of the school
system, active in the community, still working part time until my children are on their own. As my children get older I see myself going back to school for a Ph.D.. I would eventually like to be a professor or in another department of Student Services at a University. We'll see - I have high aspirations for myself - but most importantly I want to be the best mom I can to my children and raise smart/well productive children who will be good citizens and most important good people - true to themselves and have others around them always. I am also so excited to go on another mission and maybe more. Jakob and I will go when we retire - that will be a while - but I am excited to have him as my mission companion and help spread the truth again full-time.
I don't know that I have advice for any of them. Theta Women really hold their own and are reliable, strong, honest, true, service-oriented, scholastically achieved, open and kind to all cultures and people, they are Theta women. My only advice, would be to all people anywhere is to learn who you are and what you believe and then be true to that. But stay open minded and accept others for who they are. Our purpose in this life is to have joy - so I pray we can all find it amongst the craziness of the World!
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EPSILON ALUMNI ACCOUNT COMING SOON…. An account in being created by founder Sharon Pewtress to provide a means for the Epsilon chapter and its sisters educational opportunities to fulfill the mission of Theta Nu Xi. Our success and sustainability can only be obtained through the support of our sisters who share our passion that has outlasted our undergraduate years. Each and every donation is greatly appreciated, and every penny raised will go directly towards programs designed to benefit the Epsilon chapter and uphold the Theta Nu Xi mission and tenets. Benefits of donating:
• To create a lasting legacy • To continue your support of the chapter and community • To have control over your charitable giving • The security to know your donation to the chapter will continue to
grow in perpetuity while maintaining value in real terms and; • Benefit from tax deductions
More information on how to donate will be in upcoming newsletters! If anyone is interested in helping set up the account and/or serve on the board to determine how the funds are spent once the minimum amount is met and the chapter makes a request, contact Sharon Pewtress. [email protected]
4 Mandy and Scott Donavan’s 4th Anniversary 10 Happy Birthday Carol Cabanillas! 29 Happy Birthday Katie Loken!
Upcoming Events
NEWSLETTERThe Medium is the MessageUsing the internet to stay connected to sisters
We are a species continually recreating ourselves and our environment. We have extended almost every facet of ourselves via technology. And now MySpace is tak-ing things one step further. It is an extension of the web of relationships that connect people. It is a technology that isn’t just an “extension of man,” but of the connections among people.It’s the new place to hang out, replacing the malt shop or mall of earlier eras. It’s a
new neighborhood, an electronic neighborhood that is seemingly unbounded by
space and time.This is now where young people now live. They understand this new environment in a way that older generations never will. This, to me, is the revolution. (Taken from jimkarpen.com).
How do we make this something to benefit our sisterhood?
Not a new concept to many, but if you haven’t already, take the plung and joined one of these networking sites. Hesitation definately comes because of many reports on the news lately indicating that a myspace page can effect your career. But just as any form of public information, you are in the drivers seat and decide what is posted and what is seen.
Second, get all your friends involved. Let them know where you are going to post, and how often you plan to update. Make it a part of your weekly routine.
Third, after setting up one of these accounts, maintain it. Make it a regular site you visit and update so that visitors, especially sisters in this case, know to check back often to see what new pics, comments, etc you have posted.
Finally, be smart about what you post and who you let make comments and see your information. We all know this is safe and wise.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: APRIL YAP HENNIGSince I attended USU, I later graduated in
public relations, mass communications from the University of Utah . I later moved to Los Angeles and went on to work in public rela-tions and marketing for a number of compa-nies including the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball
Tour, Sierra Mist, and ultimately GOT MILK? In August of 2005, I left Los Angeles and my career in public relations to go back to school to obtain my MBA from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in Indi-ana . This was naturally the next step in my career.
While I was there I had a chance to meet a number of people, in particular I met the man of my dreams, Andreas Hennig. Andreas and I were introduced to each other by one of my Indian classmates, Jatin. Andreas and Jatin met at boarding school in India and later went to Purdue together. Andreas, who is German, actually grew up in Nepal and later went to school in India . He went to Purdue and graduated with his BS in Civil/ Construction Engineering. Following graduation, Andreas worked in Wisconsin , which is where he was living when I met him.
Andreas and his friends happened to have come back for a football game at Purdue, which was the day I met him. Since then, An-dreas and I spent the past year together. He moved to San Diego in January of 2006. I was working for Chevron in SF this summer which made it a lot easier to see Andreas in SD. Af-ter returning to school for
my second year, Andreas and I realized that we were well on the path of marriage. We planned our wedding in 3 months! Andreas had flown to Utah to ask for my hand in mar-riage from my parents and on November 4th, with a surprise visit, candles, rose petals and a ring,we got engaged. So on December 23, 2006, Andreas and I were married on the beaches of sunny San Diego . It was a beauti-ful wedding, with all of our friends and fam-ily there to celebrate our union. It was a truly international wedding, with people from Germany and Latin America all there to dance and celebrate together. We had a somewhat untraditional wedding but it was exactly how we wanted it.
The relationship I have with Andreas is ex-tremely special, what we share is something I have never experienced. Andreas is kind, generous, handsome, intelligent, international and driven.
April currently lives in the Netherlands.
THETA NU XI EPSILON ALUMNI OCTOBER 2007
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NATIONAL NEWS
FROM DIRECTOR OF GAP AFFAIRS: BAHAREH MORADI
Greetings! I'm so happy to hear that as Epsilon Alumnae, you stay informed about your chapter and are interested in staying in-formed about the sorority on a national level through this newsletter. I'm also very happy to report that there's a lot hap-pening in the world of GAP. We are professionalizing GAP and as a result, we are improving the sorority as a whole. Some of the most recent undertakings for the GAP leadership team include: reinvigorating the mentor pro-gram as the GAP Network; "hir-
ing" a graphic designer volunteer from the sorority to help with the "Welcome Home to GAP" cam-paign; conducting chapter check-ups on GAP chapters; and, de-veloping an online database for alumnae to search by profession or field of expertise for other sisters. In the near future, we will initiate discussions on the GAP Advisory Board listserv re-garding the benefits of being ac-tive in GAP; the feasibility of GAP chapter scholarships; and, networking opportunities and workshops at convention.
Since convention, I've had nearly 30 inquiries into the require-ments of joining a GAP chapter, 20 members change their status to reactivate or stay active in GAP by joining a chapter, and 8 newly graduated sisters formally join GAP. With the current trend, and the GAP leadership team's
efforts to keep the momentum going, I won't be surprised if the Board soon receives petitions to form new GAP colonies. Our main goal is to highlight the benefits of being active in GAP - professional networking, the GAP Network, workshops at convention, ONE Vision, sister-hood, and a vote at convention and throughout the year - and motivate sisters to reconnect with their chapters. I encourage all of you to be as active as pos-sible because as you know, as GAP women we provide the foundation for our sorority. I hope you are all success in your individual endeavors. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Best,B.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Contact for more info:October 1 Epsilon Chapter Formal Interest Meeting Dean of Intake- Kanika EngOctober 12 Alumni Social Cafe Sabor Edith Rodriguez October 31 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
