October 9, 2012

Molly Gondolf '14 Kappa Kappa Gamma Leadership Academy Experience Fall 2012

Model the Way

Inspire a Shared Vision

Challenge the Process

Enable Others to Act

Encourage the Heart

For many collegiate greeks, it isn’t until after graduation when they come to realize that being apart of a sorority or fraternity means one is apart of something much bigger than oneself. I was granted the opportunity to come to this realization much sooner than others. In mid-September I traveled to Ohio to experience Kappa Kappa Gamma’s Leadership Academy. When I arrived at my gate at the Philadelphia airport, I was greeted by Kappa’s from Villlanova, Colgate, and Syracuse. The immediate bond that we share was indescribable, and from that moment, I knew that this would be an experience I would never forget.  The four days were jam packed with activities. There was at least one Kappa representing the 138 collegiate chapters as well as alumni present at Leadership Academy. We were split up into groups for the weekend, and beginning Thursday night, we started our training. Throughout the weekend we referred to The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, which are five core practices common to all great leaders, they all: they Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act, and last but certainly not least, they Encourage the Heart. Through discussions, reflections, and team building activities every girl explored this model, seeking ways to improve their own leadership skills and exploring ideas to bring back to their chapter. Although I learned so much for our meetings, it was the moments outside of the lectures where I found myself learning the most. It were the moments when i found myself talking to an alumna who just received her pin for passing 50 years of membership, or a fellow active from Ole Miss sharing her stories from a chapter almost three times our size when I remembered why I was there. Kappa Kappa Gamma is more than just the Zeta Beta chapter here at Lafayette, I have Kappa sisters around the world who share the same values and core ideals as myself. When left Ohio on an early flight back home to Philadelphia, I left with Kappa sisters and friends from all over the country, some new Kappa tanks(!), and a reminder of how happy I am that I’m a Kappa Kappa Gamma. I thank the Kappa Foundation for providing Kappas such as myself  with the amazing experience of Leadership Academy.

Kappa Kappa Gamma (ΚΚΓ) (“Aspire to Be”) a collegiate women’s fraternity, founded at Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Illinois, USA. Kappa Kappa Gamma one of the oldest women’s Greek-letter societies in existence today. Kappa Kappa Gamma is a women’s fraternity, because it was founded before the term “sorority” came into use. However, because it admits only women, it is usually referred to as a sorority. Lafayette College hosts the Zeta Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, which was founded in February of 1980.

Kappa Kappa Gamma supports a three-part Philanthropy program, often referred to as “Philanthropy 1-2-3″.

  • The first branch of philanthropy supports the “Kappa family” through the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation, which provides funding for Kappa museums, members-only scholarships, educational and leadership programming, and the Rose McGill fund, which provides emergency financial aid to sisters in need.
  • The second branch supports the local community by encouraging chapters and alumnae associations to volunteer and raise money for charities in their regions.
  • The third branch encompasses the entire Fraternity through its national Philanthropy, Reading is Fundamental (RIF). The fraternity officially adopted RIF, which works to promote literacy in children, as the national philanthropy in 2004.