“I’ve had the opportunity to attend Phi Mu Leadership Institute and have also received a grant from the Leona Hughes Hughes Heart and Hand Fund that helped me get back on my feet. You may think your gifts don’t mean much at the time, but they’re really changing the lives of Phi Mus everywhere!” Athena Moore, Theta Beta (Georgia State University)
My name is Chelsea Begnaud and I am an alumna of the Alpha Sigma Chapter of Phi Mu at the University of Louisiana. I am very thankful to receive the 2020-2021 Eldridge and Emily Lowe Scholarship. I appreciate the generosity that Phi Mu Foundation has not only shown to me, but to many of my sisters that your scholarship funds have supported over the years.
I am currently a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Professional Science program at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami. My master’s degree track is concentrated in marine conservation and I am hoping to pursue a career in marine science that focuses on experiential education, outreach, and citizen science. I am an advocate that science is for everyone. I hope to practice this throughout my career by serving as a mentor to young aspiring marine scientists and by creating and promoting opportunities for underrepresented groups in science.
I would like to express my sincerest appreciation for choosing me as the recipient of this scholarship. Graduate school is difficult enough and the financial hardships that accompany the pursuit of higher education can make the experience more overwhelming. I am truly grateful for the kindness of my Phi Mu sisters and the Phi Mu Foundation for providing some relief from that financial burden. This award will assist me through the final year of my master’s program. This upcoming school year I will be interning with Field School in Miami, FL, assisting with shark field research and tropical marine science courses for students. My master’s project will consist of developing the organization’s first science capacity-building program for teachers.
As an aspiring female marine scientist from south Louisiana with little initial and guidance for this career path, getting to this point in my life has presented its challenges. My academic success is, in part, due to kind individuals like yourselves who support women striving to attain an excellent education and continuing to serve our communities, whatever route that may take. To this day, I still carry the values that Phi Mu has instilled in me: to Love myself every step of my life’s journey, Honor those who have encouraged me to follow my dreams, and always live my Truth.
If you want to support women like Chelsea on their path toward success, make a gift to the Foundation today at www.phimufoundation.org/give.
During this summer’s virtual Foundation Business Session, three new members joined the Foundation Board of Trustees and we’re excited for you to get to know them better. Join us for #TrusteeTuesday each week to meet these fantastic leaders, continuing this week with an interview with National Council Vice President and Trustee Denise McDermott!
Phi Mu has given me so much through the years, beginning as a collegian and continuing through today. From leadership opportunities to emphasizing the importance of service and philanthropy to providing a supportive place of community in the Beta Eta chapter and as I’ve moved around the country in the years that followed. As well, I was a Phi Mu Foundation scholarship recipient while at Miami. I believe in the purpose of Phi Mu Foundation and I am passionate about giving back to our sisterhood that I love because of all it has given me.
That’s easy! The M3 Campaign in March! This time of year is always very special to me as I attend our local Founders’ Day event, wear my badge with reverence and reflect on our founding, the women that have come before me, my initiation day and our ritual. Contributing to M3 is a part of that celebration. I think it is a very meaningful way to honor our Founders as we reflect fondly on our sisterhood and the positive contributions it has made in each of our lives.
I have worked for over 27 years at one of the world’s leading entertainment companies. I have held leadership positions of increasing responsibility spanning operations, workforce management and project management. The professional experiences and business acumen, acquired during this time, have aligned nicely and complimented my volunteer roles within Phi Mu including my current service within Phi Mu Fraternity National Council as a National Vice President. Leadership skills including team collaboration, influence, communication, delegation, sound judgment, financial management and strategic planning have been applicable in both worlds!
Do you believe leadership & educational programming can aid in women’s growth and development? Do you feel higher education is critical and academic scholarships can really give someone a leg up? Do you believe that historic preservation can provide a lens into our past and help us light the way forward? Do you believe in an organization that can provide a financial helping hand when members encounter hardship and difficulty? If you believe in even one of these previous statements, an investment in Phi Mu Foundation is an investment in our shared future.
We live in unique and difficult times. We are challenged as individuals and as Greek organizations. Maintaining and enhancing the financial strength of Phi Mu Foundation during this next year is critical so that we can best serve our members now and in the future. I encourage all Phi Mus to make a contribution during one or more of our annual fundraising campaigns. As well, if not a member of a Giving Program, joining Rose & White ($20 monthly) is a great place to start. If already a Giving Program member, please consider enhancing your gift by increasing your program level. Your gifts today ensure that together with Phi Mu Foundation, our legacy will remain strong for generations of Phi Mus to come!
During this summer’s virtual Foundation Business Session, three new members joined the Foundation Board of Trustees and we’re excited for you to get to know them better. Join us for #TrusteeTuesday each week to meet these fantastic leaders, beginning this week with an interview with Trustee Robin Benoit, Epsilon Nu!
Although I am proud to have shared time and talent with other worthy organizations, nothing compares to the love I have for our sisterhood. Professionally, I believe Phi Mu led me to a career in public relations/community relations with non-profit agencies and corporations because I wanted my work to be meaningful and helpful to others.That desire to make a difference led me to my current job as a writer. Personally, Phi Mu has given me so many gifts, especially in the form of truly special sisters. Whether serving on the Phi Mu Foundation scholarship committee, Fraternity ritual committee or as an alumnae department officer or chapter adviser, I have been tremendously blessed and inspired by my Phi Mu sisters. I can think of no better way to show my gratitude, my love and appreciation to Phi Mu than to serve as a Phi Mu Foundation Trustee. Sisters helping Sisters wraps my desire to help others and my love of our sisterhood into one special package with a giant pink bow on top!
My absolute favorite is 18 Hours and 52 Minutes of Giving. I have been literally glued to my social media watching in excitement as this day unfolds. I love that sisters everywhere can engage with each other for one life-changing day. We can encourage each other, rally support and make a tremendous impact in raising funds that will absolutely enhance the lifetime development of Phi Mu women.
Phi Mu has overlapped my professional life from the beginning. I originally went to college as an Education major to become a teacher but changed direction to pursue a degree in Journalism/Public Relations with a minor in Nonprofit Management because my Phi Mu collegiate experiences showed me how much I love working with and helping others. I have worked for the United Way, the American Heart Association, GK&A Advertising Agency, McCaw Communications and the Optometric Extension Program Foundation.
I left my career temporarily to homeschool my daughter, Jillian, EN, and senior at Oklahoma State, due to her vision problems. During those elementary years, we discovered a successful treatment for her in the form of vision therapy. I wondered why there was so little information available for a lay audience and decided to write about her experience. Jillian’s Story: How Vision Therapy Changed My Daughter’s Life and Dear Jillian: Vision Therapy Changed My Life Too were published in 2011 and 2014. I currently work for Bristol Marketing Group in Los Angeles, from my home office in Oklahoma, supporting the optometric community. Phi Mu sisters around the world reach out to me with questions about vision therapy and for help in finding an optometrist for someone they know in need. My absolute favorite, unexpected Phi Mu professional overlap took place at an optometry conference in Birmingham, England. I was introduced to a Phi Mu sister/optometrist by a mutual friend. You will be thrilled to know, although neither of us knew this opportunity was coming, we were both wearing pink!
On the flip side, my professional life in the non-profit sector and for a foundation under a governance model gives me a good depth of operational understanding as a Trustee. Additionally, experience in developing and managing giving programs and donor appreciation, coordinating a capital campaign, supervising large-scale fundraising efforts and working extensively with and on volunteer boards will hopefully overlap in a helpful way for Phi Mu Foundation.
I love this question. I think it would go something like this:
Good evening, Sharks. My name is Robin Benoit and I am here to offer you an amazing investment opportunity with unparalleled pay-back potential.
Our team has decades of experience, world-wide representation and a huge grassroots network. We value education, strong leadership and training. We honor our history. We believe in miracles and strive to support children’s hospitals. We see needs and seek solutions. We rise to answer calls for help. We are diverse in age, hometowns and opinions. We are respectful of others and, although we do not share an office, we do share common values. A stake in our organization will most assuredly pay amazing dividends. Last year, we gave more than $150,000 in undergraduate and graduate scholarships and almost $20,000 in emergency assistance. But we believe, with your help, we can do so much more. I guarantee you will find this to be an incredible return on your investment.
What do you say, Sharks? Who would like to be a part of this special opportunity?
And Shark Barbara Corcoran would say YES because she understands that an investment in Phi Mu Foundation has special meaning and personal value that is…priceless.
Phi Mu Foundation Sees Record Growth in Giving
Provides Unprecedented Support for Sisterhood
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