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To be able to spotlight the people who find themselves main graduate chapters around the country, we at Watch The Backyard reached out to the sorority sisters of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.’s Alpha Iota Sigma Bankruptcy in Savannah, GA and did an interview with Shenequa Gresham the Basileus of the bankruptcy.
The location of Basileus/president of a Black sorority bankruptcy is a extremely revered function and there’s a particular delight that one takes. Shenequa Gresham, who works as a Vice President of Developmental Disabilities for a neighborhood non-profit in Savannah, Georgia that prepares adults with developmental disabilities for employment and group integration, has been within the place of Basileus since 2022.
We interviewed Gresham, who’s a April 2005- Savannah State College- Alpha Iota Bankruptcy- Savannah, GA start up of Sigma Gamma Rho and talked to her about her place, objectives, long run and what it manner to carry this kind of management place within the virtual age.
Learn the whole interview under.
What motivated you to take at the function of alumni bankruptcy president?
I used to be motivated to take at the function of President for the Alpha Iota Sigma Bankruptcy as a result of I sought after to uphold the legacy and satisfy the promise of our seven illustrious Founders. Turning into a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. at 19 years outdated used to be an eye-opening enjoy. I grew up on this group and I used to be lucky to have mentors and sisters that helped mildew me early in my Sigma adventure. After graduating from Savannah State College and becoming a member of the graduate bankruptcy, I sought after to do some extra. I, at the side of 6 different Sorors, chartered a graduate bankruptcy in Statesboro, GA in 2012 as a result of we noticed a want to keep growing Sigma. In 2017, this similar graduate bankruptcy in Statesboro, GA re-chartered the undergraduate bankruptcy (Tau Xi) at Georgia Southern College – Statesboro campus. I returned to my house graduate bankruptcy, (the bankruptcy that recommended my undergraduate bankruptcy at Savannah State College (Alpha Iota), Alpha Iota Sigma in 2020 and endured my paintings and become President in 2022. As President my imaginative and prescient used to be easy, “Devoted to Sigma. Devoted to You.” I’m dedicated to serving my Sisters, the Sorority and the Savannah-Chatham space voters with a spirit of unconditional sisterly love, compassion over complaint, and a life-time dedication to public carrier. On the middle of the Savannah Alumnae Bankruptcy, are its individuals. They’re the basis that makes this group a pillar locally that we serve. It’s on account of them that I’m able to lead and the explanation why we’ve been a hit in our many endeavors. It’s been an absolute excitement main this crew of dynamic ladies. They are able to rely on me to proceed to guide the bankruptcy with humility, responsibility and transparency.
What particular projects is your bankruptcy heading up this 12 months and the way do you assume they’ll support the area people or the wider Black group?
The Alpha Iota Sigma Bankruptcy has a number of projects that may align with our programmatic thrusts that permits us to do our section to support the native and broader Black group. They come with Swim 1922, the Formative years Symposium, our Ladies’s Wellness Initiative and Undertaking Cradle Care. Those initiatives deal with, teach and produce consciousness to considerations corresponding to well being problems that have an effect on ladies and small children; water protection amongst formative years in addition to attach citizens with assets to near the training hole in our native college gadget.
What made you need to pledge Sigma Gamma Rho?
After I become a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc. at Savannah State College (Shout Out to the Alluring Alpha Iota Bankruptcy) our bankruptcy used to be small however mighty. I gravitated towards Sigma Gamma Rho on account of how my sisters offered themselves at the campus. Those girls have been at all times doing the paintings of the sorority, being pleasant, and have been in management roles on campus. After I become a member, those girls permitted me with open hands and allowed me to nonetheless be who I used to be. Sigma Gamma Rho has carried out not anything however endured to push me to be the perfect individual and Soror to my sisters I will be. Sigma Gamma Rho has contributed to the person who I’m as of late.
What’s it about your particular bankruptcy that makes it so distinctive?
My hashtag for the Alpha Iota Sigma Bankruptcy all through my management has been #yourfavsgrhos. My bankruptcy is exclusive primarily based off of that hashtag. We’re #yourfavsgrhos! We’ve ladies all other ages, skilled backgrounds, cultural reports, and years in Sigma. We’re moms, better halves, daughters, and leaders in our group. We make the most of our abilities to present again to our group and to develop our bankruptcy. We’re sisters first. Blood doesn’t make us circle of relatives! True sisterhood is living in Alpha Iota Sigma.
How is your bankruptcy offering for the undergraduate chapters you strengthen?
Alpha Iota Sigma has two undergraduate chapters (Alpha Iota at Savannah State College and Upsilon Theta at Georgia Southern College-Armstrong) who’re provided with an marketing consultant and a committee to be sure that the imaginative and prescient of the group remains at the leading edge. Via our Club Committee headed by way of the Bankruptcy Anti Basileus (Vp) we host occasions/actions right through the sorority 12 months to assist foster relationships to inspire a easy transition from faculty to an alumnae bankruptcy. We additionally be offering a cut price on native dues in the event that they instantly transition into our graduate bankruptcy as neatly.
How do you way fostering a way of cohesion and camaraderie amongst alumni individuals, and what methods have you ever discovered efficient?
Camaraderie and cohesion are important to any bankruptcy. The sense of friendship and consider are the name of the game components enabling teams of other folks to collaborate, innovate, keep up a correspondence respectfully, proportion new or dangerous concepts freely, disagree amicably, and frequently be told in combination. The advantages of camaraderie are upper ranges of engagement, retention of individuals, and the pastime from others to your group/bankruptcy. In the community we host Sorors within the Town occasions per thirty days which permits us to fellowship with our bankruptcy sorors, sorors which might be new to our space, and the ones concerned about reactivating and in search of a bankruptcy house. We meet per thirty days for our bankruptcy conferences and after bankruptcy conferences we plan to head out to lunch for extra bonding time. The bankruptcy is a circle of relatives and it’s vital for circle of relatives to get to grasp every different and bond.
What recommendation would you give to aspiring leaders inside of your sorority who might aspire to tackle roles of management inside of alumni chapters?
Management is ready making others higher on account of your presence and ensuring that have an effect on lasts to your absence. For any person this is desiring to be a pacesetter, I’d advise them to appear sparsely on the place they’re in and ask questions. It is very important stay an open thoughts and take into account to make use of any mishap as a chance for enlargement. Being in management professionally and in my opinion I’ve realized to pay attention and keep up a correspondence successfully, have a good angle, and now not be scared of corrective complaint. It’s ok if somebody disagrees with you, however it is very important be capable to stay your imaginative and prescient at the leading edge.
How has mentorship helped you get to the place you might be as of late? Are there any particular other folks to your org who’ve made an important have an effect on to your lifestyles as mentors?
My Sigma mentors were instrumental and a motive force in my Sigma adventure. It’s Sorors like Bonita Bradley (who used to be my elegance marketing consultant after I first got here to Savannah State College then sorority marketing consultant when I become a member of Sigma Gamma Rho), Debra Tempo Benjamin, Michelle Allen, Donna Ross, LaTasha Brown, and Priscilla Williams that experience at all times motivated me and driven me in Sigma. Soror Rosbel Dixon and Francie Benyard are two, extra ‘seasoned’ Sorors I met after I become I member and the very first thing they informed me used to be, “You’re making those letters, don’t make the letters make you”. From that time, I’ve been pouring my all into Sigma. I’ve 3 daughters, two of them are already lively individuals of our associate formative years teams. They selected to take part now not as a result of I’m a member of the group; however as a result of they see the sisterhood and my love for the group. They know that they’ve ‘aunties’ that may take care of them simply because we’re all bonded for lifestyles.
Why do you assume Watch The Backyard is vital to Black greekdom?
Watch the Backyard presentations the Team spirit throughout the Black Greek Group and provides the publicity wanted for the black faculty tradition. It’s a platform which showcases black Greeks in its natural unadulterated shape and permits us to be noticed and heard. As we now are living in a virtual international, Watch the Backyard has and continues to guide the torch by way of highligting and sharing the accomplishments of organizations around the country and this platform permits for us to have a digitial memento of our achievements.
Having a look again at it, why do you’re keen on being a member of your org?
I like the entirety Sigma represents. Sigma embodies QUALITY OVER QUANTITY! We will not be the largest, however we’re without a doubt the loudest and that speaks volumes.
Finally, what does sisterhood imply to you?
Sisterhood is a bond that girls have constructed on mutual appreciate, strengthen, and love for one every other. It’s the glue that holds this make a selection crew from other walks of lifestyles in combination. It unites us thru a commonplace function and pastime. Sisterhood is letting move of the perception of pageant as Black ladies. It empowers every folks to turn into an unending supply of strengthen for one every other. Whilst you sign up for a sisterhood, this isn’t for a short while, it’s a life-time dedication.
We at Watch The Backyard wish to commend Shenequa Gresham for her paintings because the Basileus of the Alpha Iota Sigma Bankruptcy which has a legacy that spans again to 1941.
Percentage this on Fb and assist us spotlight Shenequa Gresham’s bankruptcy.
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