Uplifting Young Women to Lead with the Gamma Beta and Gamma Phi Chapters

Alpha Phi Foundation is excited to announce the recipients of the 2021 Susan Brink Sherratt Leadership Grant: Gamma Beta (UC Santa Barbara) and Gamma Phi (Florida State). The grant will fund empowering leadership programming for each of their entire chapters to experience. This year marks the first time the grant will be awarded to multiple collegiate chapters.

With a desire to instill confidence and self-security in their members following a 2014 attack on their Isla Vista community, the Gamma Beta chapter will use the grant for a three-part self-defense training course. “Alpha Phi women are strong – union hand in hand. [Our chapter] considers a leader anyone who finds the strength within themselves to stand up for what they believe in. A self-defense course will show each member that they can find their strength and voice when put in hard situations,” shares Tessa Kammer (Gamma Beta—UC Santa Barbara), Vice President of New Member Education and Member Experience.

The women of Gamma Phi chapter expressed a similar desire to motivate their members and provide them the skills to transition into becoming young professionals. The chapter will use the grant to invite motivational speaker and sorority woman, Katie Bulmer, to speak to their members. “Katie will help our chapter refocus on our values, guide us to become more involved in our community, and believe that we are capable of doing anything we put our minds to,” says Camryn DeWitt (Gamma Phi—Florida State), Vice President of New Member Education and Membership Experience.

The Susan Brink Sherratt Leadership Fund was established by Renee Smith Zimmerman Zainer (Beta Epsilon—Arizona) to honor Susan Brink Sherratt (Beta Beta—Michigan State) and her notable leadership, support, and service to Alpha Phi. Through the generous support of Susan and her family, this fund continues to provide an annual grant to an established collegiate chapter for leadership training, building activities, and sisterhood events that help further the wellbeing of the chapter.

The 2021 grant to Gamma Beta and Gamma Phi marks 15 chapters awarded through the Susan Brink Sherratt Leadership Fund.