We were enjoying a beautiful day on the campus of University of Western Ontario (UWO) where a sweet, playful pup named Susie wrestled in the grass nearby. Susie belongs to Ontario Beta Angela Mazzolin and was rescued just about a year ago. “She was the oldest one at the shelter, scared of everything,” says Angela, “I gave her a chance. Now she is energetic, social and well behaved.”

Angela has a huge heart for others, as evident from her story with Susie. When she began her college career at Huron at Western, an affiliate of UWO, she wanted to meet people with similar values as her. It was Pi Phi’s reading philanthropy that caught Angela’s attention.

You can hear the passion in her voice when she talks about being involved in showing kids that education is important. Growing up with a learning disability, Angela did not learn to read on her own until she was seven and a half years old. This caused Angela to struggle through school; she always had reading buddies and older girls to help assist her through her schoolwork. Now Angela has the opportunity to help others with something she struggled with when she was younger.

On a local scale, the Ontario Beta Chapter volunteers at Marymount Family Crisis Center where they read and play with kids. The chapter also holds an annual Pie a Pi Phi event in the fall to raise money for Pi Beta Phi Foundation. Angela loves the impact our philanthropies have globally by raising money and awareness, including in the Northwest Canadian territories.