Many Pi Phis have met or have heard stories of the famous Carol Inge Warren, North Carolina Beta. She is one of Pi Beta Phi’s extraordinary volunteers. She has served in so many prestigious capacities over the years … Grand Council, Foundation Board of Trustees, National Panhellenic Conference Delegate and Fraternity Housing Corporation (FHC) Board to name a few.
So have you ever wondered what drives Carol (after all of these years) to continue to give back to her beloved Pi Beta Phi?
Well I sat down with Carol, and she gave me a growing list of answers to that very question.
Carol first spoke about her desire to mentor. She gets great satisfaction in that part of her various roles. “Working with young women also keeps me feeling younger,” Carol explained. “Mentoring keeps me up-to-date, and I enjoy watching someone develop and grow.”
Carol also shared her love for Pi Beta Phi and how it has given her so much. “Pi Phi fostered my leadership development beginning with my first alumna leadership role,” Carol said. “Over the years, I have had some incredible leadership opportunities … I am very blessed.”
Her latest leadership role is serving FHC as Board of Directors Treasurer. This role is giving her the chance to work and support chapters in a more physical way to improve the member experience.
Carol also mentioned how her involvement in Pi Beta Phi has put balance into her life. When Carol’s children were young, she and her husband moved from New Jersey to Chicago. She only knew her immediate neighbors until she reached out to her local alumnae club (who she found in an issue of The Arrow). She attended her first alumnae club meeting eight years after she graduated (It is never too late!). At the time, the club rotated day and night meetings. The club even hired a babysitter for the day meetings, which was helpful for the many members with young children. Being a member of the club gave her another connection in a place where she had very few.
“I have two lives I love,” Carol proclaimed. “My day-to-day life and my Pi Phi life!”