In Phoenix, I chatted with a lovely mother-daughter duo: Arizona Alpha Lisa Amato and Missouri Alpha Adrianna Amato. They shared how a conversation at Arizona Beta’s annual Senior Tea presented them with an opportunity to link them closer together.

Adrianna joined Pi Beta Phi at the University of Missouri. She had such a positive experience as a collegian that she continued to be an active alumna in the Phoenix Alumnae Club. Last year, Adrianna invited her mother, Lisa, to attend the Senior Tea as her guest. At that event, another alumna asked Adrianna if she had considered the Alumnae Initiate Program for her mother. “My mom did not have a chance to be part of Greek Life,” Adrianna said. “She missed the opportunity, but made it available for me to have.”

Lisa was very involved in Adrianna’s Pi Phi life; Lisa knew women in the chapter, helped make connections and attended Mother’s Weekend. Adrianna believes the things that made her a good member all came from her mom. In considering the Alumnae Initiate Program for her mother, Adrianna thought about the core values of Pi Beta Phi. “My mom embodies them all and I knew she would make a good Pi Phi,” she said.

This past fall, Adrianna had the pleasure of serving as her mother’s Letter of Recommendation to be an alumnae initiate of Pi Beta Phi. Adrianna is grateful for the Alumnae Initiate Program because “a lot of people think they cannot join if they did not go through the four-year traditional path, but not everyone has a traditional path. This is a great way to honor people in our own community.” In November, Lisa was initiated into Arizona Alpha.

Lisa and Adrianna are looking forward to attending more Pi Phi events together, especially the upcoming Fraternity Day of Service in February.