On a cold, windy November afternoon, Pennsylvania Beta Kristen Van Voris Armaly made the two-hour round-trip drive from her home in Greenville, South Carolina, down to Clemson University to visit a special woman in her life. Kristen had rearranged her family’s schedule that day so she could be gone, since four kids and a husband usually proved to be a busy Saturday. The drive was quick, most of it through back roads in otherwise empty countryside.
Kristen was making the trip to attend the Initiation Ceremony of South Carolina Beta Morgan Guest, a young woman whose family was longtime friends of her family. The two families had children close in age and for many years, those children attended the same schools and were often in the same classes. Morgan even babysat for Kristen’s children when she was in high school.
When Morgan left for Clemson University, Kristen would often ask after her, since she frequently saw Morgan’s mother during school drop-offs and pick-ups. Morgan’s mother provided updates and one afternoon, mentioned that Morgan was interested in joining Pi Beta Phi. Not a sorority woman herself, she expressed some concern she didn’t know much about what joining a sorority meant for her daughter. Kristen was thrilled to learn of Morgan’s choice and reassured her friend. “I told her if there was any way I could be there for her daughter’s initiation, I was going to be there,” Kristen said. So she called Pi Beta Phi Headquarters to learn more about when the event would take place and where on campus she needed to be.
The day of the initiation, Kristen hadn’t yet been able to connect one-on-one with Morgan, since all communication had been through her mother. So when Morgan walked into the room and saw Kristen, she lit up with a huge smile. “It was almost surreal to be standing next to her during the ceremony,” Kristen said. “For the women about to be initiated, there is so much ambiguity going into the room. So to surround Morgan with additional love and support during the ceremony, and then give her a huge hug afterwards and tell her ‘congratulations,’ was so special.”
The experience was also significant for the two women because Morgan is a charter member of the re-installation of the South Carolina Beta Chapter. The chapter left campus in 1993 and just celebrated its return this past November. Kristen said there is no better woman than Morgan to join a chapter that is making a name for itself.
“Morgan is outgoing, focused academically, makes good choices with her friends and loves her family,” Kristen said. “When she chose to be part of Pi Beta Phi, she did not make the decision lightly. She wants to make an impact; it’s just the kind of person she is. I think that speaks a lot about the group of alumnae, volunteers and staff who brought South Carolina Beta back to Clemson. Everyone involved, including the new chapter members, deserves a huge round of applause.”