Virginia Delta McKenzie Claphan invited me to attend her chapter’s annual Professor and Parent Recognition Luncheon, so we have been working together over the past few months to plan for my arrival. It was an honor to be in Norfolk, Virginia celebrating the accomplishments of the members as well as applauding those who helped those members achieve their successes at Old Dominion University (ODU).

When I asked McKenzie about her favorite part of ODU, she had a quick response: the different cultures represented on campus. From the small town of Stilwell, Oklahoma, McKenzie grew up around mostly Native American and Hispanic people; she had not experienced diversity at the level she has at ODU. Attending ODU has enriched her personally, allowing her to meet many people with broad life experiences and from different walks of life.

McKenzie recalls a day when she was walking to her car and she heard two students speaking to one another in an unfamiliar language. She went over to ask what language they were speaking; it was Arabic. Intrigued, McKenzie asked them about the language itself. The students told her they thought English was a more difficult language to learn because of all the rules. I don’t believe McKenzie or I every really thought about that, as English is both of our native languages.

As for her own dialectical pursuits, McKenzie is learning the Cherokee language. McKenzie’s family are members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, and her grandma speaks the language fluently. Cherokee is a dying language, but McKenzie hopes to learn it so that one day, she can teach it to her own children.

I had a great time chatting with McKenzie and I’m thankful she thought to invite me to the event to learn more about her life and interests outside of Pi Beta Phi.