Illinois Iota Margaret Amberg is proud to have traveled around the United States of America and the world. Margaret has had the unique opportunity to bring back a little piece of each place she has visited. One of her favorite things to learn about during her trips are the different ways each culture looks at living life. One of her favorite places to visit was Jamaica where the locals always said “no worries” or “there’s no problems.” This helps remind Margaret that no matter what happens in life, everything will work out and it’s going to be okay.

She takes what she has learned on each visit into her everyday life and tries to make it so each day is a little brighter. This was the feeling Margaret carried with her when exploring what college she would attend. Growing up in, and visiting so many places, gave her a wide perspective of where she could potentially go to school, so she kept her options wide open. On a visit to Illinois State University (ISU), she simply had a gut feeling this was the right place. After the campus tour, she called her mom and in a definitive way said, “Mom, this is where I am going.”

ISU has been one of the most positive environments for Margaret, especially when she found a place in Pi Beta Phi. “It’s difficult to articulate what Pi Phi means to me,” Margaret says, “It is not something I can put into words. I feel those words would not do it justice.” Instead, Margaret reflects on the moments. The moment she first received her bid. The moment she understood the “why” of Pi Phi. The moment Pi Phi became her family. “I have sisters, more than just friends, who I am connected to — because of Pi Phi — for the rest of our lives,” she said. “And that’s an amazing thing.”