At the end of October, I had the chance to join the Indianapolis, Indiana, Alumnae Club and Indiana Gamma Chapter for their joint 150th Celebration Kick-Off event. The agenda was set when I arrived: a breakfast with sisters, touring Indianapolis, a spin through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and reception at Butler University (BU). My day was jam-packed, but full of fun!
We began with breakfast at Café Patachou, which is known for its pancakes. We then traveled through the city enjoying Indianapolis key landmarks like Lady Victory (i.e. Soldiers’ and Sailor’s Monument), Lucas Oil Field and Massachusetts Avenue shops. I made the 30-minute trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for photos and watched the alumnae club present a book donation to a local elementary school. We capped our evening at the Indiana Gamma Chapter house for more celebration. What a way for the club and chapter to celebrate our 150th anniversary with an amazing event!
One sister who assisted in the planning of the event was Indiana Gamma Helen Weinberg. Helen is the outgoing Chapter President. Along with her position in the chapter, she is in a rigorous academic program that granted her direct admittance into the BU Doctor of Pharmacy program as a freshman – yes, a freshman! The program is set up with two years of pre-pharmacy curriculum followed by four years of Doctor of Pharmacy work. This includes one year of rotations to try different areas within the field. Helen is following in her mother’s footsteps with her interest in the pharmacy profession. But she is also ready to get a different exposure though her own lens.
Helen wants to help people and truly believes medicine is an amazing way to help people. She knows her skills will be universal across fields, and they can also take her anywhere in the world. Her “dream big” mentality stems from her high school experiences at a boarding school, Culver Academies, located in Northern Indiana. The school provided an engaging and positive environment that stressed academics, athletics and Servant Leadership. Helen especially carried the value of Servant Leadership into her collegiate career, including using the value during her service to Pi Phi.
For Helen, it is her Pi Phis sisters who make her collegiate experience so fulfilling and rewarding. Helen believes Pi Phi is something to invest in, so she decided to take the investment. And because she is only a junior, Helen is excited to be on campus for one more year to see the continued, positive transformation of the chapter.
Helen, thank you for spending the day with me to show me all that the Indiana Gamma Chapter, University and city have to offer.