Shorter University’s chapter of Alpha Chi had a busy spring semester as they worked to enact the national honor society’s motto: “making scholarship effective for good.”

Shorter’s Alpha Chi chapter has earned recognition as a Star Chapter for seven consecutive years and a key to keeping that status is the chapter’s work to host a series of service projects, which are a perfect fit for Shorter’s commitment to excellence in academics, spiritual growth, Christian leadership and global service within the context of a biblical worldview, according to chapter adviser Dr. Barsha Pickell.

A highlight of the spring semester was a fundraiser designed to promote children’s literacy, which was part of a national service project hosted by Alpha Chi. This particular philanthropy was selected because Alpha Chi members come from a wide variety of academic fields but they often discover common ground through reading and writing, according to the Shorter chapter’s Vice President Erin Nordman.

“Our goal was to improve children’s lives through improving their ability to read,” Nordman said. “It only takes one book to get a child interested in reading more, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.”

Alpha Chi members collected new children’s books and raised money by selling bracelets that read “One Book at a Time.” All of the funds raised and the books collected were taken to the national Alpha Chi Convention for distribution. The original plan was for the books to be donated to a public school, but Alpha Chi discovered a greater need in the area and the books were donated to the children’s ward of a local hospital, Nordman said.

In addition to the literacy-related campaign, Shorter’s Alpha Chi chapter hosted two workshops to help equip their fellow students with the tools and knowledge necessary to succeed in life after graduation.

The first workshop, titled “What’s Next?,” offered guidance on resume building and interviewing and featured three guest speakers. Dr. Kathi Vosevich, Shorter’s associate provost and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Shorter alumna Paige Sheffield discussed how to have a notable resume and how to network with professionals. Melissa Williams, director of alumni relations and giving, discussed interview skills and professional interview attire; she stressed that vocalizing how you can be an asset to the company with which you are interviewing is a key to success.

The second workshop focused on helping students prepare for practical life experiences. The event was designed to act as an introduction to taxes, mortgages, insurance and job searching. Representatives from State Farm Insurance and Toles, Temple & Wright Real Estate joined staff from Shorter’s Career Center to give students an inside look at these common, yet intimidating, aspects of life.

Written by Public Relations Student Writers Meredith Howard and Caleb Britt

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christ-centered, four-year liberal arts university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. The university offers traditional bachelor’s degrees in 40 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and master’s programs. Learn more about Shorter at www.shorter.edu.

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