Ask an Alpha Chi: Isabelle Novak

iN HONOR OF OUR SEVEN FOUNDERS, WE GET TO KNOW ONE ALPHA CHI OMEGA THROUGH SEVEN QUESTIONS. 

139 years ago, seven visionary women built an organization dedicated to advancing “the intellectual, social and moral culture” of its members. Alpha Chi Omega is where many women find their place in college, offering opportunities to learn new skills, discover new interests and develop new relationships.

For Isabelle Novak (Kappa Pi, University of North Carolina Wilmington), Alpha Chi Omega not only offered a network of friends, but skills she has taken into the professional world. Without her sisters pushing her to try new things and take on leadership roles, she may never have found the career path she’s on today!

Tell us about yourself!

I grew up in New Jersey, in a small town called Branchburg. I was applying to college, and I really wanted to branch out. I wanted to be in a new state and have a fresh start, and that’s when I came across Wilmington. It was a bit of a learning curve, especially coming in during the pandemic and not having a network of friends in North Carolina. I decided to join Alpha Chi Omega in the fall of 2020, and ever since then it’s been an incredible journey!

What drew you to joining alpha chi omega?

I love what we stand for. I was drawn to our philanthropy. I remember I immediately wanted to discuss our philanthropy and ways to get involved in that. Although I never held the role of VP philanthropy, I always tried to be as involved as I could be in those events. I was also drawn to the network of women that was in this chapter.

What made you interested in serving as VP Risk Management?

I wasn't very involved in high school, and I knew I wanted to step out of my comfort zone in college. I wanted to see myself excel. Our chapter president at the time said, “I could see you doing great in this position [VP risk management].” I remember I was very nervous going up to do my [election] speech with my little sticky note. But I won the position, and I just immediately dove right in.

I was running through all of these ideas of what we could do. I really enjoyed how in addition to the physical aspect, [the VP risk management role is] also protecting the mental wellness aspect. I immediately wanted to tap into mental health because it was so important to our chapter, and that also gave me a lot of creative freedom. I created our mental health awareness Instagram, which was one of my favorite parts of the role.

How did your leadership roles affect your decision to go into an enterprise risk management career?

I was a communication studies and sociology major with a minor in criminology. But I always wondered what my role would be in the future. When I was younger, as a freshman looking at what I wanted to do, I was conflicted. I had a lot of different ideas and dreams I wanted to chase after, but I never really felt my place in the business world.

So, when I held VP risk management, I found that I really enjoy those administrative things. But I wanted to learn more about risk management, so I ran for VP chapter relations and standards after and received the position, and it was through that that I realized there was more in business that I wanted to explore, like governance structures and policy creation. I really wanted to see if I could find my place there, and it led me to nervously apply for my internship.

I did two internships at the Big 4 consulting agencies, one in crisis and resilience and the second in very core enterprise risk management, which is what I work in now. I saw a lot of transferable skills from my roles within the chapter: going through bylaw revisions, navigating all those dense documents and even just effective communication.

What skills do you use now that you gained from your experience in Alpha Chi Omega?

The first thing that comes to mind are the meeting minutes. When I was a freshman, I was like, “Oh, I want to do the minutes, that sounds fun,” but when you go into business, they are actually very important. One of the worst things is coming out of a meeting and not remembering something, especially in a serious environment; it is very important to take those meeting minutes. I’ve now seen that in my firm.

All the [executive board] positions teach you how to manage your time effectively. But one thing being chapter president taught me that I use in consulting is working in a team-based environment. It's very important to shift to different people's working styles to make sure you're being as effective as you can be. This is a very core thing when you are president, because you're not going to have the same working style as everyone on your board. And that's the beauty of it! It's being able to kind of shift and work together toward a common goal.

What are you hoping to do in the future with your career?

I love enterprise risk management. I love that there are so many different risks and it’s a field that is ever-evolving, ever-changing. I really think it's just such an exciting field, so I am in it for the long term.

What advice do you have for a collegiate member?

I think of myself when I was 19 and 20 in my leadership roles, and I just wish I had given myself more grace. I think it's important to remember in these roles that we are all going through life for the first time. Take every opportunity as a learning experience. For those who are interested in stepping into leadership, I think it's always great to put yourself out of your comfort zone. As someone who was very nervous to do that, it’s a good thing to do and you never know what will come out of it. For me, I didn't think that it would lead to a whole career, but I'm so glad it did. If I did not take up that president's offer to run for VP risk management, I don't think I would be in the career that I am in now. So I just think you should take every opportunity and run with it!