The Alpha Chi Omega experience is a lifelong commitment to our sisterhood that evolves right alongside you. Through every season of life – graduating, landing your first post-grad job, expanding your family, buying a home, discovering a new hobby and so much more – our sisterhood remains a constant source of connection and support. We asked Hannah Harris (Zeta Xi, University of North Carolina at Greensboro) and Sami Nelson (Gamma Rho, Texas Tech University) a few questions about their experience staying engaged in Alpha Chi while parenting their young children. We hope they will inspire you to stay connected with our sisterhood through your many seasons of life.
How do the two of you know each other and how has your relationship evolved through the years?
Hannah: Sami and I first met in 2013 at a recruitment training event. Our friendship really took root when we lived together in Arkansas during our time as first-year resident consultants. We supported each other through the ups and downs of our second years as consultants, and that bond has only grown stronger over time. We’ve been in almost daily contact ever since through career moves, life transitions and everything in between.
We stood beside each other as bridesmaids at each other’s weddings, and now we’re navigating motherhood together too. Our relationship started through Alpha Chi Omega, but it’s evolved into one of the most meaningful friendships in my life.
Sami: I’m not adding anything because she said it perfectly! I couldn’t say it better if I tried.
Tell us about your current Alpha Chi Omega experience.
Hannah: My journey with Alpha Chi Omega started the moment I accepted my bid – and I’ve been deeply involved ever since.
After graduation and serving as a chapter consultant, I transitioned into volunteer roles as a recruitment advisor and recruitment specialist and later joined headquarters staff as the assistant director of volunteer management in the lifetime engagement department.
Even after changing jobs, my connection to Alpha Chi Omega stayed strong. I currently serve as a province collegiate chair (PCC) for Georgia and South Carolina, and I love the chance to stay connected with collegiate chapters in that way. No matter the role, it’s always felt meaningful to support and empower our members to grow into strong, confident women.
Sami: I knew throughout my college experience that I wanted to make sure Alpha Chi lived up to the phrase “it’s not for four years, it’s for life.” After graduation, I had the unique opportunity to serve as a chapter consultant for two years where I learned that I had a deep love for the collegiate experience and promoting Alpha Chi every day. My time as a consultant helped to develop my lifetime connection to Alpha Chi.
Over the years, I have served in many different volunteer roles including recruitment specialist, positional advisor, and facilitator for Collegiate Growth Academy and Leadership Academy. I am very passionate about relationships and providing our members with a positive transition from undergraduate to post-graduate. We are still recruiting members throughout our entire life!
How have you found support from other sisters in this phase of life?
Hannah: In addition to Sami, I’m incredibly lucky to have a circle of Alpha Chi sisters I lean on regularly: Kristin Donnell (Alpha Nu, University of Missouri), Natalie Liebsher and Rachel Hunter (Zeta Xi, University of North Carolina at Greensboro), Chelsie Bickel (Alpha Pi, University of North Dakota) and Kell Sutherland (Delta Zeta, Central Michigan University). They represent different chapters of my Alpha Chi journey, but each one plays an important role in my life today.
These women mean the world to me. I know I can call or text them at any time – yes, even in the middle of the night while nursing a sick baby — and they’ll be there in whatever way they can.
What makes this support so special is the mutual grace and understanding we extend to each other. None of us expects the other to be available 100% of the time. We all have full, busy lives. But we show up when we can, in big and small ways – and that consistency, even in its imperfection, is what makes our connection so meaningful.
Sami: Like Hannah, I have sisters that have played HUGE roles in my life that all come from different chapters of my Alpha Chi journey and story, beginning with my chapter sisters – Devon, Britney and Michelle – whom I talk to on a weekly basis. Although we live in different parts of the country, we see each other for our annual trip every year. They have taught me that distance doesn’t define the bounds of friendship.
If I had never become a chapter consultant, I would’ve missed out on such meaningful relationships that I built through that experience. Kristin and Hannah are more than my sorority sisters; they are my family, my daughters’ aunts, and a lot of my “Why Alpha Chi” includes them. I would be silly if I didn’t also give love to my girl Molly Schuneman (Sigma, University of Iowa), who constantly shows me what selfless love is. And without my local Kappa Sigma (The University of Southern Mississippi) sisters, I would have never found my home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
We all know that adult friendship is hard to cultivate, but having Alpha Chi gives a common bond across the country to help develop those relationships and friendships further.
How have you found belonging within Alpha Chi Omega during different stages of life?
Hannah: Alpha Chi Omega has been a part of my life every single day since I accepted my bid, but its meaning has evolved as I have. In this season of motherhood, the sense of belonging I find through Alpha Chi has taken on new depth.
From text threads with sisters who are also navigating sleepless nights and toddler tantrums to heartfelt conversations about balancing work, family and everything in between, Alpha Chi has continued to be a source of connection and support. It’s not always about formal roles or structured involvement – it’s about knowing there’s a network of women who just get it, because we’ve grown together.
What I love most is that Alpha Chi allows me to create the kind of connection I need at any given time. That’s belonging, and it’s one of the most valuable gifts this sisterhood continues to give.
What role does Alpha Chi Omega play in helping you feel connected?
Sami: I’m a stay-at-home mom with a lot of passion and energy. I love plugging in and helping how I can. Being involved with local chapters helps me to provide support in developing these young women into great leaders.
How has your sense of sisterhood evolved since expanding your family?
Sami: My daughter Ellie Grace is the ultimate girls-girl. Her favorite place to be is the Alpha Chi house, and her favorite people are the Alpha Chi gals … watching her grow up surrounded by such positive influences is remarkable. And even more remarkable is the way that it shows her that you can find common ground and love with any and all sisters in the bond.
My sense of sisterhood has evolved in the way that now I want Alpha Chi and our members to better themselves for her and her future. I want them to leave their experience even better than they found it when they joined the chapter and to keep recruiting members that embody what an Alpha Chi woman is.
Share a piece of advice for moms looking to grow their Alpha Chi Omega connections.
Hannah: My biggest advice? Connect in a way – and at a pace – that feels right for you. There’s no one “right” way to stay involved with Alpha Chi Omega.
Maybe that means volunteering with collegiate chapter members, joining the Alumnae Book Club, reviewing scholarship applications or simply showing up to your chapter’s homecoming brunch when you can. Every small moment of connection matters.
Don’t compare your involvement to anyone else’s – your Alpha Chi journey is uniquely yours. What matters most is that it works for you and fits into your life in a way that feels genuine and fulfilling.
Sami: Stay connected and intentional. As a mom, time is precious, but even small efforts like checking in with a sister, supporting her business or planning a coffee date can lead to meaningful, lasting friendships. Alpha Chi Omega is for a lifetime – don’t be afraid to lean into sisterhood during this season of life, too.
How do you balance being a parent, your professional life and volunteering?
Hannah: For me, balance starts with knowing when to say “no” and holding firm to my boundaries. Before I had kids, I’d bend over backwards to take on extra projects, respond to late-night emails or volunteer at all hours, all the time. But becoming a parent shifted my perspective. I realized I needed to hold space for myself in order to show up as the best version of me – for my family, my colleagues and the women I support through Alpha Chi.
Now, I try to be thoughtful about what I commit to. I know when I can confidently say “yes!” and when it’s better to say “not right now.”
It’s not a forever “no” – just a recognition of what works best right now. And that mindset has helped me maintain both joy and sustainability in the way I show up across all areas of life.
What would you say to a sister who feels disconnected after becoming a mom?
Sami: Becoming a mom is a huge transition, and it’s completely normal to feel a little disconnected during this season. But sisterhood doesn’t go away – it just looks different for a while. Give yourself grace and remember that even small steps back toward connection count. Reach out when you're ready, even if it’s just a quick message or showing up to one event. Your sisters are still here for you, cheering you on in this chapter of motherhood, too!
Want to share your thoughts or personal experience with belonging through your Alpha Chi Omega experience? Share your story now!