Sharing the Gift of Sisters

In 1969, my mom brought home my baby sister, Laura. She was my only sibling for 45 years. Then, in 2014 all that changed.

I’ve been a member of IL Iota since 1991. I was invited to join by my mom, Joyce Ann, who had joined at the invitation of her college friend, Mary. In an instant, I was surrounded by many sisters in education who were determined to make a difference. Over the years, we raised money, gave scholarships, supported local charities and assisted with needs that would arise in our community and beyond.?

Then, in 2014, our chapter was approached with an opportunity to host an A?K International Teacher Education (ITE) scholar, a Fulbright award winner who was registered to attend SIU-Carbondale. It was a two year commitment to provide connection for this student while she completed her master’s degree. My mom stepped up and encouraged our chapter to take this opportunity, but it would evolve into something much more than just another project.

Ha (pronounced like the “ha” in “happy”) arrived in St. Louis from Vietnam in July, 2014. My parents, who offered to take the lead on hosting, picked her up from the airport. Later that day, I drove over to their home to meet our new guest. Ha was very excited about this new learning opportunity and we seized the chance to learn from her. Did you know that owning an oven in her culture is a rarity? Usually, only the town baker has an oven. Ha was thrilled that my mom actually had an oven in her kitchen and she couldn’t wait to learn to bake bread, pies and other treats. SIU was only a two hour drive from our hometown so we were able to pick up Ha to join us for holidays and celebrations. She came home as often as she could and soon became more than a guest; she was part of our family.

Those two years flew by and about the time we braced ourselves for goodbyes, she was offered the opportunity to work on her PhD in North Carolina. This would extend her stay for five more years and, though it was more than a two hour car drive away, she was able to fly “home” for the holidays and breaks. In the seven years that we’ve known Ha, Laura and I count her as our sister and my parents have gained another daughter. Her Iota chapter aunts look forward to hearing updates and enjoying a visit now and again. When other exchange students ask how she was able to connect with our family, she proudly tells them all about Alpha Delta Kappa.

Ha recently graduated with her PhD and a heart for education. I expect wherever she takes her expertise, she will succeed. I’m not worried about saying goodbye anymore. She is my sister and no matter where she ends up, she will always be home in time to help bake pies for the holidays.?