Celebrating Our Seniors: Kappa Kappa Sisters Grind Towards Graduation

This is it. The moment you’ve been striving towards for four years. Senior week, going alum, and graduation. Except, due to unforeseen circumstances, that is no longer happening.

This is the way our seniors are stuck feeling as they grind through the next two weeks. They will no longer get the celebration they wanted, the celebration they earned. We want to stress to our seniors, though, that although you do not get the celebration you dreamed of when you started your collegiate career four years ago at Ball State University, that does not mean your accomplishments go unnoticed. The hard work and dedication you have put towards your school work, Kappa Kappa, Ball State, and your relationships have not been overlooked. We appreciate you, we love you, and we couldn’t be more proud to have a group of sisters like you.

Seniors in Kappa Kappa have done extraordinary things. They are role models on campus, earn fantastic grades, create strong connections with others, excel in their fields, and are successful, strong women. I reached out to a few of our seniors to have them reflect on their time in AOII and what their plans are after graduation. Here’s what they had to say.

Heidi Pryztulski is a Communication Studies major with a concentration in Public Communication. She also holds a minor in American Sign Language.

What are your future plans?

“In the near future I’ll be returning to Ball State in the fall for my Master’s in Communication Studies- Liberal Arts and Science Concentration! I will also be a Graduate Assistant for the Communication Department! (I will be teaching Comm. 210).”

What will you miss the most about AOII?

“I will by far miss ritual the most of AOII. Being able to put everything on a back burner and focus on something so special for an hour a month got me through undergrad.”

What is your favorite AOII memory?

“My favorite AOII memory was winning Panhellenic New Member of the Year my Freshman year. I had been initiated maybe 2 months and had no idea the chapter nominated me. When I won everyone in AOII went insane and it was the first time I realized this group of women did not get jealous when I succeeded in life, they felt the success with me.”

Hanna Kadinger is a Political Science Major with a minor in Campaign Communication.

What are your future plans?

“I plan on spending my summer working and recharging before starting graduate school in the Fall at Ball State. I will be pursuing a Masters of Public Administration and working in the Learning Center as a graduate assistant. My dream job would be working for a local nonprofit in Muncie that serves low income families. I currently work at the YMCA of Muncie as the Youth Sports Coordinator and United Day Care Center as an Office Manager. I love both of my jobs and can't wait to get back to them after quarantine!”

What will you miss the most about AOII?

"I will miss my greek family the most. I have grown close with my greek family and each of them has helped me grow into the woman I am. No matter what, they've always been there for me. I am so excited to stick around for two more years and watch them continue to be the ambitious women they are and achieve new things!"

What is your favorite AOII memory?

"My favorite AOII memory is going to International Convention in 2017 with Shelby, Jackie, and Mary! We traveled to Washington DC (my favorite place ever) and I loved exploring the city and meeting sisters from around the country. It was a privilege to represent Kappa Kappa at convention and I will forever be thankful for that opportunity."

Bailey Fillipiak is a Nursing Major.

What are your future plans?

“I accepted a job as a pediatric RN on the GI/General Medicine floor at St Louis Children’s Hospital “

What will you miss the most about AOII?

"I’m going to miss the overall positivity from this group of ladies the most. These girls have pushed me to be the best I can be and have encouraged me in every single endeavor I’ve had in college and I’m going to miss having the constant support. I know they’ll still be there but not getting to physically see them all the time will be the hardest."

What is your favorite AOII memory?

"My favorite AOII memory is my Bid Day. Getting to run home to my sister and feel a sense of belonging for the first time since coming to college. I felt like I had finally found a place I can call home and it’s been the thing that has kept me in this chapter for so long, remembering running home to Nicole (Bailey’s sister) on Bid Day."

Sam Buchanan is a Cultural Anthropology Major with minors in History and Spanish.

What are your future plans?

"I'm planning on serving in the Peace Corps in Cameroon as an English Education Instructor! I was supposed to leave in May, but everything has been postponed right now & I'll hopefully leave in the fall or winter."

What will you miss the most about AOII?

"This may sound a little basic, but what I'm really gonna miss the most is seeing everyone every week at chapter & being so close to all of my friends!"

What is your favorite AOII memory?

"It's really hard to choose from 4 years worth of memories, but one of my favorites was sophomore year when we had a sisterhood event in the suite(RIP). We played never have i ever & spent the whole night bonding & eating snacks. It wasn't a huge event but I had so much fun that night hanging out & exchanging old stories & memories with sisters."

Kelso Brown is a Fashion Merchandising Major with a minor in Marketing.

What are your future plans?

"As of right now, it is very hard for me to have plans for my future. As I am a fashion major, the fashion industry is currently suffering because of COVID-19. While I wait for everything to settle down in the world, I plan on playing Animal Crossing on my new Nintendo Switch, getting certified in Microsoft Excel, celebrating my 22nd birthday in quarantine, finally launching my blog, and enjoying uninterrupted time with my parents. My dream job is to be a buyer for sustainable textiles and apparel items. I would love to work for Patagonia, Everlane, or Parks Project in the future. Eventually, I would like to have my own mobile business. I hope to start working on this project once I have more free time without homework."

What will you miss the most about AOII?

"There will be a lot that I will miss about AOII including chapters, socials, and formals, but what I will miss the most about AOII is having all my sisters within a 5-10-minute drive. I will miss having Greek family dinner at spontaneous times. I will miss being in the Panda Palace with the five women who have helped me become the person I am today. I will miss being around the women who accept me for who I am, even the weird, goofy side of me."

What is your favorite AOII memory?

"After looking back at my four years of being in Kappa Kappa, it is very difficult to pick a favorite memory. Although, one of my favorite memories of AOII was running home after being a pi chi. I missed Kappa Kappa chapter more than I ever anticipated."

Although we are heartbroken that we are not able to send off our seniors properly, we are sisters for life, and we cannot wait to see the great things they continue to accomplish as alumnae of Kappa Kappa.