Eva Magnuson Tribute

My Greek life journey started during my freshman year when my roommate decided that she needed to become more involved in Sacred Heart’s campus and it just happened to be sorority recruitment weekend. The two of us attended all the events together, but at the end of the week I simply felt that I had not found my niche. There were aspects that I liked at each of the sororities, but I just did not find my perfect fit.

Three years quickly passed and during spring semester of my junior year I found myself walking toward the cafeteria when I saw an impressive display of red and yellow balloons and an eye-catching banner. As I slowly walked by the tables, an energetic woman, not much older than myself, stopped me and asked if I would be interested in joining a new Greek organization that was coming to campus the following fall. My immediate response was, “You probably wouldn’t want to take a senior!” But to my great surprise, she said that they were definitely going to. The woman introduced herself as Molly Onufer, a national consultant, and started to inform me about this new sorority coming to campus: Chi Omega.

The more she talked, the more interested I became. From the national philanthropy of Chi Omega to the six major purposes that the Fraternity upholds, I started to feel like this could be the missing piece of my college experience. I kept all this in the back of my mind until returning for my senior year, when I was pleasantly surprised to be personally contacted to see if I was still interested and if I would come for an interview and attend various special events. I quickly became so impressed by the strong women who represented Chi Omega and I felt that if I could develop into half of what these women had become, I could lead a very successful and happy life. Once my bid came, and shortly after being elected president of the colony, I knew that I had been waiting for Chi Omega for a long time.

The women present here—my Sisters, whom I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know—inspire me every day. The experiences that we’ve had together have bonded us for the rest of our lives. Having parents who are both members of the Greek system, I have seen the positive, lifelong influence of Greek association while growing up, and I feel blessed to be able to carry on the tradition with an organization to which I am so devoted.

I thank each and every person who has made this journey so memorable, and most importantly, my Sisters, our national representatives, and our advisors. Our adventure together has just begun! My heartfelt thanks to all!