INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY

As Leading Women, scholarship is our highest aim. We celebrate and honor our highest academic achievements and continuously support each other in the process. Our female founders struggled for academic equality which led to the first chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta, also the first Greek-letter fraternity for women, to begin at Indiana Asbury (now DePauw University) in the state of Indiana in 1870. Our chapter, the Delta chapter, was the fourth Theta chapter to open nationwide. Our chapter was also the first sorority on the University of Illinois campus and was installed in 1895. In 2020, we’ve celebrated the sesquicentennial year, or 150th year, of Kappa Alpha Theta’s founding. In 2020, we’ve also celebrated our chapter’s 125th year on the University of Illinois campus.

We are here first and foremost for our education. As Thetas, we support each other, hold each other accountable, and strive towards our highest aspirations and dreams. Our chapter is ranked number 7 for grade-point average of all 19 sorority chapters in the University of Illinois Panhellenic Council for the Fall 2019 semester, and our chapter grade-point average is a 3.54 for the Fall 2019 semester. 

Our members are involved in various programs across campus, from nursing, to finance, pre-medicine, advertising, accountancy, psychology, and speech pathology, which creates a very intellectually diverse environment for our members. We have a unique scholarship mentor program for our younger members so that they have an older Theta on a similar path to mentor and guide them through their academic challenges and decisions as underclassmen.

One of our favorite traditions are our study parties on Reading Day before finals season begins. Our scholarship director, Jackie, brings bagels, coffee, and donuts to the house while our house mom and chefs cook up the best food, bake the yummiest sweets, and put together fun snacks! It is the best end to each academic semester.

Post-graduation, the Theta connection is lifelong, and we are so grateful for our Theta alumni that continue to support us academically and throughout our search for jobs and internships.

Check out some of our incredible recent graduates. We are so proud of our newest alumni!

Our 2020 recent graduate and 2018 chapter President, Bridget, graduated with a major in Special Education from the University of Illinois College of Education. She will be beginning a full-time teaching position as a high school special education teacher.

Another one of our 2020 recent graduates, Colleen, majored in Accountancy from the University of Illinois Gies College of Business. She was involved in Investment Banking Academy in Gies and is working full-time as an Investment Banking Analyst post-graduation.  Additionally, the Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to Thetas nationwide each year to assist Thetas in pursuing their higher educations. During her undergraduate years, Colleen was a scholarship recipient for her incredible academic achievements.

Lainey graduated in the top 3% of the 2020 class of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and was recognized on the Bronze Tablet. She was also awarded the Wayland Maxfield Parrish Award for earning the highest GPA in her Communication major’s graduating class. Lainey also served as our 2018 Online Social Media Director!