New academic fraternity brings a professional flair to campus
By Whitney Yount, Organizations Editor //
Last year, High Point University welcomed Alpha Kappa Psi to its ranks of professional fraternities. AKPsi, as it is better known, is an organization that helps college students to become more prepared for their careers through networking events, workshops, and mentorships.
The Chi Rho chapter of the nationwide business fraternity was chartered at HPU this past April and it took the efforts of nearly 50 pledges to start this organization on our campus.
“The colonization and chartering of our chapter happened very fast! It was extremely exciting and I think our ability to make our goals happen in such a short period of time shows strength in our chapter,” senior Brittany Bonato said.
As president of the chapter, Bonato said that Alpha Kappa Psi has pushed her to take initiative and is already challenging her as a leader. In addition to being
led by Bonato, the members are guided by their chapter advisor, Jennifer Velasquez, who also serves as the Professional Programming Director of Alpha Kappa Psi.
Last semester, the organization planned open networking events for students as well as workshops that allowed students to improve their interview skills and resumes. Due to their success, the chapter plans to continue these events during the upcoming school year.
Members are also given the opportunity to network with AKPsi alumni, which can lead to high-profile internships or job offers, and the organization has a mentor-mentee program in place of the traditional big-little system.
“We felt that in a professional setting, a relationship where one student could learn from the older students with an emphasis on business and commerce was more valuable,” Vice President Liz Reichart said.
So far, the Chi Rho chapter has met with great success. Recent graduate Andy Ricchini (‘14) found an internship at a Fortune 500 company in Washington, D.C. through an Alpha Kappa Psi connection, and other students are already noticing benefits from their membership and involvement with events.
“I knew that AKPsi would provide me with the skills and practice I would need to succeed in the business world after college,” senior Elizabeth Bellet said. “I felt networking, teamwork, and professional skill building were the key things the organization could help me develop.”
Students who are interested in learning more about Alpha Kappa Psi can attend information sessions on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. or Monday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. (location to be determined). Rush for AKPsi will take place from Tuesday, Sept. 9 to Thursday, Sept. 18 and will begin with speed networking.