Carly Speaks: Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple, "Sisters and the City"

As I've mentioned in my earlier posts, I moved to New York City knowing a handful of people. I utilized the NYC Alumnae chapter to help me find a roommate, so it is only natural that I use it to help find some friends too right?

Not too long ago, an alumna (Laurel Spinney, Phi-Colorado) posted in the NYC Facebook group about wanting to meet some DGs that lived in the city for drinks one Saturday night. My roommate, Cait, and I knew that it would be a great opportunity to meet new people and decided to go. We met up with four other DGs (including Laurel) at a fun Mexican restaurant in the Murray Hill area of Manhattan.

From Left: Trisha Guillen (Epsilon Lambda- Lehigh), Marisa Torch (Eta Iota- Reno), Cait Williamson (Zeta Theta- Columbia), Nicky Byrnes (Phi- Colorado), Laurel Spinney (Phi- Colorado) and Carly Stiles (Beta Upsilon- Oregon State)

Even though the six of us didn't know each other collectively (we each came with a friend), as an outsider you would have never known. Then in true Delta Gamma fashion, the small world discoveries started popping up throughout the evening. Cait interned for Marisa's uncle one summer and they both took pre-med classes at Columbia (most likely in the same classroom!), one of Trisha's good friends (also a DG!) works on my floor at work, and Nicky and Laurel, although from the same chapter, work in the same office and didn't realize it until after Nicky landed her internship. We spent a couple of hours talking about the upcoming alumnae events that we want to attend and how happy we were to meet one another. Marisa is in charge of the dinner club within the NYC alumnae chapter and we all decided it would be a great idea to do a brunch at Sarabeth's (rated one of the best brunches in NYC!) one weekend.

After what felt like only 30 minutes, we all left with new friends and a reinforced faith as to how amazing the Delta Gamma network really is. Without it, making friends would be that much more difficult in this crazy city of over 7 million people. Stay tuned for more fun summer activities, such as free movies in Bryant Park, Shakespeare in Central Park and maybe even a baseball game!  

Carly Speaks: Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple "Finding a Roommate"

Moving to a new city is a pretty scary thing, especially when you can count the number of people that you know in the nearest 100 zip codes on one hand. My first attempt at finding a roommate was to ask my friends that currently live in NYC if they needed a new roommate or knew someone who did. I quickly struck out and needed to look elsewhere. I was really scared to go onto Craigslist and find a random roommate, you never know what you are going to find with Craigslist!

As a CDC, I preached to collegiate members the importance of joining the local alumnae group after graduation. "It is a really easy way to meet people!" I would always say. I figured it was time to practice what I preach. I already was a dues-paying member of the NYC Alumnae group and was constantly checking out the Facebook group for any "roommate wanted" posts. I ended up joining a g-mail group for DGs looking for roommates and/or apartments in the city. I sent out an e-mail to the group and within a few hours I heard back from a collegiate member about to graduate from Zeta Theta-Columbia named Cait. 

The rest happened so quickly; we went through the usual surface level questions about living habits, hometowns (she is also from the west coast!) and what we are doing in NYC (she does neuroscience research at Columbia). Cait had already found an awesome true 3 bedroom apartment in the Upper West Side, and from the looks of the pictures it really was perfect, and was planning on seeing it in person with a broker later that week. One of Cait's friends from Columbia became our third roommate and we signed the lease a week after I posted my original "roommate wanted" e-mail. Cait and I love telling the story of how we became roommates to other DGs because it truly is a testament to how amazing the DG network is. The night before I e-mailed the group, Zeta Theta had their Senior Pursuit meeting and encouraged the seniors to join the local alumnae group for where they will be living after graduation. Cait went home and joined the NYC Facebook page and the G-Mail group and it paid off! 

Kudos to Zeta Theta for encouraging the senior class to stay involved in Delta Gamma. Cait and I get along great, and having our ritual and sisterhood in common was just the beginning. I like to think that Cait and I's story is proof that Delta Gamma is not just 4 years of fun while in college, it truly is a lifetime membership. There are DGs everywhere, so why not go out and try and meet them? You never know what new and amazing friends (or roommates!) you will make along the way. 

Carly Speaks: Taking a Bite Out of the Big Apple "Intro"

I can’t believe my CDC year has come to a close and now I’m a young professional in the Big Apple! I just moved across the country after landing an entry-level sales job that values hard work and dedication and I secured an amazing apartment on the Upper West Side with two roommates. Now I am here, living in the city that never sleeps and enjoying all of the amazing opportunities that come with it. Stay tuned for info on what life is like as a young graduate! I plan on posting my tips, tricks and anecdotes throughout the summer…but first, here’s a little more about me...

I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and received my Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Oregon State University in 2012. When I was a freshman, I knew I wanted to join a sorority; little did I know the impact it was going to have on the rest of my life. I enthusiastically joined Delta Gamma and was a sponge to the plethora of knowledge and information I learned my first year as member. It paid off; I was elected chapter president as a sophomore and I was very glad I paid close attention to everything that went on during chapter meeting, because now I was the one running those meetings. I was fortunate enough to attend the 64th Biennial Convention in Denver, Colorado at the end of my sophomore year and it was my first real exposure to the "bigger picture" of Delta Gamma. I got to see women who truly exemplified "lifetime membership" and the most memorable being the late Miss Eleanor Slaughter, Alpha Psi- Ole Miss. It is tradition at every Convention for the attendees to stand to show how many Conventions they have attended. I was excited to show that it was my first Convention, but I was more excited to see how many other women had attended. Ten, fifteen, twenty...wow, talk about dedication. Then they called upon 28 Conventions, and the only woman to walk up was Miss Slaughter. She received a standing ovation and cheers that brought tears to my eyes. This is what it means to be a Delta Gamma. I was forever inspired.

After my term as chapter president ended, I was elected vice president: membership and attended the Delta Gamma Institute in Columbus, Ohio in 2011. The 2011-2012 CDCs were there on their interview weekend and seeing them further inspired the desire that was already within me to consider applying the following year; but what really drove me to apply to be a CDC was my love for Delta Gamma and I wanted to give back to the organization that had given me so many wonderful opportunities. I was fortunate enough to have even been chosen to be a finalist, so I was ecstatic when I was offered the job.

The first year after I graduated college was a whirlwind. I got to live and breathe Delta Gamma all day every day and it was my goal to inspire at least one collegiate member to be the best member they could be. I met numerous women over the course of my year as CDC and I couldn't imagine what my experience would have been like if it wasn't for the spirit of our members across the country.

Read my first “official” blog post next Monday!

Young DGs Spend Summer "Doing Good" in Appalachia

In 2011, Carly Warner, Delta Lambda-Mississippi State, and I, (Melanie Pozuc, Gamma Epsilon-Kent State), met as staff members of a non-profit organization called Mountain T.O.P. The Tennessee Outreach project, fondly known as Mountain T.O.P., aims to meet needs of the Cumberland sector of Appalachia not just physically, but also socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

Mountain TOP has numerous programs that help to accomplish this including Youth Summer Ministry, Adults In Ministry, Spring Break Out, and numerous children’s programs. Carly and I have worked specifically with the Youth Summer Ministry for the past three years, taking on new positions with greater responsibilities each summer. Serving in this capacity has allowed us to not only encourage campers and fellow staff to serve selflessly but also to live out Mountain T.O.P.’s key philosophy of becoming “fishers of people.”

In our chapters, Carly and I have both held CMT positions: Carly as the VP of Foundations for Delta Lambda in 2011 and I am the current chapter president of Gamma Epsilon. Throughout our time on the mountain, we have grown as individuals, leaders, friends, and sisters. It’s no surprise that two people living out the values that Delta Gamma instilled in us would be brought together by the opportunity to “Do Good.” This experience has instilled in us the importance of servant leadership, an idea that encompassed our leadership styles and will help strengthen our chapters.

We would love to see more Delta Gamma sisters on the mountain to join us in “Doing Good”!

For more information on Mountain T.O.P and how to get involved, click http://www.mountain-top.org/


Melanie Pozuc, Gamma Epsilon-Kent State, attends Kent State University. She is majoring in Applied Conflict Management and minoring in Pre-Law and Non-Profit Studies. She plans on attending law school after graduating in Spring of 2014. Melanie currently serves as the chapter president for Gamma Epsilon-Kent State.


Carly Warner, Delta Lambda-Mississippi State, recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a focus in Management. Her future plans are not yet concrete, but she plans on pursuing a career in corporate giving.