Kappa Kappa Gamma
General Information
National Founding Date: October 13th, 1870
Chapter Founding Date: February 17th, 1944
Colors: Dark Blue and Light Blue
Flower: Fleur de Lis
Symbol(s): Owl, Key, Sapphire, Goddess Minerva
Values: Friendship, Loyalty, and Sisterhood
Motto: “Aspire to be”
Philanthropy: Mental Health Awareness
Minimum Collegiate GPA: 2.7
D&I Training Attendance: 100%
Purpose and Mission
Kappa Kappa Gamma is an organization of women that seeks for every member throughout her life the bonds of friendship, self-growth, and intellectual development.
Kappa's motto is “Aspire to be,” which is reflected in our sisters’ passion for growth and involvement. Over 92% of our chapter is involved in at least one other organization on campus, and 52% of the sisters hold a leadership position in another organization. This diversity of campus-wide leadership makes it extremely easy for new members to get involved in organizations and activities outside of Kappa.
Members who are interested in becoming leaders within Kappa have many opportunities to do so as well. Our Chapter Council has 18 positions, and each position provides a great opportunity for sisters to be involved in the leadership of our own house. Additionally, there are positions within the house that are not included in Chapter Council. These positions allow sisters to gain leadership experience through directing activities such as Intramural Sports, Greek Sing, and Booth. All of these opportunities help develop and prepare our sisters for beyond their college years and into their future careers.
Sisterhood
Kappa holds many events that promote sisterhood. These events include unity dinners, family dates, and holiday socials to more formal events such as Crush Party and Sapphire Ball. This past year, we had an Oscars-themed unity dinner and watch party, complete with a red carpet and handmade photo backdrop! Crush Party is a date party that happens twice a year. Sapphire Ball is our end of the year formal, named after the Kappa jewel.
We love fun outings like trampolining and apple picking, as well as staying in with spa and movie nights while ordering takeout at the house, all hosted voluntarily by sisters! These gatherings create bonding experiences for our chapter and truly emphasize the genuine friendship we share.
Service + Philanthropy
Kappa Kappa Gamma has 6 philanthropies:
Active Minds: Active Minds is the leading nonprofit in the United States working to end the silence and change the culture around mental health by mobilizing the next generation.
The Jed Foundation (JED): The Jed Foundation (JED) is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for the nation’s teens and young adults. They’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen programming, services, and systems related to mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention. JED also equips teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. They encourage community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health
Mental Health America (MHA): Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all. MHA’s work is driven by its commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) provides advocacy, education, support, and public awareness so all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA): The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. NEDA supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures, and access to quality care.
ack.org: Jack.org is Canada's only charity training and empowering young leaders to revolutionize mental health in every province and territory.
We hold several fundraisers throughout the year to support our philanthropies, such as "Kappa Kappa Grill’em” and “Kappa Carnival”. In addition to these special fundraising events, Kappa participates in several service events throughout the year to support the local Pittsburgh community, including Relay for Life, 1000Plus, and Greek Sing, to name a few. In addition to these house-wide activities, each sister is required to complete at least five hours of community service a semester. Kappa believes that community service and philanthropy can come from not only one's individual efforts, but also the combined efforts of our sisters.
Academics
Kappa Kappa Gamma believes that strong academics and intellectual development are both top priorities for its members. Everyone is at Carnegie Mellon for the main purpose of earning a top-notch education, and it is incredibly important to Kappa that its sisters not only remember this, but also use Kappa as a resource to aid this process.
Sisters in Kappa support each other through college and beyond. Sisters can choose to have an academic big with similar academic and career interests who will guide them through their major, tutor them in classes, and provide them career advice. Finding an internship or full-time job can be daunting, but our academic support provides sisters help with networking, interviewing, and resume skills to prepare them for job fairs and recruitment. Our supportive academic environment helps every young woman strive for her personal best here at Carnegie Mellon.
Scholarships
Kappa Kappa Gamma provides three different scholarship types: need-based, merit-based, and the Marisol Scholarship. Though scholarships are only available to initiated, second year (or higher) members of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity who are currently enrolled at a college or university, sisters can pre-emptively apply as freshmen for sophomore scholarships. Sisters can only apply to one per academic year, and the scholarships have to be spent on educational costs and cannot be used to pay for dues, personal expenses, etc.
For merit-based scholarships, a GPA of 3.2 /4.0 scale is required, and recipients are awarded $3000/year
A GPA of 3.0/4.0 is required for need-based scholarships, and recipients are awarded $5000/year.
The Marisol Scholarship covers 75% of all educational costs including tuition and fees, housing costs, and books.