Gratitude for your DKG Journey
There are stories about your journeys and ASTEF wants to hear them. Use “Because someone gave” as the beginning of the story of a scholarship, leadership opportunity or project stipend. ASTEF says thanks for the continued support of “Our Foundation” and ask for that support to continue through this 2022 year.
Because someone gave, our chapter has been able to assist students throughout the six Texas counties that our chapter covers. We are in a low-income rural area of the state. The six counties of our chapter have only eight schools that serves every student and teacher within these counties.
Through project stipends awarded to our chapter, we have been able to provide these schools with a multitude of resources that would not otherwise be available to them due to limited finances. Projects have included a set of virtual reality goggles, new teacher mentoring kits, character-building books for the school libraries, and stuffed animals for the law enforcement agencies. Gamma Eta Chapter is excited to use this year’s project award to a school in our area that will be providing a student commons area for the PK through 12 grade students. This project will be built by the agricultural welding class in the high school and landscaped by the newly formed horticultural classes in the middle and high schools. Thank you, ASTEF and donors, for these opportunities to support our teachers and children. Gamma Eta Image by Bluehouse Skis from Pixabay 
Because someone gave a donation to the Leadership Fund, ASTEF is able to fund the TSO Leadership Seminar on odd years. I was fortunate enough to be selected to attend the Leadership Seminar in February 2013. That’s where my DKG journey really began. I had been on chapter committees and even been a chapter officer, but had not thought about my role in Texas State Organization. However, the Leadership Seminar helped develop dormant leadership abilities and desires in me. After 2013, I added many jobs to my DKG resume including a two biennium chapter presidency, Area 12 Coordinator, TSO Global Awareness Chair, TSO Personnel Committee and ASTEF Board of Directors 2019-2025. Because of a donation to the Leadership Fund, not only myself, but 31 (yes, we had 31 members of our Lucky 13 class) were in attendance. The members of Lucky 13 have gone on to be TSO Executive Officers, TSO Committee Chairs, Area Coordinators, and DKG representatives. Because someone gave many women have become leaders. Thank you so much for your donation to ASTEF.
Janie Wigley Gamma Beta Area 9 Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay |
In 2016 I participated in the two-week Golden Gift Leadership Management Seminar. My roommate, Marie-Antoinette Hubers, and I became fast friends. That friendship has flourished through the years. We are fortunate that she has been able to make several trips to the US as she lives in The Netherlands. Our life similarities are numerous from the amount of time we have been married to our husbands to our hobbies and interests. We both are retired Career and Technical Educators, she taught nursing and I taught a variety of courses with the last course being hospitality. We recently shared two weeks together this summer. One week was spent in New Orleans for the DKG International Convention. She was elected to serve as the European Regional Director, I was there in the audience as her biggest fan and loudest cheerleader! After the convention, she and I stopped in Baton Rouge on our drive back to Texas where she met my extended family and held my newest granddaughter, Margaret. We also stopped in Nederland, Texas for a visit. Nederland was settled by over 100 Dutch immigrants many, many years ago. We took pictures together outside the landmark windmill in Nederland! My Texas friends and chapter sisters met Marie-Antoinette during her Texas visits. Recently my friend, Sue, and her sister Betty just took a trip to Amsterdam and a Viking River Cruise through Europe. Sue, Betty, and Marie-Antoinette spent a lovely day together touring Amsterdam. We all marveled at the blessing of our friendships. There might be a huge ocean that separates us geographically but because someone gave in 2016 I was able to meet and love my true DKG Sister from The Netherlands.
Risa McCann Image by Joshua_Willson from Pixabay |