History of Alpha Omega Epsilon
Alpha Omega Epsilon is the first and only professional and social engineering sorority in the nation. It offers sisterhood, personal growth, and lifelong friendships for the growing women in engineering and the technical sciences.
It was founded on November 13, 1983 at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin by 27 lovely ladies. In the following months, the first elections of the Alpha Chapter were made, naming Mary Ruth Szews as the first president.
The first candidate class was initiated the following fall, almost doubling their size. Since then, over 45 active chapters have grown in 4 regions across the United Stated and Canada. The Organization's mission has since expanded to include under-represented genders in STEM fields.
Alpha Omega Epsilon's sisters promote ideals and objectives that hope to further the advancement of under-represented genders in STEM, while also developing lifelong friendships.
Ideals
As an individual, I will promote integrity, character, honesty, self-confidence, and uphold my financial responsibilities.
As a sorority, we will promote unity, friendship, professionalism, follow traditions, and maintain our image.
As an integral part of the school, we will promote engineering activities, high scholastic standards, and strong relations between students and faculty.
As an active member in the community, we will promote understanding, knowledge, and communication within our profession.
Objectives
To create friendships while promoting self-confidence, professionalism, and motivation among female engineers of all curricula.
To work for the betterment of the individual and the Sorority as a whole.
To create a friendly and warm environment among its members.
To promote the welfare and interests of the profession.
To strengthen the relationships between students and faculty.
To enhance educational achievements and scholarship.
To help develop the highest standards of personal integrity and character.
To foster and maintain the bond of sisterhood through a continuing program for the alumnae.
What Do We Do?
Professionalism
Professionalism is an integral part of Alpha Omega Epsilon. As a sorority built to support women in STEM, many of the events that we participate in throughout the year focus on advancing our professional development skills. We ensure that sisters are given the resources they need to successfully further their careers through events such as workshops, panels, and networking mixers. Our goal is to help sisters work towards the professional goals they have set for themselves whilst building strong relationships they can take with them past graduation.
Sisterhood
Our sisterhood is close-knit and dedicated to supporting each other as we go through our collegiate journeys. There are always sisters willing and excited to go to any event, and we are continually planning more fun activities or spontaneously seeing each other around campus. Some of the highlights throughout the year include our semi-formal in the fall semester and formals in the spring semester, intramural sports with other sisters and other organizations, and just spending time with each other at campus events.
Internal Philanthropy
Our sisterhood is very passionate about service. Our philanthropy, Take It To The Max, is a highly anticipated event we hold each fall semester to raise money to support Breakthrough T1D. We typically host many events such as a Riff Off among the campus a capella groups, and a large dodgeball tournament. We also have bake sales and percentage nights to show our support and spread awareness for Breakthrough T1D's constant research to find a cure and fight Type 1 Diabetes.
External Philanthropy
Alpha Omega Epsilon is keen in keeping strong and great relationships with other organizations, new and old. We love supporting other philanthropies, events, and fundraisers. Our philanthropy is extremely important to us and lives close to our hearts, so we love sharing our passion with other organizations while embracing other philanthropies and passions as well.
Service
Our sisterhood is very passionate about service. Our philanthropy, Take It To The Max, is a highly anticipated event we hold each fall semester to raise money to support Breakthrough T1D. We typically host many events such as a Riff Off among the campus a capella groups, and a large dodgeball tournament. We also have bake sales and percentage nights to show our support and spread awareness for Breakthrough T1D's constant research to find a cure and fight Type 1 Diabetes.
Sorority Facts
Founding Member - Maxine Turner
Maxine Shelly Turner, or “Max” to her friends and family, was an honors student from Vienna, Va., set to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering in spring 2007. She was brilliant, beautiful, and extraordinarily talented—although she would have denied all of the above. She excelled at everything she committed herself to, including swing dancing, Tae Kwon Do, schoolwork, violin, or just her favorite video game: Zelda. She made it all look easy.
Like anyone else, she had her quirks—such as her tendency to talk to herself while playing video games, stick her tongue out for photographs, and sprawl on the living room floor in random positions and sing aloud while doing homework with her head phones on. Any given day, Max could be found in her pajamas and bunny slippers, sitting on the living room floor watching cartoons and doing chemical engineering work. She discovered, much to her delight, that Spongebob is on almost 24 hours a day. These endearing traits are undeniably a large part of what made Max so loveably Max.
But don’t let her light-hearted outlook on life mislead you; she was also incredibly motivated and ambitious. During her time here at Virginia Tech, she helped found a chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon. One of 12 founding members, Max believed in the importance of having a professional sorority for female engineers at a school known for its excellent engineering programs. She was very active within the sorority, holding such offices as community outreach chair and professional life chair.
She was in the Hypatia class that encouraged the university to expand Hypatia from a one-year to a two-year program. She contributed to the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg community by volunteering for the Relay for Life, the Big Event, and the animal shelter.
Definitely a family-oriented person, Max loved her family very much. She was famous for being one of those rare college students who actually talked to her parents practically every day—and enjoyed it! She would regale her friends with tales of her younger brother, Anthony, and his many accomplishments in his academics, violin competitions, and soccer tournaments.
Maxine was fiercely independent and from the age of 15 worked to earn her own money. She was determined to help with all of her expenses: living, university, and otherwise.
Everyone who knew her will miss her greatly, but sadder still is the fact that those who didn’t know her will never have the pleasure. She was truly an exceptional person.