Greek Life Society

Celebrating Sororities & Fraternities

The Noblest Seniors Around | ZTA Seniors

CLASS OF 2017 • James Madison University

Zeta Tau Alpha – Gamma Kappa Chapter | Seniors 2017

We have special treat for y’all today! Lindsay Miguelez of 1783 Photography is sharing a beautiful and amazing college senior photoshoot she had the pleasure of working on with the ladies of the Gamma Kappa chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha at James Madison University. This chapter was first founded on the campus on November 15, 1949.  This past spring 12 of the ZTA seniors decided to celebrate their collegiate experience with a photo session and several of them have decided to share some of their favorite ZTA and James Madison memories with y’all.

The Illumination Ceremony is without a doubt a favorite on campus among all of the ZTA seniors! Y’all, we want to go visit this campus for this philanthropy event! All of these ladies were impacted so much by the stories and special way that the attendees are impacted by the event. Each attendee is given a pink glow stick at the start of the evening. Everyone stands in a circle, and those who wish to speak out step in the middle and tell their stories. Rebecca notes how “It’s eye opening to see how this disease affects so many people around us.” Abigail recounts the Illumination Ceremony as “…such a great event to kick off BCA month, and you get to hear the stories of JMU students that have been affected in some way by Cancer; and Breast Cancer specifically.”

Abigail graduated with a B.S. in Hospitality Management with a minor in Business and has already begun her new job as a Wedding and Events Associate for Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison, VA. Her most recent favorite memory of her time on campus was actually during graduation when her & her friends friends found the hidden JMU tunnels. They went inside and signed their names to commemorate their years there, it’s definitely an experience that she won’t soon forget.

Brittany reflected back on her collegiate time and settled on a few favorite memories that many consisted of “Meeting all of my close friends and bridesmaids in my sorority. I experience so many amazing memories at JMU but the best memories were with all of these 11 girls.” She has focused her major studies on Hospitality Management with a minor in Business. She had accepted a summer position in Hilton Head Island, South Caroline with their prestigious Marriott Vacation Clubs internship. In the fall she will be returning to JMU to finish her degree and graduate later this winter. Her personal favorite philanthropic event is the Family Feud – Greek Life Addition. All of the fraternities and sororities compete against each other in a Family Feud style setting answering questions about Greek life and the campus. Proceeds from this event go to Breast Cancer Research and Awareness.

Rebecca has been studying for her Bachelors of Science in Health Services Administration with a minor in business and has already accepted an internship position in Washington D.C. at NCQA. One fall the ESPN College Gameday came to JMU; that was definitely one of the highlights of her time at campus. And, of course, like most of us – spring break with her close friends!

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This amazing sorority photoshoot was captured by Lindsay, a Maryland based photographer who specializes in portraits & weddings. She and her husband recently tied the knot and are a happily little family of 3; the two of them + their sweet dog, Toby, of course! Plus, we promise y’all are going to immediately fall in love with her since she loves to frequent vineyards with her friends for wine tastings. We’re already following Lindsay on social media & love tagging along on her adventures! She might be in Chicago right now drinking wine & seeing all the city holds… *wink*

Emily accepted a position in the Peace Corps Volunteer in the South African country of Lesotho. She will be with HIV/AIDS prevention programs. This is such a perfect opportunity for her with her major in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health Education and a minor in humanitarian affairs! She is incredibly passionate about helping others and serving. While most college seniors are at the beach or back home visiting family during spring break, Emily takes a little different route for her spring breaks. She participates and leads volunteers to various locations around the country where they volunteer for different causes. It’s only fitting that her favorite philanthropic event is one that partners with another sorority. Together, the two houses host Ace’s for Annie. The money raised goes towards a playground that was built in honor of a ZTA’s younger sister, who passed away from a drunk driver.
Kendall has already accepted a position as an assistant brand manager with Newell Brands putting her business marketing studies to perfect use! We can all agree that her favorite college memories are also some of ours. “The nights that never had big plans, that turned into amazing adventures with my closest friends.”
Erika is excited to continue her education and earn her MS in Psychology in the near future. Her degree is focused on psychology and she is looking to be able to actively develop her practical skills within the field. During her freshman year at JMU she participated in the chapters Pie a Zeta philanthropic event where she was repeatedly pied in the face by random students to raise money. She remembers walking back across the campus to her dorm room absolutely covered in whipped cream from all of the pies! Of course, like many of the other girls, she really enjoyed the ESPN College GameDay event and recalling that “Even though we were defeated by the Spiders, I think I can speak for all Dukes when I say that it was a blast.”
Elizabeth attended James Madison University for a B.S. in Public Policy. She also focused on her Administration Minor in Nonprofit studies. When she wasn’t busy with her academics she could be found spending time with the other ladies in the photoshoot.
Kara’s degree was a Bachelor of Science in Geographic Science. She is continuing her education and plans to earn her Masters in Geography at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. We love the way she describes her time at JMU. “College was the best four years of my life. I’d say my favorite part of college was senior year, coming home every night and spending time with my roommates, who were also girls in my same sorority, in our living room. We watched TV shows, movies, and caught each other up on things that were going on in our lives. I undoubtedly owe them all the thanks in the world for being the biggest support systems I could ever hope for.”

Thank the Pros!
Vendors Credit

Photographer – 1783Photography | Sorority – Zeta Tau Alpha | University – James Madison University

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