Ranked Third Best Chapter in 2023

Welcome to the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi!

Freshman year, I was not sure if Greek Life would be a good fit for me. I longed for community and I wanted to make good friends, but it was hesitant about joining a house. I feared I would conform into a cookie cutter sorority girl or, even worse, feel pressure to compromise on the values that I held so dearly. 

In Pi Beta Phi, I discovered neither conformity nor compromise, but individuality, sincere friendship, and an unshakable commitment to the values upon which Pi Beta Phi was founded. Our founders were courageous women who dared to establish an organization of women that challenged each other to be their best in all aspects of their lives. Today, the Michigan Alpha chapter carries on this tradition. We are not united by a similarity in interest, background, or social status. Our sisters come from all over the country and from all different majors. We have varied talents, from athletics to the arts to academics. Yet despite our ranging personalities and affiliations, we are united by our genuine love for each other and ardent desire for personal growth. We are guided by our six values: integrity, honor and respect, personal and intellectual growth, philanthropic service to others, lifelong commitment, and sincere friendship. These values bind our sisters together and influence our daily lives. 

In Michigan Alpha, commitment to these values means a special emphasis on the value of philanthropic service to others. Through our national philanthropy Read > Lead > Achieve®, we work to promote literacy through fundraisers such as Mr. Hillsdale and by serving the community through programs such as Champions Are Readers (CAR). During this program, we visit a local school and read with the students. These are only a few examples of our philanthropic work and efforts to improve literacy both nationally and in our community. 

To be a Pi Beta Phi is not merely to be a member of a social club, but to be a woman of character, determined to better herself and those around her. I am honored to be a Pi Beta Phi because I am proud of the women who I have the privilege to call my sisters, who push me to become a better version of myself each and every day.

In the Wine and Silver Blue, 

Tess Skehan

Chapter President, 2019