Cathy Coers Frank, a past Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association (HAPA) president [2022-2023], University of Houston Valenti School of Communications Alumna of the Year in 2021 and 2023, and Houston Chi Omega Alumnae Association's "Woman of the Year" in 2006, is what many would call a HAPA cheerleader and proponent for sorority life. However, Cathy didn’t go into college knowing she would participate in recruitment, or become an early leader of her chapter, or go directly into the alumnae world and making strides as soon as the ink on her degree was set. In fact, her story starts off differently than one may derive from her spectacular work within the Panhellenic sphere.
Cathy, a proud University of Houston (UH) Cougar, started off at the now Tier One Research Institution without even a thought of becoming a sorority woman: “I had absolutely no intention of going through recruitment when I came to UH. I didn’t think a sorority would be for me…” But, like many college students, plans may change once, twice, or maybe even a dozen times - and Cathy would experience this same milestone. When she decided to try out for the dance team, the Cougar Dolls, the summer of freshman year, she met her “dearest friends” that would move her life in a new direction:
“I met two amazing girls who were Chi O’s – both are still my dearest friends and one of them became my Chi O big sister, Janet Chandler Jones.” Meeting these two women would soon lead to something Cathy describes as having “impacted my life beyond words!”
Cathy participated in informal recruitment in the spring of her junior year and “just knew” that Chi Omega was the sorority for her since knowing members of the sorority since her freshman year: “I wanted to be a Chi Omega because they’d all been so kind and welcoming to me.” She states that she was “not nervous at all – just excited!” when speaking about her experience during informal recruitment. Her journey with informal recruitment led to a bid to Chi Omega, which she pledged that spring semester and “loved every minute of it!” With her pledging came a new sisterhood and an experience with other pledges (now called new members) to become better connected with the chapter before initiation. Cathy describes her undergraduate experience as follows:
“[I] loved every minute of it. I never missed a chapter meeting, Exec meeting or recruitment workshop (or fraternity mixer!). I was thrilled to be a member of Chi Omega and would have loved to spend 24 hours a day with my sisters if I could!”
Since her graduation from University of Houston in May of 1980, Cathy has not strayed far from Chi Omega, now serving as the Panhellenic Advisor to her home chapter (Psi Zeta) at University of Houston since 1981. Not only has she learned more about Chi Omega and the University of Houston during these years as the Panhellenic Advisor but also “met the nicest women over the years –not just in my chapter, but all the other five chapters at UH and so many campus employees… I always say that I’ve gotten a lot more out of the experience than I could have ever given!”
Cathy attributes her love of Panhellenic “to one of [her] pledge sisters, Margie Paetz” who is still considered a best friend in her life today. “She was the Panhellenic delegate when we were in school and she instilled in me a love of Panhellenic. I loved that Margie always knew EVERYONE in all the other sororities – she did that because she was in UH Panhellenic!” And with that shared interest started an ongoing love and appreciation that holds firm today.
And with her work with the Psi Zeta chapter came other opportunities to be connected and become a leader in the Panhellenic space. Cathy would become a member of the Chi Omega Houston Alumnae Association and serve as the Chi Omega delegate for HAPA, which would lead to her many board positions including Treasurer, First Vice President, and then President during the 2022-2023 year. Cathy Frank also has the honor of being a HAPA Citation Member, a title she received in 2014.
Without sorority life, Chi Omega, sisterhood, Panhellenic, and other related opportunities, there would not be the HAPA cheerleader we have today. The opportunity to become a sorority woman is a rewarding one and can be the start to a chapter in one’s life that would not have been an option without it. When it comes to joining a sorority, Cathy has this to say:
“I’d tell a young woman to only go through if SHE wants to, not if her mom or another family member wants her to. And the PNM needs to pledge where she feels the most comfortable and where she feels the most at home. I’d also tell her it’s not just for your college years, but it’s truly for a lifetime! My Chi O and HAPA sisters have been here for me anytime I’ve needed help – they’ve also been with me for all the fun things, too. Being in a sorority is especially valuable if the woman moves to a new town – she’s always going to be welcomed to join her new sisters in another city.”
Sororities can provide new avenues of experiences, internships, jobs, scholarships, friendships, connections, and more. Leaders, such as Cathy Frank, show by example how recruitment, even informal, can become a pathway to a line of work or passion after graduation. The four (or five!) years of undergrad are not the only pertinent part of sorority life – but the sisterhood and memories that follow after:
“I could write for days about all the amazing memories I’ve had, and all the Chi O sisters and Panhellenic sisters I’ve shared them with!”
Written by Robyn Daiss, Publicity Chair (2023-2025) on December 2nd, 2024 for use by the Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association and their website.
