While we may not be able to get together in person for tailgating this football season, Tri Deltas got together for Game DDDay, a virtual tailgate on Oct. 17, as one of our Fall for Kindness events.
Tri Delta CEO Karen Hughes White, Georgia, and fan favorite Dr. Mari Ann Callais, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, served as hosts for the morning, kicking off Game DDDay with some friendly college football rivalry between the Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers.
The morning was full of football-themed Tri Delta fun, including interviews with three sisters who shared their talents and passions around all things football…and food!
Sorority and Sports
Tri Delta’s Vice President of Marketing and Communications and sports fan Mindy Tucker, Southern Methodist, sat down with recent graduate Caroline Fenton, Louisiana State, who now works as a digital and social content associate for ESPN. Caroline discussed growing up with sports, working for ESPN and how Tri Delta set her up for success as she pursues a career in a field largely dominated by men.
“It’s hard to have to prepare twice as much to be respected half as much,” she shared. “It’s difficult because [people] assume that men know and love sports, and don’t do that with women. You almost feel like you have to prove yourself to people when you say you do work in sports.”
Caroline added, “You have to know your worth and you have to know you do this job for a reason because you love it…There are so few women in sports, that there is this tight-knit network of women that’s so incredibly supportive.”
Cooking with Kylie
No tailgate is complete without good food! Kylie Mazon-Chambers, Pepperdine, creator of the blog “Cooking with Cocktail Rings” and author of the cookbook “Share + Savor,” was on hand to teach viewers how to make a championship cheesy jalapeño dip for their next tailgate. Check out Kylie’s video for the recipe.
“Game Day in Dallas”
Marnie Schneider, Penn State, discussed the latest edition of her children’s book series, “Football Freddie & Fumble the Dog,” which features Game Day in Dallas! Marnie, whose grandfather Leonard Tose owned the Philadelphia Eagles, was inspired to write the “Football Freddie & Fumble the Dog” series to teach children about the universal language of sports and help them explore different cities across the country.
In her interview, Marnie shared some of the life lessons she includes in her books—including messages around confidence, friendship, comradery and inclusion—that she was taught by her grandfather and mother growing up. One of the lessons she learned from her grandfather was kindness. Quoting him, Marnie says, “Civility is not a sign of weakness.”
She talked about being inspired by her mom who, as the first female vice president, legal counsel and acting general manager in Philadelphia Eagles’ history, was a trailblazer for women in the sports industry. For Marnie, supporting other women is especially important.
“We have a family expression that says cheering for others makes you a leader…a cheerleader,” she said. “When you cheer for others, it’s especially important as a woman for us to really embrace and reward other women for doing their job—not try to downgrade them but to really upgrade them.”
Watch Marnie’s full interview from Game DDDay!