On March 28, nearly 700 collegiate chapter officers gathered for a weekend in Dallas, Texas, marking our annual Collegiate Leadership Conference (CLC). Made possible by donors to Tri Delta’s Foundation, CLC includes role-specific training workshops and community cohorts. Plus, our collegiate leaders absorbed insights from alumnae panelists, celebrated their chapters’ achievements, danced and sang and left with new knowledge, inspiration and friendships.
Between sessions, CLC Central was the place to congregate throughout the weekend. It was the perfect space for socializing, asking questions at the Help Desk, learning about Tri Delta Housing, donating to Tri Delta’s Foundation, getting some swag from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, shopping Tri Delta apparel and creating content in front of our spectacular backdrops!
We consistently hear that after these weekends, our leaders return to their chapters feeling more connected, confident, prepared and ready to lead. We are proud of the outstanding training we can give our collegiate officers at CLC, and we’re excited to see what a difference these leaders make within their chapters, on their campuses and in their communities.
We invite you to continue reading for a day-by-day recap of CLC 2025:
FRIDAY
Museum Tours
Collegiate leaders jumped onto buses traveling to and from Tri Delta’s Executive Office, where they had the opportunity to explore the Ginger Hicks Smith Museum & Archives. These tours were an opportunity to browse through our history and the work being done to preserve it while also giving collegians a behind-the-scenes look at our Executive Office, which supports them and their chapters every day.
Kickoff
Tri Delta alumna Grace Shoop, Oklahoma, kicked off CLC with a powerful poetic word called “Living Out Loud.” She was then joined on stage by an inspiring alumnae panel, moderated by Fraternity President Elizabeth Howard DiMartino, Boston, and featuring Nicole Hughes, Washington State, Erica Calys, James Madison, and Dominique Mendoza, California/Irvine. Together, they shared insights on staying true to your principles, the lifelong value of friendship and supporting fellow members in every way possible. They also offered valuable advice to collegians on how to make the most of their Tri Delta experience. This session set the tone for CLC, inspiring attendees to embrace who they are with confidence.
SATURDAY
Delta Demos
One of the highlights of CLC each year is Delta Demos! Chapter leaders showcased their chapters’ best ideas, from recruitment and PR to programming and chapter operations, in a dynamic, interactive “trade show” format. Think science fair mixed with Tri Delta creativity! We celebrated innovation and new ideas, such as “Maura’s Voice: Striving for a World Without Violence” from Alpha Eta Chapter at Florida State, “Apple Polishing” from Phi Mu Chapter at Southeast Missouri State, “Integrating Technology Into Chapter Events and Social Media” from Epsilon Omega Chapter at Kenyon College and “Prorated Plans and Retention” from Epsilon Mu Chapter at Creighton University, just to name a few. Our leadership teams headed home with lots of actionable steps and inspiration to implement within their own chapters.
Denim & Pearls Party
Thanks to our members’ incredible fundraising efforts in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, we were treated to an unforgettable Denim & Pearls Party—St. Jude’s way of saying thank you. And wow, do they know how to throw a party! Our collegians went all in on the theme, and the night was filled with line dancing, fortune telling, friendship bracelet making and over-the-top dessert stations. It was the perfect celebration of our shared impact in the mission to change the way the world treats and defeats childhood cancer.
SUNDAY
Ritual Workshops
The Power of Ritual interactive workshops allowed officers to dive deep into our beautiful Ritual. Officers brainstormed new ideas on integrating Tri Delta’s Ritual and values into their officer roles—and into every member’s experience. Each officer was able to attend a session focused on a Ritual topic of interest, from the mechanics of our Ritual to getting buy-in from chapter members.
2025 Sarah Ida Shaw Award
Named after our beloved Founder, the Sarah Ida Shaw Award is Tri Delta’s most prestigious individual collegiate honor. Our recipients are leaders and role models on their campuses and within their communities. They embody the core values of Tri Delta, demonstrating selfless leadership, fostering strong sisterhood bonds and promoting unity among their chapters. This year, we are thrilled to announce our winner, Delilah Locke, from our newest chapter, Epsilon Omega at Kenyon College. Read more here about Delilah and our Sarah Ida Shaw Award runners-up.
Chapter Excellence Awards
Throughout the weekend, we also honored the collegiate chapters that excelled across nine categories, including academic excellence, philanthropy and alumnae engagement. A big congratulations to Alpha Eta Chapter at Florida State, the recipients of the Margaret Paddock Haller Award, one of Tri Delta’s highest honors for collegiate chapters. Read more about this chapter and the remarkable accomplishments of all our award winners who are continuing to make a positive impact on their campuses and in their communities.
Collegiate Experience Survey Challenge
All collegiate members were invited to complete a comprehensive survey designed to assess their membership experience, the results of which help us understand what’s working and where we can improve, ensuring we continue to build strong, supportive chapters. We challenged our officers in attendance at CLC to encourage their chapter members to complete the survey over the weekend, and the chapter with the highest increase in participation from Friday to Sunday won the challenge!
Congratulations to Delta State’s Phi Phi Chapter for winning our Collegiate Experience Survey Challenge this weekend—with more prizes in the coming weeks for chapters whose members take the time to share their thoughts with us. Not only will they benefit from some great swag, but they’ll also become stronger chapters with more meaningful experiences for their members, all thanks to their participation in our survey!
Closing Session With Dr. MAC
Dr. Mari Ann Callais took the stage as CLC came to a close, reminding our collegiate leaders of the lessons and experiences they’ll want to take back home. She challenged each member to move beyond surface-level involvement in Tri Delta, to embrace what it truly means to be a sister and to let our Ritual and values guide us throughout our lives. Attendees were invited to reflect on their personal “why”—why they joined Tri Delta and why they continue to stay. It’s safe to say our collegiate officers left with the charge to create inclusive, values-driven communities in their chapters where every member feels seen, supported and inspired to lead.
THANKS FROM TRI DELTA’S FOUNDATION
Friends and members who donate to Tri Delta’s Foundation set an incredible example for our sisters. As they learned, laughed and grew together, our CLC 2025 attendees felt firsthand the Delta Love of donors to the Foundation. And our collegians were certainly inspired to give back, too! Over the weekend, we raised more than $2,200 from 254 collegians as we continue building generations of Tri Delta philanthropists.
Until next year, Delta Love!