Mildred Kroung is one of a kind at Montclair State. She is the only active member of the Xi Iota chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc and is making it work despite small numbers.
Photo courtesy of Mildred Kroung
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. is an International Sorority that holds over 125,000 members and is a part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), which is comprised of nine historically African American Greek Letter organizations.
Founded in 1920 at Howard University, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. is one of the most historically prominent sororities in the NPHC and was the first to charter a chapter in Africa. The African chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. is located in Monrovia, Liberia, an impressive fact that Mildred Kroung, a member of the sorority’s chapter at Montclair State University, was excited to share.
When two of Kroung’s sisters graduated in December 2015, she became the only sister of the Xi Iota chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Kroung became an active sister of the sorority on November 16, 2014 and, after a year of dedication, began to face the challenges of being a one-woman chapter.
As a senior double major in Jurisprudence and Child Advocacy and Policy with a goal of attending law school in the fall, Kroung is an exceptionally busy individual. Along with her regular school work, she also holds a job and an internship, all while applying to law schools and attending Greek Council meetings every Tuesday evening at 5:30.
Kroung showcases great dedication to her organization by overcoming the adversity of a lack of sisters on campus. When asked about what has kept her pushing through this process, she replied, “[It’s] knowing that if I do not take action, my chapter will fall in May, and when I graduate, all my hard work and sweat will have been in vain.”
While her status as the only Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. sister on campus is difficult, Kroung feels that there have been positive outcomes from the situation. She feels that she has been strengthened as a result of this challenge and that it has encouraged her not to take anything for granted.
Kroung stated that her struggle on campus “has made me aware that I can do anything I put my mind to. It has been a hard semester, but things have to get done.”
When asked about why she joined the sorority, her passion can easily be seen as the motivational force behind all her hard work. Kroung shared that she joined the Xi Iota chapter because their philanthropy is March of Dimes, which is an organization that serves children who are premature or at a low birth rate, an issue dear to her heart because she was born a premature baby.
Each organization in Greek Life here at Montclair is required to fulfill “Red Hawk Accreditation,” which involves a variety of tasks including, but not limited to, attending a certain number of events on campus, co-sponsoring events with a diverse group of organizations, maintaining a high GPA, completing community service hours and getting Safe Space trained. These requirements are significantly complicated when there is only one person in your organization.
When asked how she balances everything, Kroung said, “I have classes that conflict with certain meetings, and it’s hard. I never want to look like [I miss events because] I do not care enough about my organization, but the fact is that there is just one me, making it very hard to have a perfect score for Red-Hawk Accreditation.”
Perfect score or not, the Greek community can see all the hard work and dedication that Kroung puts into her organization.
