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"CHANGE
IS PART OF LIFE"
By MARGUERITE KELLY
Courtney Kraft, Alpha Nu, was drawn to the magic
and pulse of New York City from an early age. She is a
young woman with her sights set on success and an appreciation
for the Sisters she has found there, far from the sugar
sand beaches of West Palm Beach.
"My degree from the University of Florida is in advertising,"
says Courtney. "I've always liked magazines and I
knew I wanted to do something creative. Most of all, I
wanted to live in New York City."
Embarking on her dream took some creativity all its own.
But, after working the entire summer at a camp following
graduation, Courtney took all of her earnings, two suitcases
of clothes and shoes and moved to a hostel on New York's
upper west side.
"I met with the chapter the first week," she
says. "I had no apartment, no job and no family.
I was friends with a Phi Mu who helped me get in touch
with other Sisters in New York City. It was so helpful
to get acquainted with Sisters and begin networking with
them."
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Pictured
at State Day a biannual event sponsored by the
Manhattan Phi Mu Chapter are left to right: Kelly
Evans, Courtney Kraft (President for Phi Mu Manhattan),
Lauren Schatz (treasurer for Phi Mu Manhattan),
Shannon Snow, Jackie Carney (Philanthropy Chair
for Phi Mu Manhattan)
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Even
as an undergraduate Courtney looked for an affiliation that
offered the feeling of an "extended family."
"When I rushed in 1998, I was very interested in the whole
sorority idea. As a freshman, I lived next door to a Phi Mu
who later became my big sister, but if I had not liked the feeling
and spirit of the house, I would not have pledged there. I always
wanted sisters, and I never got them, says Courtney. "There
was a good sense of family at the Alpha Nu chapter house. I
found the Sisterhood I wanted."
While Courtney used her networking to solidify her contacts
in New York and began to establish herself, she worked constantly
the first six weeks to find stable employment.
"When I first arrived, my fulltime job was finding a fulltime
job," she says. Now, as her hard work is taking hold, Courtney
is in a position to give back and help other young women who
arrive in New York looking for their own place in the 'city
that never sleeps.'
She is finding that as president of her alumnae chapter, she
is gaining the confidence to reach out more and more. "I
am much more interested in taking a leadership role," she
says. "I've grown to embrace the leadership aspect and
lost my fear of being a leader."
In her position at Fairchild Publishing, Courtney is able to
offer guidance to some of the company's interns, in addition
to assisting other Phi Mu Sisters in the area.
"I understand the importance of giving back," she
says. "If I can give them tips and advice that will be
helpful - it is my desire to do so.
"My climb to make a life for myself would have been a lot
harder. Just having a Phi Mu to call makes you feel things are
easier," she says. In addition to working at Fairchild,
Courtney is expanding her portfolio with a lot of freelance
writing assignments. She enjoys writing about various topics
that relate to health and beauty.
After taking a writing class targeting this market at New York
University, she fine-turned her skills even more. Learning how
to widen her circle of contacts, pitch stories and zero in on
ways to appeal to this market landed her an on-going presence
on www.about.com, as their
cold and flu expert.
These days you can also catch her byline in New York Moves magazine,
Figure magazine, and more.
Today, all of Courtney's hard work is coming together and she
is giving back to young professionals who come to the city looking
for challenging careers. She wants to do her part but she admits
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"You have to go through the hard times and the good times.
But as you get older, fear subsides. You are always growing,
you never get done. And, you continue to appreciate your Sisters
through all of these phases, sharing in their growth as well." |
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