Life & Work with Kersten Davis of Northwest Ohio Alumnae Chapter Of Sigma Alpha Iota

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kersten Davis (northwest Ohio Alumnae Chapter Of Sigma Alpha Iota)

Hi Kersten Davis, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The Northwest Ohio Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota was founded in 1975. We cover much of the northwestern part of the state and have members ranging from Toledo, Lima, Sandusky and more. We were founded due to the number of Sigma Alpha Iota alumnae were in the area and wanted to continue to meet together as a group to encourage, nurture, and support music locally and through our national fraternity.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Alumnae members come from all walks of life. We have members who are teachers, performers, nurses, advertisers and more! Remaining active in our chapter can sometimes be difficult, but we are fortunate enough that we can be flexible with our attendance, activeness and involvement to meet our needs and our chapters needs.

However, since COVID – we have found the need to have virtual meetings sometimes or have members participate that way who cannot drive long distances. We are currently trying to find our footing again with hybrid meetings and coming back together in person.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
The Mission of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity is to encourage, nurture and support the art of music. We are an organization which promotes interaction among those who share a commitment to music.

The SAI Alumnae Association and local chapters allows alumnae members to remain active and supportive of the ideals of SAI.

Members of Sigma Alpha Iota, in collegiate and alumnae chapters, devote their talents and energies to many national and international projects including those of Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc.:

– The SAI quarterly, PAN PIPES, comprehensively lists American premieres and works-in-progress in each special edition, and is included in the Library of Congress Archives.
– The People-to-People Music Project sends music, instruments, and educational materials to deserving musicians world-wide.
– The triennial Inter-American Music Awards (IAMA) and commissions recognize and encourage the finest in creative composition throughout the western hemisphere.
– Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctoral Scholarships, Summer Music Scholarships, and Chapter Outreach Grants are available to SAI members and chapters.

Sigma Alpha Iota accepts with pride the responsibilities and privileges of being a leader in the pursuit of music creation, performance, and scholarship.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Find new ways to recruit members for your organization. Word of mouth is a great way to find members, but you can also find members through advertisements in organizations you support. We wear letters wherever we may be able to come across any members of SAI and hope to create new friendships as we go.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/nwo-alumnae-sigma-alpha-iota
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nwoalumnae_sai/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAINWOAlumnae
• Other: https://www.sai-national.org/