Member Spotlight: Barbara Wooley

1. Tell us a little about yourself. I started life as a child of creative parents, one an artist and the other a radio drama major. Add to that combination three creative siblings, and you can imagine the amount of spectacle around our house. After graduation from the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) and marriage, I became a communications professional, writing and editing my way across Iowa and Texas (mostly Texas) for the next 45 years, with more than 80 awards to my teams' credits. With three grown sons, I'm currently semi-retired, working for Godiva Chocolatier as a keyholder chocolatier.

2. Why did you join Delta Zeta? My mother, who was not a sorority woman, suggested that I try out for "rush" at UTA in 1969, which I thought would be a lark. Indeed, it was. Two other sororities invited me to join their sisterhoods, but the Iota Psi chapter captured my heart and still hasn't let go. Because I was a French major, they immediately surrounded me with their foreign language cadre. Unknown to me at the time, a neighbor was also a DZ and recommended me to the sorority.

3. What positions did you hold as a collegian in Delta Zeta? Now I have to go quite a bit back to recall those four years, but I know I was

press chairman, Panhellenic delegate, and probably historian--some positions more than once. I won a top press chairman award at the 1971 state convention as well as two competitive Theta Sigma Phi journalism scholarships for UTA. (That's me as DZ college Panhellenic delegate at UTA on the left in the press clipping on the left.)

1. What was the most rewarding part of your collegiate experience in Delta Zeta? I think working as part of a sisterhood team on projects and in competitions was valuable experience later in my communications career. Just like all sisters, we argued and made up, making all the mistakes that young women incur through simple lack of experience. We were fortunate to have two good CCDs who kept us in line (a third one was dismissed) and the sorority in good standing at UTA. We didn't have a sorority house, but a sorority is ultimately defined by its sisterhood, not its house. We met in the student union building, homes, apartments, and at fraternity house mixers--in fact, everywhere except a sorority house. Nobody had them, and that taught me that it's not where you meet that matters--it's how well you meet.

2. How long have you been a member of PCCA? I haven't been a member that long--maybe four years or so. One day I thought about my old collegiate sisters and decided to look up a local alumnae group. The Dallas chapter was organizing, and when they found out that I lived in Carrollton at the time, they said I might like the PCCA group because it was closer. The chapter alums were so friendly that the rest is history.

3. What has been the most rewarding part of your alumnae experience in Delta Zeta? Our local chapter is always pushing us to be active, and I recalled how much I enjoyed Panhellenic in college. So I joined Plano-Richardson Alumnae Panhellenic (PRAP) a few years ago as PCCA's delegate. You should always run through the parking lot of a PRAP meeting before officer election night because that's how they caught and talked me into running for president. I was way too slow strolling in there. After the presidency, I served as parliamentarian for them, and this year I'm representing us as a Panhellenic delegate again. Without such a supportive DZ chapter, I'm certain I wouldn't be putting myself out there as much. It's good to be with the sisters again.