ZARA DANG (Iota Iota-George Washington) Past ELC and Manager of Global Client Pursuits for Baker McKenzie
Through its Educational Leadership Consultant (or ELCs) and Leadership Programming Consultants (LPCs), Alpha Phi enables young alumnae who have recently graduated the chance to travel to established and new chapters all over the country to assist the Fraternity. Past ELCs and LPCs have gone on to work for leading companies like American Express, Accenture, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Hulu, LTK, TODAY Show, Lyft and even Alpha Phi itself. Many of these women have also gone on to law school, medical school and graduate school after completing their year on the road. One even moved to Singapore. Zara Dang (Iota Iota-George Washington) hails from an international family (her father is from Vietnam, and he mother is from Switzerland) and wanderlust runs in her veins, so she has always loved to travel. She credits this with being one of the reasons she decided to be an ELC and experience different parts of the country through the perspective of Alpha Phi’s local collegiate chapters. “I would certainly say that being an ELC taught me how to travel solo and gave me the confidence that I could be dropped anywhere and find my way around,” Zara said. “I still maintain that my ELC experience taught me some of my most valuable skills, particularly around diplomacy, adaptability, resourcefulness and problem solving. I’ve applied these to every job I’ve had since then.” Zara has had an exciting career, starting at her alma mater, George Washington University, as a leadership programming student coordinator and Alpha Phi as an ELC, leading her to settle overseas. “I always knew I wanted to spend some time abroad, and there’s just so much happening in Asia,” Zara expressed. “First, I was drawn to the energy and hustle of Shanghai [China], which was really exciting for a few years, but then I wanted to learn more about frontier markets. So, I moved to Myanmar in 2014. Experiencing the entrepreneurial spirit of people there and seeing their passion and commitment to building their fledgling democracy was so inspiring that I ended up staying for six years.” Zara’s career path ultimately led her to Singapore, where she works in a business development role for an international law firm. Throughout her travels, she has met other Alpha Phis and found that there is a special kinship among sorority women, even those from other Panhellenic organizations.
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