LETICIA BRANCO (Beta Mu-Alabama) ASSOCIATE PLANNER FOR LADIES DESIGNER SHOES AT SAKS GLOBAL When Leticia Branco (Beta Mu-Alabama) started college, she didn’t know anyone. Hoping to find a home away from home and a tight-knit community, she went through sorority recruitment. Alpha Phi instantly felt like the right fit. “I wanted to make connections that would continue past college,” she says. “I got exactly that out of my experience in Alpha Phi.” As a collegian, Leticia served as the director of sisterhood from her sophomore year into her junior year. Her Big Sister, Lauren Ostendorf, who was on the chapter’s executive council at the time, encouraged her to pursue the position, recognizing Leticia’s potential as a leader. Without Lauren’s encouragement, Leticia may not have taken her next step in Alpha Phi leadership: becoming an educational leadership consultant (ELC) after graduating college. Her ELC year taught her more about herself — everything from the type of leader she is to transferable skills like strategic communication and problem-solving. It was a year of incredible personal and professional growth, and it also introduced her to another consultant, Emilie Moorman Hrapkiewicz (Iota Nu-Kentucky), who quickly became one of her closest friends. The two grew so close that Leticia later stood as a bridesmaid in Emilie’s wedding. Fast-forward to today: Leticia calls Dallas, Texas, home. Since graduating in 2021, she has carved out a career in the fashion industry, with roles at the Neiman Marcus Group and Saks Global. At Saks, she now serves as associate planner for women’s designer shoes. Her bachelor’s degree in finance comes in handy, especially since she works with shoes carrying price tags that rival a month’s rent in some cities. “My favorite part of my job is that it’s the perfect mix of finance and fashion,” she says. “I get to work with some of the most prestigious brands in the luxury space, like Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci, Bottega Veneta and many others.” Leticia feels at home in the world of designer fashion and business development. She plans to soak up all the experience she can, with dreams of one day stepping into a vice president role focused on merchandise planning. And we have no doubt she’ll get there, wearing the best shoes in the office.
LETICIA BRANCO (RIGHT)
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