Maddie’s Moment
What initially drew Maddie to CU Boulder and Alpha Phi was a family connection: her cousin, Sara Casasanta (Beta Gamma-Colorado) . Visiting Sara on campus, Maddie got a firsthand look at the lifelong friendships her cousin was forming in the chapter house and thought, I want this someday, too . That someday happened in 2020, when Maddie received her bid from Alpha Phi. “I remember a feeling of complete fulfillment when I got my bid,” Maddie says. “Alpha Phi had been a part of my life since high school through my cousin, so it just felt right to finally have a place in the sisterhood I had always admired.” Maddie dove into Beta Gamma Chapter eager to make a real difference. During her junior year, she served as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion, a role that helped her step confidently into her leadership. “It made me fall in love with community service and realize that I wanted to continue leading and creating positive change within my chapter,” she says. She continued that path by serving as chapter president during her senior year. Through the role, Maddie developed everything from people and problem- solving skills to becoming an active listener, gaining more than she ever imagined. “Being chapter president taught me so much about myself. It was an experience I wouldn’t change for the world.” Maddie graduated in 2024 with a degree in elementary education. She’s back home in Broomfield, working as a key account manager for Boulder-based
handbag company, where she gets to work alongside her former roommate and Alpha Phi sister. Alpha Phi continues to play a big role in her life. Since graduating, Maddie has volunteered with the Fraternity in several capacities, including finance and housing advisor, health, wellness and accountability advisor and currently as new member education and member experience advisor for her collegiate chapter, Beta Gamma-Colorado. To Maddie, there’s nothing more rewarding in an advisory role than helping young women feel excited and confident in their leadership positions. “I feel like a lot of women are in leadership roles within Alpha Phi and don’t realize the strong impact they have on the future of their chapter,” she explains. “It’s really empowering to witness what they’re capable of.” Beyond the collegiate ties, Maddie also loves deepening the relationships she has with Executive Office staff members and other volunteers across the state and the country. “Being on exec for two years, I became really close with our advisors and other staff members,” she says. “It’s so rewarding to continue those friendships and build new ones.” A year after Maddie graduated and began her volunteer journey, it was Ava’s turn to step into college life. Having watched her older sister fall in love with CU Boulder and Alpha Phi, Ava felt drawn to follow a similar path while making the experience entirely her own.
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