A spring semester event showed how SUNY Oswego’s fraternity and sorority experiences shape careers, strengthen networks and prepare students for long-term professional success, according to some Laker Greek alumni.

This spring’s “Letters That Last: Turning Your Chapter Story Into a Career Legacy” Greek Life Career Conference brought together more than 200 students and alumni for an evening of networking and skill-building. With approximately 318 students currently involved in fraternities and sororities, the strong turnout underscored the community’s commitment to connecting student experiences with future careers.

Organized in collaboration with Career Services, Greek Council, Student Engagement and Leadership, Campus Events and Conference Services, Auxiliary Services and University Advancement, the event featured a keynote panel, breakout sessions and interactive workshops designed to help students translate their Greek life involvement into professional skills.

Gary Morris, director of Career Services and a 1988 SUNY Oswego graduate, set the tone for the event in the Marano Campus Center with a dramatic opening with music, lights and hype and encouraged students to leverage the event to gain skills and build their Laker network. Sessions like “Resume Remix: Translating Chapter Roles” and “Networking Like a Greek” focused on reframing chapter responsibilities into career-ready competencies — an essential step for soon-to-be graduates entering the workforce.

“I hope students were able to build meaningful connections with the alumni they met, especially during the breakout sessions,” said Julianna Giudici, the university’s fraternity and sorority life coordinator and a 2025 SUNY Oswego graduate. “More importantly, I hope they gained a clearer understanding of how their experiences in the fraternity and sorority community can translate into valuable skills for their future careers.”

That translation — from campus leadership to career readiness — was a central theme echoed by alumni speakers. Renee Abstender Marchak, founder of All Things Career & Culture and a member of Delta Phi Epsilon as a 1994 graduate, emphasized that Greek life offers a unique environment to develop real-world skills.

Gaining leadership experience

“If you really leverage it properly, it is a great experimental ground for learning not just life skills but skills that you can apply in your career, especially where leadership is concerned,” Marchak said.

Marchak pointed to leadership roles within chapters as particularly valuable, noting that they allow students to practice decision-making, delegation and problem-solving in a supportive setting.

“It’s a great place to practice those leadership skills,” she said, adding that the experience teaches students how to take initiative and learn from mistakes in a low-risk environment.

Beyond leadership, alumni highlighted the lasting power of relationships formed through Greek organizations. Marchak described her sorority experience as transformative, both personally and professionally.

“It was the first time I really truly felt like I had true female friendships,” she said, noting that she still gathers annually with her pledge class decades after graduation.

Those connections often translate directly into career opportunities.

“Utilize your alumni network … that is one of your greatest tools right there,” Marchak advised, encouraging students to view networking as relationship-building rather than transactional outreach.

Building skills

The conference also reinforced how Greek life fosters essential soft skills that employers increasingly value. Through service initiatives, chapter operations and campus involvement, students build competencies in communication, teamwork, time management and accountability — skills that are directly applicable in professional settings.

“Members are required to complete community service hours, attend workshops, and participate in trainings,” Giudici said. “Overall, participation in the fraternity and sorority community helps students strengthen their time management, leadership and interpersonal skills, preparing them for success both during college and in their future careers.”

For many attendees, the message resonated. As one student shared in their evaluation of the event: “I’m more prepared to translate my experience and skills obtained in Greek life into my future career.”

In addition to Marchak, organizers extended a special thanks to alumni panelists, including 1990 graduate Karin Lebitz Giudici , primary school psychologist, Phi Lambda Phi; 1988 graduate Dresden Engle Olcott, owner and director of Dresden Public Relations, Inc, Alpha Epsilon Phi; and 2020 graduate Jordan Robertaccio , recruiter for NY Creates, Sigma Gamma.

The event was part of Greek Week, held from April 20–24, to engage the fraternity and sorority community through a diverse schedule of events, including a therapy dog collaboration, a spelling bee, a campus-wide Day of Service that saw the planting and maintenance of 86 trees and ongoing support for the campus SHOP (Students Helping Oz Peers) pantry resource.