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Here is the article written about me (sorry for the funky formatting):

Alumnae Initiation
A different route
but the same destination

Marie Gilbert recently fulfilled a long-held desire when she went through the
rites of Delta Gamma Initiation at Sigma chapter at Northwestern University.
But as a 34-year-old wife and working mother, Gilbert brought a different twist to
the Initiation ceremony, as her path to Fraternity life was unlike that of most women
who seek the bonds of Delta Gamma sisterhood. When Gilbert became a member of
Delta Gamma as an alumna, she joined a select group of women for whom sorority
involvement starts after college graduation. Most National Panhellenic Conference
groups have some form of alumnae Initiation, though each organization creates a
program that is right for its members.
For Delta Gamma, alumna Initiation has always been a special program, adding an
average of 12 to 15 new members a year, according to Vice-President: Alumnae Janet
Hunt Potter. These members are usually family members or friends of Delta Gammas,
but they have one thing in common: they meet the same criteria as collegians with
Delta Gammas who know and sponsor them.
To be considered for membership, a prospective candidate must have two letters of
support from Delta Gamma members and a letter of recommendation from an alumnae
group in the area. She must have at least two years college education or the
equivalent, and she must never have been initiated into another NPC group. After
Delta Gamma’s seven-member Council approves the candidate’s selection, she is
invited to become a member, receives Fraternity education and pays all pertinent fees
prior to Initiation at the nearest collegiate chapter.
Most alumnae initiates find out about the program through their contact with
another Delta Gamma member, connection to a collegiate chapter or involvement in
the community. “Often, a Delta Gamma she knows recognizes she would be a valuable
member, a participating member, a contributing member – and recommends her for
membership,” Potter said.
“When I first found out about alumna Initiation, I was very excited,” Gilbert said. “I
thought, ‘Here is an opportunity for me to do something I always wanted to do, a
chance to meet women who are involved in an organization that, when I was in
college, I wanted to be in.’ I thought, ‘I have a lot to contribute!’”
And Gilbert has certainly stepped up to the plate. Before being initiated, she helped
the local alumnae group by making table favors for Founders Day. After being initiated,
she created Chicago Northwest Suburban alumnae chapter’s Web site and accepted
the role of vice-president: membership.
Past president of the alumnae chapter and one of Gilbert’s sponsors Hailey Isham
Venters, Zeta Xi-Alabama, Birmingham, says Gilbert’s presence in the group has been
very positive. “She’s given herself wholeheartedly to the group in order to allow Delta
Gamma to fulfill her dream of membership,” Venters said. “Marie is a very warm
woman, and the group has just embraced her.”
Ultimately, Gilbert would like to contribute more by advising a collegiate chapter.
But for now, she’s dropped anchor with an alumnae group through which she can
happily serve others. “I like the Well Aware [program], the Foundation, the service,
the volunteer opportunities, the social aspect,” Gilbert said. “I think sisterhood … is
really about people who are working together for a common good.”

Here is the side bar of the article in my own words:

Every alumna initiate has her own story to tell,
of why she wanted to become part of the Delta
Gamma sisterhood.

In the spring of 1988, I pledged Delta Gamma at the
University of South Carolina. When I received my Pi
Alpha pin alongside my fellow collegians, I was anxiously
embarking on a lifetime of sisterhood and service
with Delta Gamma. I met fun, intelligent and
welcoming young women. I learned the history of the
Fraternity and the ideals and values it stood for. My
new member class and I were excited to become sisters.
Never did I expect that my ship would plot a
different course from the rest. Commitments to my
major of study and to Delta Gamma unexpectedly came
into conflict when my family situation changed. Not
long into the program I had to leave it, but I never
stopped wanting to join Delta Gamma.
It wasn’t until October 2002 that I learned that alumnae
Initiation existed. Yet, like many women my age, I
was looking to contribute more to my community, to
foster new friendships, and share my time and talents
with organizations of which I was proud. Naturally, I
thought of Delta Gamma.
In answer to my inquiry to Executive Offices about
alumnae initiates, I received a warm reply and was
soon put in touch with my local alumnae group, Chicago
Northwest Suburban alumnae chapter. There I
met the same type of women I remembered from my
college days. I found new friendships, new opportunities
and a great sense of pride. I was overjoyed when
my alumnae chapter offered to sponsor me. It was
that same excitement I remember when I got my first
bid from Delta Gamma.
This past March 2, I was formally initiated into Delta
Gamma with my new sisters at Sigma-Northwestern. I
did not know any of the young women standing next to
me, but they welcomed me as if they had known me
forever. And despite our differences in age and experience,
I think we will each bring something special to the
Fraternity. This, to me, is what Delta Gamma is all about.